The National Defense Wargaming Center (NDWC) leverages Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to provide authoritative geospatial & cartographic support for exercises, research, and analysis. We support students, faculty, and exercise design teams in transforming complex, location-based data into actionable insights, enabling better decision-making and clearer communication. Simply put, GIS connects "where" with "what" through mapping and spatial analysis.
Our Geospatial Services
We deliver high-quality, professional geospatial products and services to meet your requirements.
- Geospatial Analysis & Modeling: We perform detailed spatial analysis, including proximity, network, mobility, and suitability studies, to support realistic planning.
- Imagery Workflows: We integrate and classify satellite and aerial imagery to provide crucial terrain intelligence and detect changes over time.
- Cartographic Design & Production: We design and produce custom, exercise-ready maps, including custom annotated data sets and print/digital products for planning, control cells, and After-Action Reviews (AARs).
- Dashboards & Story Maps: We create interactive Common Operating Pictures (COPs) and narrative-driven products to support dynamic exercise injects and planning assessments.
Authoritative Data: Our Foundation
To ensure the highest quality and accuracy, we rely on a range of vetted, authoritative data sources.
- Homeland Infrastructure Foundation-Level Data (HIFLD): National-scale critical infrastructure layers for U.S. planning and assessment.
- Armed Conflict Location and Event Database (ACLED): Near-real-time conflict and protest event data for pattern and trend analysis.
- National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA): GEOINT products, services, and unclassified resources that provide operational context.
- Janes: Open Source Defence and Security Intelligence
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA): Earth observation and science missions that inform environmental context.
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): Weather, climate, ocean, and charting information for planning and safety.
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE): Geospatial data for waterways, infrastructure, and navigation.
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS): A collection of earth, water, biological, and mapping data and expertise to support decision-making on environmental, resource, and public safety issues.
- Other sources: We use vetted U.S. Government and open-source repositories appropriate to the exercise classification.
Our Role in the Exercise Lifecycle
Geospatial support is integrated throughout the entire exercise lifecycle.
- Design & Development: We build the geospatial backbone for your exercise by establishing areas of interest, constraints, and force laydowns, and then prototyping key visualizations.
- Delivery & Execution: We provide live maps, dashboards, and imagery to support real-time collaboration across services, agencies, and partners.
- Assessment: We capture time-stamped maps and dashboard snapshots for scripted exercise injects and After-Action Reviews.
Governance & Access
The NDWC serves as the NDU GIS administrator, ensuring platform governance, data stewardship, and secure access. This allows wargaming teams, students, and researchers to easily discover and use authoritative content across programs.
- NDU GIS Portal: https://ndu.maps.arcgis.com/home/index.html
- Requesting Support: The NDU community can request an ArcGIS account, GIS/cartographic support, and other services by contacting the NDWC GIS administrator.