DSET 2025: Nato disclose priorities in modelling and simulation

Three officials leading the Nato Modelling and Simulation Centre of Excellence (M&S-COE) presented their ongoing plans and future projects during the Defence Simulation, Education and Training (DSET) conference in Bristol on 9 July 2025.

M&S-COE is supported by four participant Nato members. Led by Italy as the framework nation, others include the Czech Republic, Germany, and the United States.

At present, there are three M&S segments: wargaming creation; electronic warfare; and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) effects.

These systems fill “gaps” in Nato capabilities, identified Piergiorgio Ventura, Lieutenant Colonel in the Italian Army and concept development section chief at Nato M&S-COE.

“Whenever we develop something, we start thinking how to get this project in with the other [allies], not only speaking about our [respective framework nations], but also how to test our internal [cooperation] with other people [with these] projects,” he said.

WISDOM

The first, and oldest Nato project is a software tool that supports wargaming scenarios known as the Wargame Interactive Scenario Digital Overlay Model (WISDOM).

This constructive platform poses a geographical scenario to participants. It is a web-based interface that can be run by any participant in any place in the world. The system offers two- and three-dimensional visualisation of the constructed battlespace.

The platform is aimed for those who need to perform education and training activities, experimentation, after action review, or preparation for real missions, both in a military and civilian context.

“You can [construct a story] and you can let the players interact with the system in turns, you can collect statistics, develop the system, and customise it for different applications,” Ventura stated.

WISDOM forms the constructive basis for two other extant systems: ELMO and CASTLE. The software is a “bridge” between the two, with the ability to share data across these projects.

ELMO

The second system is a synthetic environment for the visualisation of electromagnetic multi-domain scenarios known as ELMO.

“We developed [a] scenario where there are two opposing forces, the blue and [the red], and we are able to emulate the behaviour of systems: radars, communication systems, the use of satellites for military applications – all this stuff can be done with high technical fidelity,” Ventura explained.

In the next few weeks, Ventura added, M&S-COE plan to integrate electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) systems for the first time. EO/IR systems are used for situational awareness and targetting capabilities by providing visual and thermal imaging, day and night, and in various weather conditions. “We will hopefully be able to replicate the behaviour of the larger pointing system and the communications based on electro-optical systems and so on.”

According to GlobalData intelligence, the global military EO/IR market was valued at $13bn in 2023 with a growth projection of 4.2% of gross domestic product, which will reach $20bn in 2033.

ELMO supports decision-making, capability development, education and training, system testing, support to operations, mission rehearsal, procurement and more.

CASTLE

Meanwhile, the last extant system is the CBRN Activites Simulation Total Layer Environment (CASTLE). This simulation environment visualises CBRN effects in a virtual, risk-free space to improve decision-making.

CASTLE aims to federate existing CBRN simulators, to aggregate and share data on a computer generated forces M&S tool.

“Many CBRN tools already exist, such as those providing models to simulate the dispersion of CBRN agents, or the wearing of [individual protective equipment] during training. However, a comprehensive list of these types of tools, fully integrated to maximise its effectiveness, is still missing,” Ventura wrote in a reasearch paper with colleagues in 2023.

In the end, CASTLE determines the effects of chemical compounds on military units with contamination and diffusion data.

Future concepts in AI for Nato

Nato M&S-COE unveiled details of emerging concepts, such as the Military Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Decision-making Experimentation in Nato (MAIDEN).

“The basic idea is to use the synthetic environment in order to train a neural network. To run a simulation system with hundreds in iteration and then get every scenario, and you run the simulation changing a few parameters,” Ventura clarified.

In this way, the network will be able to understand and determine which is the best course of action considering the parameters modified.

“For instance, you can modify the tactical use of drones, the way they perform in the battlefield, and then you can [determine] how to better use drones in a new situation.”

SAGA

Similarly, a new concept demonstrator is currently in development, known as the Scenario Automated Generation using AI (SAGA). The project aims to develop a tool for the automatic scenarios generation using large language models (LLMs).

LLMs are a priority area in defence AI at present, with companies such as the London-based Hadean making significant strides for the UK’s Army training simulation capabilities. Hadean derive actionable data from LLMs to populate a rolling social media feed which informs the Army calculus during simulated operations.

Meanwhile, SAGA will use an LLM to produce a wargame scenario, augmenting Nato’s existing WISDOM platform.

“You can ask questions and it it will answer and populate an area with the information requested,” Ventura delineated. “In the final stage, we [will] provide a full matrix of information.”