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A lack of funding has forced Canada’s navy to take an unusual approach to finding savings — it has sent its frigates out on international missions with instructions to crews not to use some of the ships’ sophisticated sensors.

Those restrictions have helped cut back on maintenance bills but also limit the ships’ effectiveness, according to a Department of National Defence evaluation of the navy.

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That recently released evaluation examined the period from 2008 to 2013.

The Royal Canadian Navy, like all of the military services, has been dealing with funding cuts ordered by the Conservative government.

But some officers have privately noted that the navy has been among the hardest hit since its ships and equipment is among the oldest in the military inventory and require added maintenance.

In addition, the Halifax-class frigates — the backbone of the fleet — are being upgraded, making some of them unavailable at times as they are docked.