Prof. Aaron Danis runs series of China/Asia wargames

This fall, in partnership with IWP’s China/Asia Program, Prof. Aaron Danis organized a series of commercial wargames for students at IWP.  This lunchtime series took place on six Wednesdays this fall.

The series included:

• Sparring Dragons, an introductory Taiwan Straights operational combat game;
• Flashpoint: South China Sea, a strategic game of influence to prevent a war…or not; and
• Littoral Commander: Indo-Pacific 2030, which involves near-future grand tactical combat between the Chinese and U.S. Marine Corps.

This series gave students the opportunity to experience a variety of different wargames while exercising their strategic and tactical skills. “We wanted the students to experience a spectrum of wargames, including Flashpoint: South China Sea, which is not about actual conflict, but exercising on-going diplomatic, informational, military, and economic influence, much as they are taught here at IWP,” said Professor Danis.

Some students had played Littoral Commander: Indo-Pacific 2030 last spring with the game’s designer.  “I hope to keep building on that initial session and work into more complicated scenarios next spring to show students without military experience the complexity and lethality of modern war,” offered Prof. Danis.

Prof. Danis plans to run games from other areas as well in the spring, including the Middle East and Africa, among others.