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A fire-damaged navy supply ship could be headed for the scrap heap, leaving Canada with only one vessel to support its maritime force.

Since HMCS Protecteur is scheduled to be taken out of service sometime between 2016 and 2017, the navy is going to assess whether it’s financially viable to repair the ship or simply dispose of it sooner, according to military sources.

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An engine room fire, which broke out last Thursday as Protecteur was sailing north of Hawaii, crippled the vessel. It is now being towed to Pearl Harbor.

An extensive damage assessment will start once Protecteur arrives in Hawaii, according to the Royal Canadian Navy. But there are already indications that the damage is extensive. “There are reports of significant fire and heat damage to the ship’s engine room and considerable heat and smoke damage in surrounding compartments,” the navy noted in a statement.

Defence analyst Martin Shadwick said the navy is facing some hard choices. “Even if Protecteur can be repaired, the navy is going to have to figure out if it should go ahead and do that for a ship they were going to retire in two or three years anyways,” said Shadwick, who teaches strategic studies at Toronto’s York University.