U.S. Naval War College Introduces International Students to Wargaming

NEWPORT, R.I. – One hundred international military students representing 58 countries learned more about wargaming as part of the U.S. Naval War College’s efforts to expand wargaming education and practice for partners and allies. The seminar was conducted by International Program’s International Wargaming Education team, drawing on development work for an intended International Wargaming Education Program.

The introductory session, which took place on Nov. 19, 2025, provided a foundational overview of modern military wargaming — covering key concepts, purposes, levels of war, and the wargame lifecycle — paired with short, hands-on practical exercises built around a maritime convoy escort scenario. Participants expanded and shared understanding of what war games are, and how they can be employed for military tactical, operational, and strategic demands.

The International Wargaming Education Program is on track for final approval and is planning to launch in 2026. The program is intended to teach partner and allied military officers how to build, lead and execute and analyze war games in support of national and trans-national needs – a “train the trainers” program – by providing common understanding, structured, repeatable processes and focused post-game analysis.

Dr. Larry Johnson is the director of the nascent International Wargaming Education Program in the NWC International Programs Department, and he led the Nov. 19 session, supported by Associate Director Aleksei Razsadin.

"This session gave our resident partners and allies a taste of war gaming and its utility,” said Johnson. “Looking ahead, establishing an International Wargaming Education Program can further the capabilities and capacities for our international students in war gaming. This would add another important layer to the common military language and, ultimately, interoperability we're building between our allied and partner nations. With war games, we're not just stepping through different military operational scenarios together, we're expanding a shared understanding of how to analyze a battlespace and most effectively achieve a military outcome.”

In addition to military operations, in response to a student inquiry, Johnson noted wargaming methods are exportable to many contexts, and noted how in the past U.S. NWC had supported examining civil and combined civil / military emergency response and disaster relief challenges, bringing together defense leaders and state and federal civilian officials from agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of State.

“These students showed a strong desire to hone their wargaming skills for both education and research, and when they return to their armies, navies and air forces around the world, they'll be better prepared to seamlessly integrate into planning, operations and exercises with our U.S. warfighters and multinational coalitions,” Johnson said. “It's one of our missions at the U.S. Naval War College to engage with allies and partners on all matters of naval power in order to preserve the peace, respond in crisis, and win decisively in war. Expanded wargaming engagements, especially providing education, can only help."

International Programs is in the final stages of development for its broader International Wargaming Program, a four-tier curriculum that takes participants from basic wargaming fundamentals through intermediate design and execution, advanced student-led games, and tailored post-course mentoring. The curriculum is intended to be delivered primarily off-site by mobile training teams, and intends to also offer a resident delivery on NWC’s Campus at the end of the academic year for international students.

Established in 1884, NWC informs today’s decision-makers and educates tomorrow’s leaders by providing educational experiences and learning opportunities that develop their ability to anticipate and prepare strategically for the future, strengthen the foundations of peace, and create a decisive warfighting advantage.