The Commandant of the NATO Defense College (NDC) visits the NATO Modelling and Simulation COE
05 February 2025 – The Commandant of the NATO Defense College (NDC), Lieutenant General Max A.L.T. Nielsen, paid an official visit to the NATO Modelling and Simulation Center of Excellence (NATO M&S COE), highlighting the strategic importance of simulation-based training and research within NATO’s framework.
During the visit, the NDC Commandant was welcomed by the Director of the NATO M&S COE, Colonel Francesco PACILLO, along with senior officials and subject matter experts. The visit included a comprehensive briefing on the Centre’s mission, ongoing projects, and the role of modelling and simulation in enhancing operational effectiveness and decision-making processes within the Alliance.
The NDC Commandant had the opportunity to observe live demonstrations of cutting-edge simulation technologies applied in military training, operational planning, and crisis response scenarios.
A key highlight of the visit was a discussion on future collaborations between the NDC and the M&S COE. Both institutions emphasized the importance of integrating simulation-based methodologies into strategic education programs, ensuring that NATO leaders and planners are well-equipped to handle contemporary and future challenges.
In his remarks, the NDC Commandant expressed appreciation for the Centre’s contributions to NATO’s training and operational capabilities.
The visit concluded with a commitment to strengthening cooperation between the NDC and the M&S COE, fostering innovation and excellence in the field of defence education and operational support.
Written by CWO Michele Pellegrino NATO M&S COE
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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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