On May 13, the Army Training Command signed an agreement with Gandhinagar-based Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) to establish a ‘Wargame Research and Development Centre’ in New Delhi. The project, dubbed ‘WARDEC’ as a prototype, will be India’s first simulation-based training center, employing artificial intelligence (AI) to create virtual reality wargames.
What exactly is the wargame center?
The Army will use the Wargame Research and Development Centre to train soldiers and test their strategies through “metaverse-enabled gameplay.” The wargame models will be created to train for wars as well as counter-terror and counter-insurgency operations.
When and where will the center emerge?
According to RRU officials with knowledge of the development, the center will be built in a military zone in New Delhi. Officials added that the RRU will collaborate with Tech Mahindra to develop the center over the next three to four months.
The RRU is a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) institute that specializes in national security and policing. It is an “institute of national importance,” located in Gandhinagar’s Lavad village, as designated by an Act of Parliament.
A team from the RRU will soon visit Delhi to obtain all of the information needed to begin work from the Army. Faculty members from RRU’s School of Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence, and Cyber Security have been assigned the task.
We already have a prototype wargaming lab on our campus, which was recently visited by Army officials. We’ve improved our capabilities in artificial intelligence and cyber security. Our team will be visiting Delhi soon to get started, said an RRU official.
What will the outcomes of these simulation exercises be?
Soldiers will put their abilities to the test in the metaverse, where their surroundings will be simulated using a hybrid of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).
In the metaverse, players will have a realistic experience of the real situation. If a weapon weighing 5 kg falls or the air pressure drops, they will feel it in real-time, just like anyone else. The game would be played player versus player, computer versus computer, or even computer versus computer, an RRU official explained.
How will the center assist the Army?
The Army plans to use the wargame center to train officers in military strategy. The Army, according to RRU officials, will provide data to set the backdrop of the gameplay, ensuring that participants have a realistic experience.
In the army, it is commonly said that the enemy can ambush you from 361 directions, with 360 sides surrounding the soldier and one above in case of an airdrop.
As a result, wargame simulation aids the Army in considering all possible scenarios. AI takes into account factors like terrain slope, weather, time, air pressure, enemy surveillance reach, artillery reach, troop position, soldier health, and enemy reaction capabilities, said the RRU official.
What is the promise of AI-based wargame simulation?
In addition to the armed forces, the BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP, and SSB can benefit from metaverse-enabled simulation exercises for improved training.
AI can provide a completely immersive training experience by simulating a realistic battlefield and mapping out several scenarios in the event of a war.
For the time being, the center will only be used by the Army, but the intention is to develop it into a cutting-edge research facility in which other security agencies can participate, said an RRU official.
How many countries conduct such wargames?
Since the 9/11 attacks, several countries, including the United States, Israel, and the United Kingdom, have preferred to use information technology-enabled wargaming to prepare for the possibility of terror attacks or war.
Several world leaders, including former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, former US President Barack Obama, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, played a war simulation game about how to react in the event of a nuclear attack during the Hague Summit in March 2014. In that case, the target of the nuclear attack was a fictitious country called Brinia.
