The Ultimate War Game

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By Commander Barry B. Morton, U.S. Naval Reserve

A two-carrier battle force operates in northwest Pacific Ocean. The world ^s,luation has deteriorated; hostile action ^,s imminent; a multithreat, multiplatform ^enemy is expected. The battle force com-

Noceedirigs / April 1990

mander receives intelligence messages warning of a possible attack. The enemy’s forces include 120 air, 100 sur­face, and 20 subsurface platforms.

War breaks out; detections are pro­

cessed and engagements ensue. The bat­tle force commander evaluates damage and develops new plans. The Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet (CinCPacFIt) orders more forces into the area.

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the

This possible C³I system design and evaluation ^environment can be Seated through a ^Combination of simula­tion and real-world links for multiple-site games.

This depiction is typical the enhanced naval "'arfare gaming system (ENWGS). The second ^battle group—as well as jdl friendly aircraft, satel- des, sound surveillance ^sterns, etc.—is sintu- ^lated by a computer, under

C^lse coordinators. Hostile °rces are simulated by ^c°mputer under the direc- d°n of the Naval Opera- '■onal Intelligence Com­mand (NOIC) detachment at Newport, dhode Island. The initial scenario is "fentical to one programmed and played ^at the Naval War College two weeks ear- '^er, a game in which CinCPacFlt had Participated.

The U.S. Navy uses wargaming to ^SuPport operation plan evaluation, tactics development, and training. The primary ^s°urce of automated support for wargam- ^ln§ is the ENWGS, which is currently ^Perational in each of the Navy’s fleet headquarters (Pacific, Atlantic, and Eu- ^r°Pean), and at the Naval War College, the Tactical Training Groups, and the hlaval Postgraduate School. (ENWGS "dso is to be installed at amphibious war- '^are schools at Little Creek and Coro­^nado.) Each of these sites can conduct ^stand-alone war games or distribute games with multiple sites participating in ^a single scenario.

Interactive gaming could also enable the Navy to design and evaluate existing ^and proposed command, control, com­munications, computer, and intelligence *C⁴I) capability by interfacing shipboard ^sVstems with the ENWGS. In essence, ^each ship in a battle group is capable of Participating in a multiplatform, mul­tithreat war game.

An ENWGS interface to shipboard equipment will enable a ship’s combat information center (CIC) team to partici­pate in war games. Contacts are sent from an ENWGS host computer to an interme­diate processor located on the ship. The shipboard processor translates the detec­tion to a message that is readable by the ship’s combat direction system and is eventually displayed to the CIC team members.

Future interfaces to existing shipboard equipment will include direct stimulation of electronic surveillance measures and sonar equipment. Until these interfaces are built, ENWGS automatic status boards present information to these sys­tems in similar format to that which they expect to receive as if operating actual equipment. The operator will be virtually unable to distinguish any difference be­tween simulated detections generated in ENWGS and real detections (radar, sonar, electronic surveillance measures, etc.).

Data communication technology per­mits the simulation link while the ship is in port or at sea. Ships in port can use standard 4800 baud phone line. At sea they can use satellite communications. Prosecuting detections stimulates the ship’s CIC team. Shipboard reactions in turn cause the stimulation of the real bat­tle group C⁴I systems.

Computer simulation and modeling of physical events are becoming more cost- effective and realistic. The Navy has ap­plied this technology to interactive gam­ing for strategic and tactical operational development, evaluation, and training. When combined with actual C⁴I compo­nents including sensors, transmission media, decision aids, and man-machine interface devices, interactive gaming can be viewed as a useful tool to assist in the design and evaluation of those devices. The application of interactive gaming to all levels of the Navy C⁴I structure will permit us not only to train, but to con­duct C⁴I system design and evaluation in a realistic operational environment, as well.

Commander Morton is a scientist with the Defense Systems Division of Computer Sciences Corporation.