15 October 2024
A gunner from the 20th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, took wargaming to a new frontier, winning a trip to the United Kingdom after taking out first place in the 2024 Army Tactics Competition.
Hosted by the Army Battle Lab from June to August, the competition used Army’s simulation platform, Steel Beasts Pro, and battle simulation sites around Australia to test teams across a training phase, heats and a head-to-head showdown between the four finalists.
Gunner Ishaan McNeill, a UAV operator at 20th Regiment’s 131st Battery, single-handedly defeated teams from the School of Infantry, 1st Armoured Regiment and School of Artillery’s 53rd Battery.
An elated Gunner McNeill said wargaming was a great opportunity for soldiers to develop and execute tactical plans in a simulated environment.
“It builds critical thinking and quick decision-making and I would say it’s a vital tool for the Australian Defence Force and any other organisation, be it military or government,” Gunner McNeill said.
“It’s a professional simulation that allows officers and soldiers alike to practise and build plans in a safe environment.”
The 23-year-old from Brisbane, who has been in Army four years, believes a “private’s mindset” gave him a competitive edge.
“When someone gives me a task or an order I tend to do it in a way that doesn’t over complicate it,” Gunner McNeill said.
“And in that aspect it helped me to understand the scenarios that were given … I was very cut and dry with my planning and I was very straight to the point.”
'It builds critical thinking and quick decision-making and I would say it’s a vital tool for the Australian Defence Force and any other organisation, be it military or government.'
As the competition winner he was rewarded with an overseas trip to attend Connections UK. This professional wargaming conference staged at Brunel University on London’s outskirts, was held in September and attracted more than 250 participants from 15 nations, eager to learn more about the art, science and application of wargaming.
The three-day conference included short courses and workshops to develop wargaming strategies, including resilience, deterrence, escalation and de-escalation.
Gunner McNeill said it was daunting at first, rubbing shoulders with so many academics, government experts and senior military personnel, but was quickly made to feel welcome and benefited greatly from the one-to-one connections.
“Having exposure to those professionals – these people with experiences from other countries – was a big eye-opener,” he said.
“To also see other governments and our partners using wargaming, not only in a military aspect but also in a government aspect with policies, was extraordinary.”
Major Andrew Somerville, of the Army Battle Lab, who hosted the Army Tactics Competition, accompanied Gunner McNeill to the conference and used the opportunity to demonstrate the Army Battle Lab’s wargame.
“This was an opportunity to showcase Australian Platoon Commander to an international audience and it was well received by those in attendance,” Major Somerville said.
He said the wargame was originally designed for use at the Royal Military College – Duntroon.
“One hundred copies of this wargame have been produced, which are now being distributed to select units across Army,” Major Somerville said.
To view presentations delivered during Connections UK 2024 go to www.professionalwargaming.co.uk/2024.html
For more information about wargames, contact Land Simulation and Wargaming at armybattlelab.landsimulationandwargaming@defence.gov.au
