Newport, R.I. – The U.S. Naval War College hosted the fourth Trans-Atlantic Maritime Command and Control Wargame (TAMC2 24), a multi-sided, seminar-style wargame aimed at enhancing unity of effort between U.S. and NATO maritime forces, onboard Naval Station Newport, June 24 - 28.
The fourth in a series of Naval Forces Northern Command (NAVNORTH) and Naval Forces Europe (NAVEUR) sponsored wargames, TAMC2 24 examined coordination between U.S. and NATO-assigned forces across a variety of warfare functions and tasks in the trans-Atlantic region.
“The Transatlantic link that connects Europe and North America requires vigilance, strength, and readiness to deter and if necessary defeat those who would undermine the maritime freedom that sovereign nations rely upon for their individual economic prosperity and we collectively rely upon for global peace and stability of the world,” said Vice Adm. Doug Perry, commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet, and commander, Joint Force Command Norfolk.
The wargame brought together more than 150 participants from U.S. and NATO commands, 52 of whom represented allied nations.
The scenario, designed by NWC's Wargaming Department and set in 2027, required game players to coordinate across multiple areas of operation, spanning from northern Europe to the U.S. Atlantic coast.
Recognizing the Atlantic as a connecting avenue between allies and partners in peace, crisis, and conflict, Perry also stated: “The TAMC2 wargame is a vital opportunity for us to examine, stress test and advance our command relationships in the Trans-Atlantic Maritime domain to enhance our interoperability amongst allied and partner forces, accomplish our long-term strategies to deter aggression, and if called upon, win any potential fight."
Game players represented commands including NAVEUR, NAVNORTH, U.S. 2nd Fleet, NATO Joint Force Command (JFC) Norfolk, JFC Naples, JFC Brunssum, Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) and Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO).
A diverse group of intelligence professionals represented the red cell or opposing force, while white cell players provided guidance from the perspective of U.S. European Command (EUCOM), U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) and NATO Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE).
At the final plenary session, players shared their observations, implications, and recommendations from their command’s perspective. As with all analytical wargames hosted at NWC, outputs will be provided to both theater operational forces and the most senior levels of the Navy to inform their decision making.
“Games like TAMC2 give our teams opportunities to grow our respective understanding, develop effective techniques and procedures to plan and execute together, and extend our campaign of learning with our allies,” said Rear Adm. Pete Garvin, president of NWC. “Here at NWC, we are grateful for the partnership with the fleet, joint force, and intel community and look forward to continuing the campaign of learning.”
Wargaming has been integral to NWC since 1887. While the tools and technology used in simulations have evolved over the past century, the value of wargaming in maritime leadership development remains strong. Today, NWC conducts more than 50 gaming events per year, ranging in variety from complex, multi-sided computer-assisted games to simple, single-sided seminar games.
As a critical component of the Navy's Analytic Master Plan (AMP), NWC is designated by the CNO as the Navy's pillar lead for wargaming. NWC spearheads efforts to integrate all research activities within the naval wargaming enterprise and facilitates the promulgation and integration of research findings across the naval analytic community.
NWC delivers excellence in education, research, and outreach, informing today’s decision-makers and educating tomorrow’s leaders. The college provides educational experiences and learning opportunities that develop students’ ability to anticipate and prepare strategically for the future, strengthen the foundations of peace, and create a decisive warfighting advantage.