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As part of that process, five frigates are unavailable for operations because they are either in dry dock or being prepared for the upgrade process.

The Halifax-class frigates are considered the backbone of the Navy.

As vessels come out of the modernization process, they go through various stages of readiness as the new systems are being verified and tested and the crew conducts training. “They are available for operations, just not at the very highest levels,” Santarpia explained.

Defence analyst Martin Shadwick said the situation is a result of having a “compact” maritime force and a large number of aging vessels that had to be modernized.

“The Navy has known this period was approaching but in the short term they don’t have much choice but to live with it,” said Shadwick, a strategic studies professor at York University in Toronto.

He said a further crunch time for the maritime force will come in the next four years. That is when three aging destroyers, which provide command and control as well as overall air defence for naval task groups, are removed from service.

The Navy has known this period was approaching but in the short term they don’t have much choice but to live with it

At that point, the Navy goes from the 15 frigates and destroyers, which are the mainstays of the service, down to 12 frigates. In addition, the Navy will be without supply ships to provide fuel and provisions at sea. Those two aging ships are to be retired before 2019 and their replacements will not be ready in time.

“In the event of a crisis requiring a surge of ships, the Navy runs into problems,” said Shadwick.