AP: Japan to offer used warships to Singapore?
Japan is considering selling used warships to Singapore and Malaysia, a move made possible by the recent relaxation in Tokyo's longtime ban on arms exports, a Japanese newspaper reported yesterday. According to The Yomiuri Shimbun, the Japanese government will propose the sale of used 1,000- to 2,000-ton-class compact destroyers and other warships belonging to the Self-Defense Forces, as well as Coast Guard patrol vessels, to the two nations to help them fight terrorism and piracy. But Singapore's Ministry of Defence denied the report yesterday, saying that there had been no discussions between the two countries on the sale of ships.
CNEWS: Canada battled UK over second-hand sub
The warship suffered from cracked engine valves, plugged turbine pumps, leaks, engine malfunctions, problems with breathing systems, and rust that restricted deep dives. The Chicoutimi was the last of four diesel-electric submarines leased from Britain to be handed over the Canada. Its four-year refit was months behind schedule with much of the delay resulting from the need to scrub rust off the mothballed submarine's pressure hull.
