For the past ten months, Canada has been seeking to acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered attack submarines, as many as a dozen vessels costing at least $6.5 billion, to defend its coastal waters. The Pentagon has opposed the idea, saying Canada would be better off using the money to build up its conventional arsenal.
Last week Canada seemed to get its way, when President Reagan announced that he would allow Britain to sell sensitive nuclear-submarine technology to Prime Minister Brian Mulroney's government. Under a 1958 treaty, the subs cannot be sold without U.S. permission. The Canadians are also considering a French...
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