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US Marine Corps to get new wargaming center by 2024

Marines playing a game of Memoir 44
USMC file photo of marines playing a game of Memoir 44’—a war-themed strategy board game based on historical World War II battles

The US Marine Corps has started the process of developing a new wargaming center to better visualize the threat environment, gain competitive advantages and simulate future operating environments.

The center is expected to break ground in fiscal year 2021 and will be designed to leverage modern simulation technologies to enhance the wargaming experience for marines.

Located aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, the Marine Corps Wargaming and Analysis Center is expected to house more than a dozen wargames each year, including two large-scale, 250-person exercises. Simulations will offer a realistic representation of future operating environments.

Earlier this month, BAE Systems announced it had been selected to develop a prototype design for the center.

Once established, the wargaming center will comprise an auditorium, gaming classrooms, conference room and other spaces to support wargaming needs.

The wargaming center’s capabilities will enable users to identify issues, consider objectives, and scope and analyze the problems. The resulting wargames will provide data and analytics to inform decisions affecting force development, force management, system functionality and service functionality.

The wargaming center is scheduled for completion in 4th quarter of fiscal year 2023. It is expected to reach Initial Operating Capability in fiscal year 2024 and hit Full Operational Capability in fiscal year 2025.