About Us

On 25 March 2015, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the establishment of the NATO MW COE was signed in Washington D.C. Slovenia acts as the Framework Nation (FN) for the NATO MW COE, along with Croatia, Germany and Italy as Sponsoring Nations (SN). Austria participates as a Partner Nation.On 27 November 2015, under a silence procedure, the North Atlantic Council (NAC) approved the accreditation of the Mountain Warfare Centre as the twenty-second NATO Centre of Excellence and its activation as a NATO military body.

In accordance with the Operational MOU, the Steering Committee (SC) was established by the SNs under the permanent chairmanship of the FN. The NATO MW COE Director is responsible to and reports only to the SC. The SC provides tasking to the director as well as direction, guidance and advice for the effective execution of his mission, including the Centre’s management. There is no direct command and control relationship between the NATO MW COE and the NATO Command Structure. Nor is there any command and control relationship between the FN and the NATO MW COE. Respective relationships of the NATO MW COE are set out by MOU and appropriate arrangements. Taking into consideration that the overall responsibility for COEs coordination, employment, and concept and capability development within NATO lies with the HQ Supreme Allied Command Transformation (SACT), SNs establish a clear functional relationship with the HQ SACT. The HQ SACT will forward requests (RFS) from NATO for NATO MW COE services and products. The NATO MW COE will respond to them after they have been approved by SC, and included as activities in the centre’s annual Programmes of Work (POW).

Mission
The NATO Mountain Warfare Centre of Excellence (NATO MW COE) is dedicated to enhancing the mountain warfare capabilities of NATO member countries, partners, and international organizations. Through expertise and collaboration, the NATO MW COE focuses on:

1. Developing, maintaining, and delivering mountain warfare-specific concepts, doctrines, and tactics.
2. Fostering the process of capturing and sharing lessons learned in mountain warfare.
3. Supporting the development of mountain warfare capabilities.
4. Providing comprehensive education and training for mountain warfare.
5. Delivering cutting-edge solutions to address the unique challenges posed by mountainous environments, in coordination with Industry and like-minded partners, with a particular focus on C4I in mountainous environment (tool for Mountain Cell and soldier in rough terrain) for planning, operating and simulating.
6. Ensuring the safety, security, interoperability, and mission success for forces operating in mountain warfare scenarios.

 Vision
To establish the NATO MW COE as the preeminent hub of mountain warfare expertise, fostering excellence and innovation to support NATO, allied nations, and partners in mastering the complexities of mountainous environments.

Through collaborative partnerships, cutting-edge training, and the integration of advanced technologies, the NATO MW COE envisions:

1. Elevating training excellence with state-of-the-art, multi-domain tools that prepare individuals and units for the challenges of mountain warfare.
2. Strengthening international collaboration to build and enhance mountain warfare capabilities within NATO and beyond.
3. Bridging military and civilian knowledge and practices to develop comprehensive and adaptable mountain warfare standards, tactics, and procedures.
4. Advancing technical solutions through partnerships with leading industries and research centers to overcome the difficulties of mountainous terrain.
5. Supporting continuous development through rigorous research, education, and lessons learned, ensuring relevance and adaptability in mountain warfare expertise.

By harmonizing military and civilian capabilities and fostering collaboration across communities of interest, the NATO MW COE aims to provide unparalleled support in preparing for and executing operations in the world’s most challenging environments.