A dedicated wargaming facility used by the Royal Navy – and the wider UK Armed Forces – will help improve decision-making for both operations and sailors’ lived experience.
Just metres away from where the D-Day invasion and the liberation of Western Europe was directed exactly 80 years ago – is the UK Strategic Command Defence Experimentation and Wargaming Hub, a versatile space committed to running scenario-based wargames.
The building, based at the old Maritime Warfare Centre on the former HMS Dryad site in Southwick, Hampshire, has seen investment to become a site where personnel from units and formations can converge and play out the outcomes of different scenarios.
These can range from operational-based such as examining future command and control or people-based, like how changing certain aspects of Service life could impact retention.
Information and data gathered is then fed back to see how it could be used to guide future decisions.
How do you warfare the availability(lack of) of warships, Army Cs, css, and cuts to Typhoon, and let’s not forget lack of actual ammo.
Daniele can come along and provide the full list but for me, our forces are so hollowed, it is almost laughable to think we should be ‘wargaming.’
Saw this report on Twitter a few weeks ago, so UKDJ now catching up.
The building looks the absolute pits judging by the photo shown!
I’m pleased Southwick Park has a use though, as the site was slated for closure a few years ago and judging by the number of lodger units that the site now hold hopefully that is no longer the case.
As for the wargaming, to me it has its place David, no matter our current size. 😀
I have about 400 1/72 airfix soldiers, not all boxes at 100%, from childhood, should I donate them? Realistic numbers for BritMil and no armour, CS, CSS, or arty for that extra authenticity.
😳 On another subject, surprised UKDJ have not knocked out a beard article yet?
As an ex RMP your view?
That Parliamentary cmtte was quite interesting, Crapita were binning people for multiple reasons – set by MoD, literally they have been doing what they were told…
However, beards were mentioned; personally, if you wanted to wear a beard in Afghanistan/Iraq, no issues – apparently Cpl Jobsworth RMP was gripping blokes coming back from FOBs etc while he/she sauntered around Bastion; arrse.
Try the same in a world conflict and you’ll be dead, simples because everything will be in play and your gas mask seal will be vital.
There is a caveat that there may be occasions where shaving is ordered. Any deployment where NBC suits may be required will be an example of that.
Fully understand and support that Marked, and as young soldiers are becoming more professional I hope they won’t need telling – horses for courses.
Yes, I too read of that. I then hear from those who have done CBRN work in the RN that do permit beards and they didn’t have an issue?
So are beards that problematic?
If people are so hell bent on having a beard, join the Navy, it’s never been a problem for us even on SMs.
Probably depends on the kit being used and how it seals. If the seal is well under the chin then a trimmed beard not extending too far towards the neck line shouldn’t be a problem.
They do break the airtight seal essential for gas masks to work. Even I shaved off most my beard, leaving just what would fit inside the inner cup of my resperator during Covid.
If under NBC attack, or even firefighting/DC/evacuating burning ship etc, there’s little point wearing a respirator to save your life if you allow gaps for the toxins to get into your respiration.
It may well prove to be a dead end today, but during WW2 a dedicated unit of ‘Wargamers – mostly Wrens’ based out of Western Approaches Command along with the likes of ‘Jonnie Walker’ helped significantly in winning the battle of the Atlantic against the U-boat threat.
There is a TV series about them catching called ‘The Wargamers’ which tells the story. Acting is a tad iffy, but the story is interesting.
Thank you Deep.
Did they have beards then ? ……. 😂
Watch it and see!!! 😅
I can add a few battleships… mostly Revell … oh and a few Airfix MRCA’s if that’s any help….. just remembered I also have a Centurion Tank somewhere…. I hand painted it back in the early 70’s…..
🤣🤣🤣
There are two routes to simulations: wargaming and computer modelling. But you need realistic scenarios either way. It will be interesting to see how AI brings these together, as the freedom of action of wargaming is introduced to Monte-Carlo simulations when AI takes a part.
Wargaming and modelling are essential to get best value for the ever decreasing pot of money. It would help if procurement didn’t ditch capacity through cheeseparing, but if they insist on it, having some evidence as to what does least damage when thown away is going to be a very good thing.
I believe DSTL do such computer wargaming at their Battlelab at Portsdown West and at Porton.
Exactly…. War is not a game… we seem to live in a play station sort of vacuum where fantasy and Reality are two worlds apart…. having said that, I guess It must help in some ways….well, in Peacetime at least…..
I wonder if anyone in the UK is wargaming British involvement in a predominantly Air-Land war between NATO and Russia?
Nope…. we are currently waiting on Tranche 4 Gameboy Controllers from Lockheed Martin and Boeing…… the LM one’s are a real headache and the Boeing ones keep crashing……. sick but true.
Are Boing not supplying mechanic’s tools now for any passengers?
And LM haven’t got past Block 4 upgrades let alone Tranches.
To hell in a handcart; Farouk and Airborne are being recalled to the Colours, they’d recall Graham Moore but all the vehicles are VOR’d U/S scrapping for the use of.
😂
I think that the Titan mini-submarine had a Gameboy controller. Look how that turned out!