Five Wargames Every Force Design Process Needs

The U.S. Department of Defense has inadequately used wargaming to validate future military concepts, a problem identified within the Marine Corps' Force Design 2030 initiative. A more disciplined approach should follow a "cycle of research" that integrates wargaming with analysis and real-world operations to inform strategic planning. The authors propose a five-phase wargaming framework to guide force design, starting with problem identification before moving to solution development. This structured process ensures that operational needs, rather than technological availability, drive future capability investments and force structure.