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ABOUT
Find Us on FRIDAY 12th, 10:00 - 14:30, in the Aerospace Theatre
Cold Front NextGen is a ‘hybrid’ wargame that uses a mix of digital and physical resources to convey a large-scale air and naval battle in a fictional conflict. The game is run within a digital simulation (‘Command Professional Edition'), and physical resources (maps, counters, handbooks, etc) are provided to help players better visualise the tactical situation as they interact.
This game has been commissioned for DSEI as a part of a wider Next Generation (‘NextGen’) showcase, aimed at engaging future defence industry talent through a series of events, seminars, and personal interactions. This wargame is therefore intended to stand as a broad demonstration of the discipline, and the tools & processes used therein.
Keep reading for more information about our game, and how DSEI NextGen Discovery Trail participants can be part of it....
SECTIONS:
Would you like to join a team and play for the entire session (09:00 - 14:30)? Register your interest HERE
SUPPORTED BY:
This wargame is an example of a 'competitive gaming mode' for Command Professional Edition (CPE), which is being developed for the 'Serious Games' component of the CSOC Defence Esports Programme.
This application of CPE has been developed by Fight Club International and Matrix Pro Sims to help maximise the uptake & exploitation of digital wargaming and simulation across UK Defence.
Thank you to CSOC for their ongoing support and their continuing efforts to make defence-wide esports a reality.
Thank you to Mark Langmead and the team at Matrix Pro Services for kindly allowing us to use the Command Professional Edition software in this capacity and for providing additional technical guidance during the development of this wargame.
FRIDAY SCHEDULE
Our game has been built from the ground-up to provide NextGen participants with a series of short (30-minute) opportunities to drop-in and engage while exploring the wider Discovery Trails.
Anybody is welcome to visit and spectate at any time, for any duration, however if you would like to participate in the game, or ask some detailed questions about wargaming and simulation, we have broken the day into 4 ‘Participation Slots’ and 2 ‘Visit and Chat’ slots.
For more information on how to join the game for a 30-minute wargaming ‘sprint session’, check-out the NextGen Strike section below.
10:00 GAME STARTS
10:30 - 11:00 NextGen Participation Slot #1
11:00 - 11:30 NextGen Visit & Chat Slot #1
11:30 - 12:00 NextGen Participation Slot #2
12:00 - 12:30 BREAK
12:30 - 13:00 NextGen Participation Slot #3
13:00 - 13:30 NextGen Visit & Chat Slot #2
13:30 - 14:00 NextGen Participation Slot #4
14:00 GAME ENDS
1.THE GAME
The game is divided into 2 rounds, each 2 hours in length. Each round consists of 4 turns, each lasting 30 minutes. At the beginning of each turn, the simulation is paused for 15 minutes, during which both teams may plan the movements of their various units and communicate their orders their Team Controller - a designated Command Professional Edition user, assigned to the team, who will operate the simulation. This first 15 minutes is called the ‘Planning Phase’.
Once the Planning Phase has concluded, we move to the ‘Execution Phase’. This also lasts 15 minutes, during which the simulation is un-paused and the action unfolds on the screen. The simulation is run at between x5 to x15 time acceleration, meaning an hour’s worth of combat will occur within this 15 minute period.
Units may still be controlled during this period, however your team will need to think fast and provide clear instructions to your Team Controller.
At the end of the Execution Phase, the game is paused and the next turn’s Planning Phase commences.
There will be a 30 minute break between rounds, and a period for review and discussion once the game ends. There will also be time for detailed planning before the game starts.
2.THE SCENARIO
ARCSEC is a security cooperation alliance between a group of nations located in a region we would know as Northern Canada (Nunavut-Quebec). On ARCSEC’s western border sits the hostile nation of Krasnovia, and we start our game in the immediate aftermath of a Krasnovian surprise attack against ARCSEC member Westonis. While ARCSEC land and air forces battle to defend Westonis, ARCSEC Eastern Command must counter a parallel Krasnovian naval offensive against the alliance’s eastern flank; the strategically vital Indigo Sea.
Krasnovian submarine forces have ambushed ARCSEC naval units across the Indigo Sea and have dispatched an amphibious invasion force toward the capital city of ARCSEC member Estnordica. ARCSEC Eastern Command must scramble its naval and aviation assets in the area and hunt down the Krasnovian subs before they can do more damage or escape into the Atlantic, from where they can mount a blockade.
Blue Team will control ARCSEC Eastern Command, while Red Team will conduct Krasnovian Northern Naval Command’s conquest of the Indigo Sea. The game revolves primarily around ARCSEC’s anti-submarine operations. Blue Team must get their airborne ASW deployed and hunt Red Team submarines, but this can only happen if they successfully contest the airspace above. Red Team will be working hard to establish air dominance and pick-off Blue’s ASW aircraft before they can harm the subs.
3.THE SYSTEM
This scenario is modelled and executed within Command Professional Edition; a software product used by a variety of defence organisations within NATO. Command is an example of a digital simulation package that has been gradually adapted for various defence clients over a number of years. It is used for planning, analysis, wargaming, and a range of other applications requiring a high level of technical detail.
