VICTORIA, BC (CP) - A Canadian warship was sunk Monday by artillery fire. But the former destroyer Huron was headed for Davy Jones' locker anyway. "Huron sank today, just after 1 p.m. local time after a series of gunnery exercises," said Lt.-Cmdr. Mar MacIntyre of RCN public affairs.

The Canadian navy spent more than $7 million to dispose of the 35-year-old destroyer, with about $4.4 million on just the 18-month cleanup that was needed to meet new federal environmental standards ensuring no toxic material was left aboard.  Environment Canada certified the ship was clean and issued a permit March 31 under the Environmental Protection Act.

It took nearly two days to tow the engineless, weaponless hulk to a position about 100 kilometres off the coast of Vancouver Island and then only five hours to send it two kilometres straight down to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. "Huron stood up to a wide variety of gunnery," said MacIntyre, which included artillery barrages from  both Canadian and U.S. warships involved in a joint naval exercise known as Trident Fury. Canadian CF-18 jets fighters also "strafed Huron with 20-mm cannon shells."  He said the navy and air force, as well as allies from the United States, got some very realistic training.

Originally, plans were to have the warship targeted by naval gunnery, then hit by missiles and at least one submarine-launched torpedo. But MacIntyre said most of the damage inflicted on the ship was from the artillery assaults.  "Today's missile shoots did not inflict the damage on to the ship, at all. It was, in fact, the naval gunnery that did that." And the torpedo launch was called off. "That proved unnecessary since Huron went to the bottom after the naval gunnery," he said.

The navy is calling the sinking of the HMCS Huron a complete success.

Exercise Trident Fury involves more than 2,000 military personnel in what the Canadian Forces calls a full spectrum of warfare training with emphasis on air defence and anti -submarine warfare events. Participants included four Canadian Pacific Fleet warships, three United States navy vessels and a United States coast guard vessel. Approximately 40 aircraft from the Canadian and United States air forces, the United States navy and state air national guards are also taking part.

HURON finally succumbs to the shelling and sinks during exercise Trident Fury (Photo credit unknown)