This year's Concept Development plus Wargaming Initiative for
NATO Conference (CD & WIN 2025) helped to share fresh
insights from concept development and wargaming, strengthen
collaborative networks across NATO, and bring partners together
to explore common challenges, exchange best practice, and advance
collective understanding.
The NATO Conference, held in Verona, Italy helped to share fresh
insights from concept development and wargaming, strengthen
collaborative networks across NATO, and bring partners together
to explore common challenges, exchange best practice, and advance
collective understanding.
Through the joint efforts of the Defence Experimentation and
Wargaming Hub (DEWH) and the Defence Wargaming Centre (DWC), part
of Dstl, the UK delivered a clear message: collaboration,
coherence, and shared learning are essential to preparing NATO
for an era of disruptive change. The two organisations already
work closely together, and, in 2024, they formalised their
relationship with the signing of a partnership charter. The
charter set out principles to ensure that the two centres operate
coherently, consistently and efficiently in pursuit of a common
set of goals.
NATO brought its concept development and wargaming communities
together under one roof, creating a single forum for Allies,
partners, industry, and academics to explore how the Alliance can
think, plan, and adapt at pace. For the UK, the event offered a
significant opportunity to strengthen relationships, promote the
Analysis-Led Wargaming Framework (ALWF), and champion a
One-Defence approach across the wider enterprise.
At the heart of the UK's contribution were two presentations. The
first showcased the UK MOD's growing Wargaming Defence
Enterprise, highlighting national capability, the role of the
wargaming network, and opportunities to build bilateral and
multilateral partnerships. The second introduced the Analysis-Led
Wargaming Framework (ALWF) – a developing tool designed to give
commissioners, analysts, and practitioners a shared, repeatable
method for analytical wargaming. Together, the sessions reflected
the UK's commitment to advancing wargaming as both a profession
and a defence enabler.
Captain Eugene Morgan OBE RN, Head of the Defence Experimentation
and Wargaming Hub, said:
Our work at the DEWH shows that rigorous, analytical wargaming is
essential to shaping credible future force options. By sharing
methods and building partnerships across NATO, we're accelerating
the development of coherent, evidence-based decisions for the
Alliance.
Throughout the conference, UK delegates emphasised several key
themes shaping Britain's approach to modern wargaming:
- Defence enterprise coherence and One-Defence collaboration
- Advancing rigorous analytical wargaming
- Championing diversity and inclusion to strengthen
decision-making
- Sharing good practice and lessons learned across NATO
As NATO confronts strategic competition, rapid technological
change, and increasingly complex threats, wargaming is becoming a
critical testbed for exploring decisions before they matter. The
UK's contribution in Verona reinforced the importance of
human-centred, analytically grounded approaches that enable the
Alliance to innovate with purpose, coherence, and agility.
Marston, Dstl's Chief Wargamer and
Head of the Defence Wargaming Centre commented:
NATO's future operational advantage will come from how well we
think and learn together. Through the DEWH and the DWC
partnership, the UK is committed to strengthening the wargaming
enterprise, deepening collaboration with our Allies, and ensuring
we make better, faster decisions in an increasingly complex
world.
The DEWH and DWC's joint presence demonstrated the UK's
determination to support a stronger, more connected wargaming
community – one that underpins NATO's ability to anticipate
challenge, adapt at pace, and shape the future of warfare.
