Tactical-level use of computer simulations and tools for after action review: Pre-study

This report summarizes the results from a pre-study focusing on military tactical-level application of computer based games and simulations. The study serves to illustrate concrete use cases within currently undeveloped tactical domains where games and simulations might be useful. The pre-study has consisted of three case studies where the Army ranger battalion, the Psyops unit, and the Land warfare centre have been in focus. These three units supposedly represent a number of varying needs when it comes to tactical-level computer assisted tools. The report starts off with a short background to the multidisciplinary field of "games and simulations" and its relation to learning, before introducing the specific games and simulations that have been part of the study. Next, the undertaken methodology is presented followed by a presentation of the identified user needs, which in turn brings about a number of prioritized needs regarding games and simulations for the respective military units. The results from the study show that there exists many needs that could potentially be met using games and simulations within the military units. To what extent games and simulations actually would provide an added value compared to current methods and practices remains to be investigated, though. Hence, this pre-study lays the foundation for further work where the computer based tools and their associated processes and methods ought to be adapted, tested and evaluated within the scope of the military units' ordinary activities.