WES-2 Bridge is intended as an interim, prototype training solution for AWIPS-2 until this functionality is included in the AWIPS-2 system itself.

The Warning Decision Training Division (formerly the Warning Decision Training Branch, and before that the Operations Training Branch) has been developing simulations and simulation capability for over 20 years. Partnering with the University of Oklahoma, the AWIPS-1 version of WES was developed in 2002.