Underwater Centre of Excellence
Becoming the Alliance's knowledge hub for the underwater operating environment
The Underwater Centre of Excellence (Underwater COE) will be a multinational military organisation dedicated to enhancing NATO's understanding of the underwater operating environment.
The Centre will bring together expertise from military, scientific, academic and industrial communities, acting as a hub connecting NATO bodies, Allied Nations, Partner Nations and a wide network of stakeholders.
The Underwater COE is currently in its accreditation phase. Following the signing of the Operational MOU, the Centre is working towards full NATO accreditation.
Mission, Vision and Goals
Our vision, mission and the goals that will guide our work.
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Organisation
How the Centre is structured and governed.
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History
Key milestones on the path to NATO accreditation.
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Why Underwater COE?
Discover why the Alliance needs a Centre of Excellence dedicated to the underwater operating environment.
Learn more about the underwater dimension →
What is a NATO Centre of Excellence?
Our Added Value to NATO
The Underwater COE will provide unique value to the Alliance by:
- Enhancing effectiveness and efficiency
Concentrating expertise to support the development of a comprehensive response to underwater challenges, fostering synergies across the Alliance. - Delivering with agility
Providing support, knowledge and expertise with agility and responsiveness to contribute to the success of NATO's efforts in the underwater operating environment. - Avoiding duplication
Operating in full respect of the scope already assigned within the Alliance, avoiding duplication with other NATO-accredited COEs and NATO maritime stakeholders. - Bridging science and operations
Serving as a bridge between the Science and Technology efforts of NATO STO CMRE, PNS and DIANA, and the Alliance's underwater capability development process.
Sponsoring Nations
The Underwater COE is established and operated through the commitment of its Sponsoring Nations.
Italy 🇮🇹 — Framework Nation
Italy hosts the Centre in La Spezia, provides the Director, infrastructure and administrative support and chairs the Steering Committee.
Greece 🇬🇷 — Sponsoring Nation
Greece contributes personnel and resources to the Centre's operations and participates in the Steering Committee.
What We Do
Developing capability, knowledge and frameworks for the underwater operating environment
The Underwater COE will support NATO's effort to understand, innovate and strengthen operations in the underwater operating environment.
The Centre's work will be structured around three Lines of Effort (LoEs), each focusing on a specific aspect of underwater capability and cooperation. Through them, the Centre will deliver products and services to NATO, Allies and Partners across the four NATO COE pillars.
Lines of Effort (LoEs)
- Underwater Capability Development
- Analysis, Education & Training
- Framework & Guidance
Where We Are
A location where science meets doctrine
The Underwater COE is located in La Spezia, on the Ligurian coast of Italy, within a unique military compound that brings together leading maritime research and experimentation institutions: the NATO STO CMRE, the PNS and the CSSN.
NATO STO CMRE
The NATO Science and Technology Organization Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation manages and conducts scientific research and technology development centred on the maritime domain with a focus on underwater topics.
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PNS
The "Polo Nazionale della dimensione Subacquea" (National Underwater Dimension Hub) fosters collaboration among government, private sector, industry and academia to accelerate underwater technology development, adapting it to the Italian Navy's needs.
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CSSN
The Italian Navy's Naval Support and Experimentation Centre (Centro di Supporto e Sperimentazione Navale) manages logistic support engineering and leads experimentation programmes for the Italian Navy.
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This strategic co-location presents an important opportunity for synergy between science and doctrine for supporting the needs of the Alliance. Together, these institutions create a powerful ecosystem for innovation.