NATO M&S COE Successfully Delivers First Modelling & Simulation Course
The NATO Modelling & Simulation Centre of Excellence (NATO M&S COE) successfully conducted its first Modelling & Simulation Course (Pilot I) from 26 to 30 October 2026 in Rome, Italy, bringing together 19 participants from eight nations.
The five-day course focused on the practical application of Modelling & Simulation (M&S) across NATO operations, planning, capability development, experimentation, wargaming, and education and training.
Through interactive lectures and practical exercises, participants explored M&S requirements development, simulation lifecycle management, capability coordination, NATO M&S policies, and project assessment. The programme also introduced emerging technologies, including extended reality (XR), digital twins, and artificial intelligence, supported by practical demonstrations.
The course was delivered in cooperation with the University of Genoa (STRATEGOS team), the Hungarian XR Centre of Excellence, and NATO Allied Command Transformation (ACT), combining academic expertise, technological innovation, and NATO operational perspectives.
The pilot concluded with a final assessment and graduation ceremony. Participants’ feedback will support further refinement of the course and its future iterations.
The next NATO M&S COE training event is the M&S Support to NATO Experimentation & Wargaming Course, scheduled for 19–27 November 2026.
Written by Cdr Dino D. Tropea NATO M&S COE
For additional information on NATO M&S COE courses, training activities, and upcoming events, please visit the official website: www.mscoe.org.
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The NATO Modelling & Simulation Centre of Excellence is dedicated to the promotion of Modelling & Simulation in support of operational requirements, training and interoperability. The Centre act as a catalyst for transformation through the involvement of NATO, governments, academia, industry, operational and training entities, by improving the networking of NATO and nationally owned Modelling & Simulation systems, the cooperation between Nations and organizations through the sharing of Modelling & Simulation information and developments and serving as an international source of expertise for transformation in the related domain. https://www.mscoe.org
NATO Centres of Excellence are nationally or multi-nationally funded institutions accredited by NATO. They train and educate leaders and specialists from NATO member and partner countries, assist in doctrine development, identify lessons learned, improve interoperability and capabilities, and test and validate concepts through experimentation. They offer recognized expertise and experience that is of benefit to the Alliance and support the transformation of NATO, while avoiding the duplication of assets, resources and capabilities already present within the NATO command structure. Although not part of the NATO command structure, they are part of a wider framework supporting NATO Command Arrangements. [source https://www.act.nato.int/centres-of-excellence]
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