Our Organisationorganisation

Based in the historic Southwick Park in Portsmouth, StrategicCyber & Specialist Operations Command’s (CSOC’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. wargames.

The Defence Experimentation and Wargaming Hub is a StrategicCSOC Command capability demonstrator developed in partnership with Dstlthe Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (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 Responsibilitiesresponsibilities 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. ​

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 Guidanceguidance

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.

The analysis-led wargaming framework

PDF, 5.47 MB, 9 pages

Wargaming