HALIFAX – Seeing HMCS Windsor glide into Halifax harbour Thursday afternoon was a Christmas gift like none other for the many families eagerly watching.
The submarine returned home after spending 105 days overseas taking part in NATO military exercises.
Families waving Canadian flags and hoisting homemade signs greeted the crew as the submarine pulled in to the HMC Dockyard jetty.
Commanding Officer Lt.-Cmdr. Peter Chu’s wife and sons were among those eager to greet the crew.
“There’s no question we’re excited to have him home for Christmas,” said his wife, Kimberly. “I can’t even imagine it without him.”
The crew of 48 took part in the longest deployment for a Victoria-class submarine.
The submarine left in the early fall, along with HMCS Athabaskan, Halifax, Montreal, Goose Bay and Summerside.
The multinational exercises named Joint Warrior and Trident Juncture took the crew across the Atlantic and off the coast of Portugal and Spain.
“From a tactical perspective, it pushed my team to the limits and we gained a lot of experience,” said Lt.-Cmdr. Chu.
WATCH: HMCS Windsor gets a warm welcome in Halifax harbour as she and her crew return home from NATO military exercises overseas.
Part of the training included anti-submarine warfare, as well as covert patrols and intelligence collection.
“While they were working overseas, they worked with our special operation forces from Canada and generating new high end special op capabilities,” said Rear Admiral John Newton, commander of Maritime Forces Atlantic and Joint Task Force Atlantic.
“So, we’re pushing the envelope all the time on what we’re getting out of these boats.”
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