Major wargame launched to make sure frontline troops can entry equipment and ammunition shortly
A landmark wargame has been launched to ensure troops on the frontline can access kit and ammunition quickly if engulfed by intense fighting or supply chains are disrupted.
Defence Secretary John Healey will on Monday send a warning to hostile states that the UK has a strong defence industry “that can innovate at a wartime pace”. A first-of-its-kind wargame will begin with defence businesses to ensure troops can get everything they need in intense wartime scenarios. Firms will be asked if they can get kit such as weapons, ammunition, health supplies, drone replacements and other crucial units like armoured vehicles to wherever is needed.
Wargames can simulate armed conflicts of different sizes, be it a battle, a campaign or an entire war, the Ministry of Defence writes online. These simulations train players to evaluate situations and make decisions faster. Wargaming provides cost-effective opportunities to explore options and test strategies without risking lives.
In a speech at a London Defence Conference event this morning, Mr Healey will set an ambition to increase defence sector jobs in “every nation and region of the UK” as part of the government’s new defence industrial strategy.
The Cabinet minister said: “Our defence sector should be an engine for jobs and growth, strengthening our security and economy. That requires a defence industry that is better and more integrated – one that can keep our Armed Forces equipped, innovating at a wartime pace, and ahead of our adversaries.
“National security is the foundation for national stability and growth. We are sending a signal to the market and to our adversaries: with a strong UK defence sector we will make Britain secure at home and strong abroad.”
Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry Maria Eagle will also visit Barrow-in-Furness on Monday where BAE Systems’ skilled workers are building the UK’s new nuclear submarines and will benefit from the further investment.
The defence sector already supports one in 60 jobs in the UK – 434,000 good, well-paid jobs, with the majority (67%) outside London and the Southeast.
