From 10 to 14 July 2023, the NATO Center of Excellence for Modeling and Simulation (NATO M&S COE) held the 15th edition of the NATO course Certification Specialists in Computer Assisted Exercise (CAX) at the Adriano De Cicco barracks in Rome.
This event is historically conducted in collaboration with the Joint Warfare Center (JWC) and aims to prepare NATO and domestic CAX specialists to be part of the Response Cell for major Alliance-led exercises.
The 2023 edition again proved successful, with 18 students from 7 countries successfully completing the course. The strong international participation underscores the growing need for CAX specialists within the alliance and highlights the importance of providing such specialized education to meet growing demand.
The CAX Specialist Course directly supports the growing level of ambition inherent in NATO exercises, where the use of the system Joint Theater Level Simulation - Global Operations (JTLS-GO) is confirmed as a fundamental prerequisite for planning, delivering, controlling and driving the results of exercises. The exercises are the culmination of NATO training and form the basis for developing the Alliance's capabilities to address current and future security challenges.
The M&S COE is committed to ensuring that students leave the course with a solid foundation in quality assurance and testing. Students will also learn some Best Practice learned during recent NATO exercises.
Colonel Francesco Pacillo, NATO M&S COE director, acknowledging the commitment of the JWC instructors, course director as well as the entire M&S COE team, underlined the value of the activity, a very specialized, technical and increasingly requested course . He also expressed his gratitude for the cooperation with the NATO Joint Warfare Center (JWC) emphasizing that the Center of Excellence is always engaged in the process of continuous improvement of the current courses, using all the tools available at national and NATO level.
The success of the 15th edition of the Certification Course for CAX Specialists of NATO demonstrates the ongoing commitment to enhance the skills and experience of CAX specialists within the Alliance. This collaborative effort between NATO M&S COE and the JWC ensures that NATO exercises continue to evolve and adapt to meet the ever-changing security landscape.
The next big appointment will be on the 18thth NATO CA2X2 (Computer Assisted Analysis, Exercise, Experimentation) Forum, in Rome from 3 to 5 October.
