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| The Air Force is letting troops play a video game to prepare for global conflict |
| 2024-10-31 |
| Command is/was the logical heir to Harpoon, but it is about to the supplanted by another similar game with improved graphics: Sea Power. Still, Command is so good because it has a very small requirement in processor power and for memory. [Sandboxx] The U.S. Air Force’s latest way to prepare for a global conflict? Video games. The Air Force is increasingly using video games as a cheap, detailed, and internal way to test potential war scenarios. And it’s increasingly using one game in particular: Command. And as of this past week, airmen can play the game’s professional edition on the Air Force’s internal network. One unusual aspect is that the game the Air Force turned to isn’t some in-house project developed by the Department of Defense for the military or a blockbuster release like Call of Duty or Total War, but rather a popular game studio that specializes in detailed two-dimensional combat. The Wall Street Journal reported on additional details on the Air Force’s approval. The big update is that the game can run on the service’s secure networks. Matrix Games elaborated on that in its own update announcement, noting that “various security vulnerabilities have been identified and removed or mitigated. [‘Command Professional Edition’] is now included on the USAF Evaluated Products List (EPL), which clears it for deployment on USAF-protected systems and networks.” This allows members of the Air Force to play the game using classified and internal information, which won’t run the risk of being leaked to outside players. And there are a lot: about one million people play Command. The Department of Defense has been in contact with the publishers since 2016 and using it for certain wargaming tests since 2017. One former Air Force officer said that when he was with Air Force Air Mobility Command, he had to work to convince his superiors of the benefit of these types of simulators. The game itself lets players, over a two-dimensional map, outline potential defensive and offensive tactics, ranging from low-cost options to a more expensive and fortified strategy. Advocates told the Wall Street Journal that ‘Command’ helps with improving tactical decision-making and seeing the big picture in a possible confrontation. Read the rest at the link |
| Posted by:badanov |
| #1 I was an early adopter of Command, and depending on how detailed you want to get, you can do ANYTHING. Mike |
| Posted by: MikeKozlowski 2024-10-31 18:16 |