Guidance

Defence Experimentation and Wargaming Hub

The Defence Experimentation and Wargaming Hub is Strategic Command’s capability demonstrator which will enhance Defence’s wargaming capacity and capability.

Our Organisation

Based in the historic Southwick Park in Portsmouth, Strategic Command’s Defence Experimentation and Wargaming Hub is helping develop wargaming across wider Defence and industry, as well as being the focal point for delivering key wargames. 

The Defence Experimentation and Wargaming Hub is a Strategic Command capability demonstrator developed in partnership with Dstl, Industry, Academia providing an end-to-end, state of the art wargaming and experimentation service to customers operating at the strategic and operational levels.  We enable evidence-based decisions to be made rapidly and with greater confidence as we prepare for the threats of the future.

The Defence Experimentation and Wargaming Hub operates alongside the Dstl’s Defence Wargaming Centre, complementing existing wargaming capabilities.

Our Responsibilities are to:​ 

  • Provide an accessible facility for wargaming for Defence, whereby wargame capability can be managed, developed, delivered, and continually improved.​
  • Wargame more frequently in multiple locations, at all levels of classification, across government and with allies.  ​
  • Meet the analysis needs of policy and strategy development, capability and force development, operational planning and the education and training of commanders and staff.​
  • Provide a constructive challenge function for Defence.​
  • Provide the focal point for Level 2 and Level 3 (Joint and Defence) Experimentation. ​

Southwick Park

As the organisation develops, it will offer:

  • At-readiness rapid wargaming service
  • A reconfigurable wargaming facility
  • Wargaming thought leadership​
  • Mobile teams able to deliver at other suitable locations/facilities​
  • A repository of wargaming data, tools and scenarios​
  • Wargaming advice and design from an experienced team of professionals and subject matter experts​

Further Guidance

For more information on wargaming in Defence can be found in the MOD Wargaming Handbook and the Influence Wargaming Handbook is also recommended reading alongside this publication.

Wargaming

Updates to this page

Published 10 July 2024

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