Serious Play For UK StratCom

The U.K.'s Strategic Command’s Defence Modelling and Simulation Office (DMSO) is using what was originally developed as commercial software for wargaming and analysis.

As per a recent Ministry of Defence (MoD) press release, the DMSO has awarded a contract for the supply of Command Professional Edition (Command PE) software for Defence users. 

Command PE's roots as a Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) game means it has a user-friendly interface, but the software, developed by Matrix Pro Sims, is now being widely used across the globe for wargaming and analysis at the operational level.

The StratCom press release observed: "Command PE allows users to simulate every air and naval engagement from post-World War II to the present day and beyond. Working from a vast open-source database of military hardware and capabilities means simulations of even the most complex operations are realistic and accurate."

One of the key users of the wargaming software will be StratCom’s new Defence Experimentation and Wargaming Hub in Portsmouth. The software's simulation capabilities aren't limited to the "traditional" domains of land, sea, and air: Command PE can also model space assets in known orbits, as well as cyber capabilities by incorporating degraded or disabled communications and sensors.

Noting the software's potential benefits for training, education, and analysis, the StratCom statement added: "Command PE will also allow for greater integration with international partners, allowing for exchange of knowledge and ideas, and joint wargaming and analysis."

As per the Matrix Games website, its software is used for operational analysis, wargames, and training by a range of defence partners including the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, the U.K. MoD,  the RAAF, as well as defence industry firms including Boeing, BAE Systems, and Lockheed Martin.