Australian wargamers explore future technologies

Australia’s defense department has staged its first Innovation and Asymmetry Wargame to explore how emerging technologies might shape future military operations.

Led by Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) with support from the Joint Experimentation Directorate, the hybrid wargaming activity brought together more than 200 participants.

The wargamers were immersed in a realistic scenario set in 2035 where they could use a wide range of innovation, science and technology interventions, combining novel concepts and potentially asymmetric capabilities. The Joint Operational Understanding and Scrutiny Tool was used to record the wargame and allow participants to step forward and back between turns to explore alternative outcomes.

The defense department said that the data and insights gathered during the activity will be used to reduce risk and inform decision-making.