Unified Quest Wargame to advance army operating doctrine

The US Army hopes to use wargaming to further develop and validate its emerging doctrine, and a February event could play significantly into its future operating concepts.

The Unified Quest Winter Wargame, which looks at the army in the 2020-30 timeframe, is part of a group of efforts by which the army is studying its future. Among other activities, the service also hosts a similar Unified Quest event that explores its role and capabilities in the 2030-40 timeframe.

The Army Capabilities Integration Center (ARCIC) is facilitating the game in partnership with the Joint Staff's Joint Development, Joint and Coalition Warfighting Division (J7). Planning began in November 2012, but the game itself is to officially run from 9-14 February 2013 and see four large groups interact in different ways inside several scenarios, Colonel Kevin Felix, ARCIC's Future Warfare Division chief, told reporters.

Two operational work groups, whose efforts are classified, will work on a number of problems based on President Barack Obama's 'strategic guidance' that asked the Pentagon to focus more on the Asia-Pacific region while shrinking its overall force size.