The Ministry of Defence, through its Cyber & Specialist Operations Command’s (CSOC) Integrated Warfare Centre (IWC) and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), has showcased the UK’s advanced analytical wargaming capabilities at the recent Concept Development plus Wargaming Initiative for NATO Conference (CD & WIN 2025).
The event, held in Verona, Italy, provided a platform for the UK to reinforce its commitment to enhancing collaborative defence strategies among NATO allies and partners. The UK delegation emphasised the importance of shared learning and coherence to prepare the Alliance for future operational challenges.
A central element of the UK’s participation was the formalised partnership between the Defence Experimentation and Wargaming Hub (DEWH) and Dstl’s Defence Wargaming Centre (DWC), established through a partnership charter in 2024. This collaboration aims to ensure a consistent and efficient approach to developing wargaming methodologies. At the conference, the UK delivered two key presentations. The first outlined the growth and capability of the UK’s Wargaming Defence Enterprise, signalling opportunities for bilateral and multilateral partnerships. The second introduced the Analysis-Led Wargaming Framework (ALWF), a new tool designed to provide a shared, repeatable method for analytical wargaming for commissioners, analysts, and practitioners. This framework represents a potential area for industry engagement, particularly for businesses specialising in analytics and simulation.
Captain Eugene Morgan OBE RN, Head of the Defence Experimentation and Wargaming Hub, stated that rigorous, analytical wargaming is essential for shaping credible future force options and that sharing methods across NATO accelerates the development of evidence-based decisions. The UK’s approach highlights a focus on creating a unified ‘One-Defence’ enterprise, advancing analytical rigour, and promoting diversity to strengthen decision-making. For suppliers and contractors, this signals a clear direction from the MOD towards evidence-based procurement and strategy, where analytical and simulation capabilities will be highly valued.
Colin Marston, Dstl’s Chief Wargamer and Head of the Defence Wargaming Centre, added that NATO’s future operational advantage will depend on how effectively its members can think and learn together. The joint presence of the DEWH and DWC at the conference demonstrated a clear UK strategy to foster a more connected wargaming community within the Alliance. This initiative underscores the growing importance of wargaming as a critical tool for exploring complex strategic decisions, creating opportunities for specialist technology and service providers to support the MOD and its international partners in this developing field.
Image: Presentation at this year’s Concept Development plus Wargaming Initiative for NATO Conference. Crown copyright.
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