In a world where the battlefield is increasingly digital, the art of war is evolving. Gone are the days of smoke-filled rooms and dusty maps. Today’s generals and admirals are trading in their swords for keyboards, and their battlegrounds are virtual. At the forefront of this digital revolution is Command Professional Edition (CPE), a wargaming platform that’s not just changing the game, but rewriting the rules.
TL;DR
- Digital Battlefield: CPE provides a virtual environment to test strategies and tactics.
- Future-Proofing Military: The platform helps military leaders prepare for future challenges.
- Learning from Mistakes: CPE allows for risk-free experimentation and learning.
- Real-World Applications: The insights gained from CPE can be applied to real-world military operations.
- Collaborative Learning: CPE fosters collaboration and knowledge sharing among military personnel.
Warfare today isn’t what it used to be—not by a long shot. With conflicts escalating in Ukraine and the Middle East, it’s clear that the rules of battle have shifted faster than they have in nearly a century. Commanders must adapt quickly to stay ahead, making tactical moves that weren’t even imaginable a few decades ago. But here’s the twist: they’re turning to games, of all things, to make it happen.
Wargames: More Than Just Strategy on a Board
Historically, wargames were reserved for top brass with access to secret plans and classified data. Today, however, these games have moved out of smoky, secure rooms and into the hands of strategists across the military. With technology and AI powering these simulations, wargames are no longer the simplistic board games of the past. They’re intricate, virtual battlefields where generals and analysts can test different scenarios—often involving thousands of moving parts. And unlike traditional military drills, digital wargames save time, money, and, thankfully, keep people out of harm’s way.
Proponents argue these simulations can even tackle “what ifs” that physical exercises could never address, such as the potential consequences of a nuclear strike. That’s right, gaming has gone from “just for fun” to a core tool in the military playbook.
Gaming Meets the Battlefield
Enter Tim Barrick, a retired Marine colonel and wargaming director at Marine Corps University. He’s known for shaking up the system by using board games and computer simulations to train his students. In one memorable exercise, he had eight Marine majors repeatedly face off in a virtual Pacific military engagement using a program called Command: Professional Edition (PE). This isn’t just any software—it didn’t come from a big defense contractor but was instead crafted by gaming enthusiasts inspired by none other than Tom Clancy novels.
The magic of Command PE lies in its origins and simplicity. Designed by gamers for gamers, it found its way into the military because of its ease of use and accuracy, quickly becoming popular with users from various backgrounds. Military officials in Taiwan use it to assess responses to potential threats, while Britain’s Strategic Command has adopted it to test new tactics and ideas.
Low-Cost Versus High-Cost Defense: A Case Study
One of the fascinating aspects of Command PE is its ability to simulate high-stakes military decisions affordably. Imagine this scenario: you’re running two simulations with a fictional battle between Red and Blue forces. In the first, Blue has minimal equipment for defense, while in the second, Blue adds a range of defenses like early-warning aircraft and ships capable of missile defense. The result? With the extra support, Blue manages to spot Red’s missiles sooner and intercepts every single one of them. For military planners, this is invaluable information at a fraction of the cost.
Wargames in Action: More Than Just a Pastime
With its roots going back to Prussian military exercises over 200 years ago, wargaming has proven its value in helping military leaders strategize and train. However, the real tipping point came in 2015 when then-Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work warned that the Pentagon’s wargaming skills had “atrophied.” This kicked off a frenzy of innovation as each branch of the military scrambled to catch up.
Today’s computer-based simulations look more like intricate maps than popular video games. Yet, their high-speed processing allows operators to rerun countless scenarios in real-time. In one recent project, scientists at Northrop Grumman created AI models to play Command PE, generating over 200 quadrillion options (that’s a two followed by 17 zeros!). This kind of AI integration adds layers of complexity, helping military analysts to process massive amounts of data and notice patterns that a human eye might miss.
The Skeptics: Is Wargaming All It’s Cracked Up to Be?
Of course, not everyone is convinced that these digital simulations are the ultimate answer. Warfare is unpredictable, influenced by countless factors—from the latest technology and weaponry to politics and weather. And let’s not forget the human spirit, a wildcard in any conflict. Critics argue that wargames sometimes oversimplify these elements, reducing complex variables to numbers that may not fully capture the reality of battle.
“Wargames like Command Professional Edition are changing everything about how we understand modern warfare. It’s incredible how accurate and in-depth the scenarios are; I feel like I’m looking at real-time battlefields, testing strategies that would be impossible in any other setting. This isn’t just for soldiers—it’s like a classroom for anyone trying to understand the complexity of global security and modern combat.” – Isaac Raymond, 34, Arlington, Virginia
My Take: Are We Over-Gaming War?
I’d say wargaming has a lot of potential but maybe needs a reality check. Sure, games can simulate a lot, but we’re not talking about a round of Monopoly here. These exercises still leave out the nuances and raw emotions of real-life conflict. It’s one thing to push virtual units across a screen; it’s another entirely when people’s lives and nations’ futures are on the line. Still, there’s no denying that AI and gaming have a role to play in how we understand and prepare for modern warfare—assuming we keep a healthy skepticism about what technology can and can’t do.
Practical Takeaways: Wargames as a Growing Asset
For military officials, the rise of wargames presents both opportunity and challenge. The simulations can’t predict every eventuality, but they do provide a sandbox for testing strategies that might otherwise be too risky or costly. As AI grows more sophisticated, expect wargames to continue evolving, potentially bridging gaps that have long challenged military strategists.
And while some may scoff at the idea of “playing games” in the service of national security, it’s clear that wargames offer a practical, cost-effective tool for testing tactical theories and getting soldiers familiar with high-stakes decision-making. The real question is, can they match the chaos and unpredictability of actual combat? Only time will tell.
In the end, as warfare continues to evolve, so too will the tools we use to prepare for it. Wargaming is here to stay, and while it might not be perfect, it’s certainly a lot better than sending soldiers into battle unprepared.
