Canadian Submarine Force trains future ally captains

September 26, 2024 – Royal Canadian Navy

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SOCT participants and staff take a moment to capture a few pictures onboard HMCS Windsor prior to sailing from Halifax Harbour.

Naval officers from around the world participated in the Submarine Officer Continuation Training (SOCT) in Halifax, NS from the 5th to 18th of September.

Canada regularly organizes this type of training to prepare prospective Canadian submarine captains for the Submarine Command Course in Norway and the Netherlands, a course which is colloquially referred to as “Perisher”.

 “Passing Perisher is no easy feat, and success is by no means assured. Participating in an SOCT allows students to hone their leadership and warfare skills and expose them to the challenges of command,” said Capt(N) Alex Kooiman, Commander Canadian Submarine Force.

This year’s SOCT was comprised of five officers. Countries participating included South Korea, Italy, the Netherlands, and Canada. HMCS Corner Brook’s captain, Cdr Eric Isabelle was the lead instructor for this serial.

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SOCT participants from Italy, Netherlands, South Korea, and Canada pose onboard HMCS Windsor prior to sailing from Halifax Harbour.

“Diversity in the group broadens these officers’ experience and perspective of submarine operations at the Commanding Officer's level,” said Cdr Isabelle. “It also exposes our submarine crews to working with foreign officers in an operational setting. It’s a win-win. The crew learns as much from them as they do from us.”

Training consists of a shore phase, which was conducted from 5 to 12 September. It includes periscope training in the Sherwood Submarine Trainer in Halifax, NS, an introduction to Royal Canadian Navy electronic navigation systems, and exposure to inshore operations planning and execution. This was followed by an at-sea assessment phase that was conducted onboard HMCS Windsor. It relied on a scenario-based training that tested the students as “Duty Captain” in both open-ocean and inshore missions over a 24h period.

“Every aspect of this experience was a valuable learning opportunity, and I am truly grateful for it,” said Republic of Korea Navy student LCdr NOH Gwangho.