News story

Sharing wargaming expertise with international guests

Strategic Command’s Defence Experimentation and Wargaming Hub hosted a visit from the Hybrid Centre of Excellence, Finland.

Visitors from the Hybrid Centre of Excellence being shown the D Day Map in Southwick House.

With the modern battlefield constantly evolving, it is vital that Defence remains at the forefront of preparedness across all domains. Strategic Command’s Defence Experimentation and Wargaming Hub, based at Southwick Park, hosted attendees from the Hybrid Centre of Excellence (HCoE) based in Finland.

The visit symbolised the merging of traditional and evolving approaches in defence strategy. As nations continue to invest in advanced technologies and interdisciplinary collaboration, the bringing together of these elements will undoubtedly shape the future of Defence planning.

The cutting-edge wargaming facility helps develop tactical skills for countering hybrid threats which combine conventional military capabilities with non-traditional tactics, such as cyber-attacks, disinformation campaigns, and economic coercion.

Established in 2017, the Hybrid Centre of Excellence (HCoE) is an international network-based organisation that provides expertise and training to 34 EU and NATO countries.

Dr Shiho Rybski of HCoE said:

The wargaming hub represents a great opportunity to further international collaboration and HCoE would be excited to explore future opportunities to support wargaming.

By training and working together, we can better prepare to counter the broad spectrum of hybrid threats, the wargaming hub can provide the platform in which to collaborate.

It is hoped that the visit will foster future collaborations, enhancing collective readiness to face hybrid threats in an ever-evolving global landscape.

What is the Defence Experimentation and Wargaming Hub?

Based at Southwick Park in Hampshire, Strategic Command’s Defence Experimentation and Wargaming Hub is helping to grow wargaming capability across wider Defence and industry while delivering a variety of wargames and seminars.

The Defence Experimentation and Wargaming Hub will deliver evidence-based decisions, faster.

The Defence Experimentation and Wargaming Hub also offers:

  • At-readiness rapid wargaming service
  • +500m² reconfigurable wargaming facility
  • A repository of wargaming data, tools and scenarios
  • Wargaming advice, and design from an experienced team of professionals
Published 7 February 2024