I/ITSEC 2021: MASA adds maritime and logistics capabilities to SWORD

MASA has expanded its SWORD constructive simulation to include new maritime capabilities. (Giles Ebbutt)

MASA showcased its new maritime and additional logistics capabilities for its Simulated Wargaming for Operational Readiness and Doctrine (SWORD) at the International/Interservice Training Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC 21) in Orlando in December.

Enrico Raue, international sales and marketing director for MASA, told Janes the new maritime capability enabled friendly, enemy, and neutral platforms to be reflected in the simulation. Unlike land entities, he said, maritime platforms had their capabilities simulated separately to provide a more accurate picture and enable a platform to be degraded in one aspect while otherwise retaining its capability.

Raue said the maritime environment is accurately portrayed, including submarine terrain, weather conditions, and sea states. Aircraft are also simulated and all aspects of naval warfare can be played. Raue noted that with the existing land simulation capability in SWORD the addition of maritime play made the simulation an effective tool for joint command and staff training.

“We've had more and more interest from different countries to use SWORD for naval or more particularly joint training” Raue said, adding that as a result the maritime SWORD capability had been developed as a proof of concept that would need further refinement before fielding. He said there was particular interest from France and the United Kingdom. The Royal Navy (RN) issued a request for information for a maritime command and staff trainer (MCAST) in August. This capability gap for the RN was highlighted during the preparation for the UK Carrier Strike Group 21 (CSG21) deployment, which included a constructive CAST exercise for the task group that had to be staged using ad hoc arrangements.