Americas News
Canada: Navy Refueller Vulnerable to Arrest
A navy support ship with refuelling capability and leased to the Canadian navy is at the centre of a legal row.
The ship, the Asterix, was leased to the navy as a stop-gap when it found itself without support vessel cover.
But a marine engineering firm is suing Quebec-based shipbuilder Chantier Davie Canada for royalty payments and damages, according to national news provider the Globe and Mail.
The yard refitted the ship under a government contract but engineer Navtech alleges that the original refit plans were its own and that the firm is owed royalty payments. Navtech has made a court request to arrest the ship.
Although military ships are usually exempt from seizure under admiralty law, the Asterix is vulnerable because of its private sector lease, the report said.
