Wargaming Design Capability
Background
Subordinate to Headquarters Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (HQ SACT) Joint Force Development Directorate, the Joint Warfare Centre (JWC) is today one of NATO’s leading organizations in operational- and strategic-level decision-making and analytical wargames.
The JWC’s wargame design capability reached full operational capability on May 18, 2022, following a two-year development phase. With this capability, the JWC makes tangible contributions to the NATO Warfighting Capstone Concept (NWCC), particularly the Cross-Domain Command, one of the five HQ SACT-led Warfare Development Imperatives (WDI) set out by the NWCC.
The Cross-Domain Command focuses on the ability to apprehend and rapidly adapt to changing threats, and take effective actions in today’s increasingly complex, multi-domain security environment. It underpins operational art, innovation, critical thinking, and investment in human capital.
The JWC’s wargame design branch helps to link HQ SACT warfare development efforts directly to HQ SACEUR training objectives by designing bespoke wargames for sponsor headquarters that address their specific warfighting needs.
Wargaming provides a highly responsive, low-cost, and low-impact alternative to other training activities and can help provide a cognitive foundation upon which to guide future training.
The JWC Wargame design branch can build and deliver up to eight custom-made wargames per year to NATO commands. Our wargames can be stand-alone events or integrated into JWC-directed large-scale command post exercises.
Aim
The JWC wargame design capability provides NATO and the nations with the tools and knowledge to think differently about problem-solving in a complex and dynamic security environment.
Milestones:
2020 Wargame initiative kickoff: https://jwc.nato.int/articles/jwc-kicks-wargame-initiative-for-future-exercise-design-processes
2021 Resilience-themed pilot wargame, “WISE AEGIS”, in coordination with the NATO Civil-Military Cooperation Centre of Excellence (CIMIC COE):
https://www.jwc.nato.int/articles/jwc-declares-IOC-wargame-design
January 31, 2022: Standard Operating Instruction in Wargame Design signed (internal full operational capability), the Wargaming Branch established.
https://www.jwc.nato.int/articles/joint-warfare-centre-declares-full-operational-capability-wargame-design
https://www.jwc.nato.int/articles/joint-warfare-centre-demonstrates-wargame-design-alliance-warfare-development-conference
May 18, 2022: The JWC declares full operational capability.
November 18, 2022: The JWC develops and delivers its first large-scale wargame, “Ready to Fight” in support of Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) and the Joint Support and Enabling Command (JSEC) to use during the annual logistics-themed wargaming exercise JETS
https://www.jwc.nato.int/articles/joint-warfare-centre-directed-wargame-helps-drive-european-logistics-integration