1.    Introduction

The NATO M&S COE kindly invites all interested experts, authors, and presenters to submit abstracts, presentations, and optionally papers or articles aligned with the Forum’s topics. Submissions will be evaluated by members of the NATO CA2X2 Forum Technical Program Committee.

Authors of accepted abstracts will be invited to prepare a presentation (and optionally a paper or article in PDF format) and present their work during the NATO CA2X2 Forum.

Companies, organizations, study groups, teams, students, and individual experts are also invited to propose and support sessions or activities on specific M&S topics. These may include presentations, round tables, interviews, workshops, demonstrations, courses, and other interactive formats. Proposals will be evaluated and, if feasible, integrated into the event program.

All submissions (abstracts, presentations, and papers) must be made through the 2026 MSCOE CA2X2 Forum EasyChair platform:

https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=natoca2x2forum2026

If you have not previously used this platform, registration will be required. Submission deadlines:

• Abstracts: 30 June 2026
• Presentations: 25 August 2026
• Final papers: 31 August 2026

2.    2026 Theme

The 2026 Forum’s theme is: Generating MDO Readiness through a NATO Simulation Ecosystem in line with the priorities ratified by Supreme Allied Command Transformation.

3.    Main Tracks

The 2026 edition will cover contributions organized into the following tracks:

• Experimentation, Exercises and Wargaming for Warfighting Readiness
• Data, Interoperability and Integration across Synthetic Environments
• Emerging and Commercial Technologies for Defense Simulation and Training

4.    Main Topics

The Forum will be focused on, but not limited to, the following topics:

5.    Submission Guidelines

Submissions must include complete author and presenter information, including short biographies, as well as an abstract describing the proposed presentation. Presentations may be uploaded after abstract acceptance (no later than 25 August 2026). The submission of a full paper or article is optional. Please select up to three relevant topics for your submission to support appropriate session allocation.

6.    Publication

Submitted papers will be considered for publication in the CA2X2 Forum 2026 Proceedings or in the NATO M&S COE Annual Review 2026, to be released in early 2027 in both digital format and a limited printed edition.

In addition, the Editorial Board, composed of subject matter experts from the NATO M&S COE, will select the best paper. The author(s) of the selected paper will be recognized and receive a financial award of EUR 500 during the final day of the CA2X2 Forum.