As the threat landscape evolves, systems like Command are becoming increasingly sought after as allied militaries seek to adapt their forces and doctrine. Similar products include ‘Vantage’ by Levato, and ‘Atom Engine’ from Battle Road Digital. This wargame is an attempt to combine the detail, versatility, and sophistication provided by these products, with the more human, tactile, components of manual wargaming.
NEXTGEN STRIKE
We have created a temporary mode of engagement for any NextGen visitors who may wish to participate as they progress along the ‘Discovery Trail’. You will be able to work with one of our Exercise Control Team to plan an airborne ‘strike package’; a group of combat aircraft that will enter the battlespace, conduct a single mission, and then leave. Just swing-by about 5-minutes before the start of one of the Participation Slots (see schedule above), and make yourself known to one of our engagement people.
Planning your strike should take around 15 minutes, after which the simulation will run (for another 15 minutes) and we’ll see how well your plan performs.
You will be joining an air and naval wargame in which Blue Team are attempting to find and sink Red Team’s submarines with their anti-submarine aircraft. Red Team are sending fighters and strike aircraft to counter this, and Blue Team are responding in-kind. So, while Blue Team aircraft chase Red Team Submarines, you will be competing for control of the overall airspace. You may be assigned to Blue Team or Red Team, at the discretion of the Exercise Controllers.
First Steps
The first thing your Controller will do is assign you a team to assist. They will then deliver a run-down on the situation that team is facing, and where your forces might be needed. You should think of yourself as a senior officer from an adjacent command, temporarily assigned to this operation.
As part of this brief, you will be given a reference sheet with details of your Strike Package (duplicated below). This will consist of a group of combat aircraft and a single airborne tanker. That tanker is your ticket home, so you’ll want to keep it safe during your mission!
Your aircraft will arrive in the area from a ‘spawn point’, to the West of the main combat zone. They will then have 1-hour to travel to their target and attack it, ensuring they have enough fuel remaining to get back to the tanker (so they can refuel for the trip home).
[Time is accelerated in our simulation software, so this ‘1-hour’ period will only take around 15-minutes of ‘real world time’.]
NextGen STRIKE: BLUEFOR
BLUEFOR Aircraft are generally more sophisticated with powerful sensors, better stealth, and options for longer-range missiles, including the Storm Shadow cruise missile. They are highly versatile, and can cope with most threats in the battlespace.
F-35A Lightning II A fifth-generation stealth fighter designed for air superiority and strike missions, equipped with advanced sensors for enhanced situational awareness. It can perform multiple additional duties such as electronic warfare and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Weapon Loadout: x6 Meteor Air-to-Air Missile
Typhoon FGR.4 A twin-engine, supersonic multirole fighter optimised for air dominance and strike missions in high-intensity conflicts, capable of rapid role-switching between air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. It features advanced radar, and long-range weapons such as the Meteor anti-air missile. Weapon Loadout: 2x AIM-132A Air-to-Air Missile 2x Meteor Air-to-Air Missile 6x Brimstone 2 Ground Attack Missile or 2x Storm Shadow Cruise Missile
Airbus A.330-200 MRTT [Voyager KC.3] A multi-role tanker transport aircraft designed for in-flight refueling to extend the range and endurance of other aircraft. It also supports troop and cargo transport, enhancing operational flexibility across long distances.
F-35A Lightning II A fifth-generation stealth fighter designed for air superiority and strike missions, equipped with advanced sensors for enhanced situational awareness. It can perform multiple additional duties such as electronic warfare and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Weapon Loadout: x6 Meteor Air-to-Air Missile
NextGen STRIKE: REDFOR
REDFOR Aircraft enjoy less of a technological edge and must get closer to land and naval targets to engage them, however they are often deployed in larger numbers. They also tend to have slightly more range, and their interceptors enjoy a higher top-speed.
Su-57 Felon A fifth-generation stealth fighter developed for air superiority and precision strike missions, featuring advanced avionics and sensor fusion. It offer a multirole capability, deploying long-range air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles and munitions. Armed With: 2x AA-11 Air-to-Air Missile 2x AA-12 Air-to-Air Missile 2x AA-13 Air-to-Air Missile
Su-35S Flanker M A highly maneuverable multirole fighter designed for air superiority and ground attack, equipped with advanced radar and thrust-vectoring engines. It carries a wide array of air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons for versatile combat operations. Armed With: 2x AA-11 Air-to-Air Missile 2x AA-12 Air-to-Air Missile 2x AS-14 or 2x AS-22 Anti-Ship & Air-to-Ground Missile
Il-78M Midas An aerial refueling tanker designed to extend the range and endurance of combat aircraft during long-range missions. It also supports strategic airlift with cargo and personnel transport capabilities.
Su-57 Felon A fifth-generation stealth fighter developed for air superiority and precision strike missions, featuring advanced avionics and sensor fusion. It offer a multirole capability, deploying long-range air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles and munitions. Armed With: 2x AA-11 Air-to-Air Missile 2x AA-12 Air-to-Air Missile 2x AA-13 Air-to-Air Missile