NATO’s Allied Command Transformation has highlighted the strategic impact of its 30 accredited centers of excellence in accelerating innovation and interoperability across the alliance. On Tuesday, it listed some of its COEs, detailing how they are turning emerging concepts into practical tools.
The Air Operations COE, for instance, has developed ALEXO, a real-time planning tool for air-to-air refueling that replaces manual workflows with automated decision support. Meanwhile, in colder climates, the Cold Weather Operations COE has launched HEIMDALL, an Arctic innovation environment where unmanned systems and autonomous sensors are tested under extreme conditions.
Virtual training is another area of development, with the Explosive Ordnance Disposal COE advancing ETACS, a modular VR training tool for bomb disposal. The Human Intelligence COE is also piloting artificial intelligence-powered tools such as QUESTIX and HDIL, which enhance questioning techniques and rapport analysis by integrating psychological modeling and training data.
Interoperability also remains key to NATO’s operational cohesion, with COEs advancing standardization and joint capabilities through various initiatives.
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The Maritime Geospatial, Meteorological and Oceanographic COE enhances joint operations through real-time environmental data tools supporting Federated Mission Networking. In addition, the Military Engineering COE is developing a Universal Floating Bridge Adapter to ensure cross-national equipment compatibility, while the Maritime Security COE strengthens maritime situational awareness via MARSEC-25 exercises and studies on undersea infrastructure resilience.
COEs are also responding to emerging security issues. The Climate Security COE is helping NATO address Arctic energy resilience, while the Stability Policing COE is developing doctrine for drone use in policing and expeditionary roles.
The military command said it will continue to publish detailed profiles on each COE, detailing its mission and contributions as a catalyst for NATO’s transformation.