STRATEGIC Engine: Strategic Training and Robust AI for Transferable and Effective - PHASE II

The Phase II STRATEGIC Engine effort will deliver an AI-enabled, distributed multiplayer wargaming platform that integrates with the Air Force WarEngine ecosystem, DARPA’s SCEPTER program, and the HAF/A5/7 Wargaming Database and Cloud infrastructure. It supports wargaming analysis tools for both operational and strategic-level scenarios involving AI agents. Building on Phase I prototypes, this project enhances real-time scenario simulation, multi-agent reinforcement learning (RL), and large language model (LLM) capabilities in alignment with SCEPTER’s focus on advanced AI-driven tactics.Key technical objectives include:Modular and extendable decision support tool platform: Consolidate WarEngine modules (advanced under a prior CodeMetal Phase III) for planning (Killchain), adjudication (Combat), and damage assessment (DRAGN, GAD-VAM) into a single environment via common interfaces. This objective also includes incorporating the DAF-MIT Capture the Flag environment (developed under a previous Code Metal Phase III) to demonstrate platform and decision support tool interchangeability.Robust APIs: Provide seamless data exchange, including geospatial visualization and AI agent integration through commercial open source interfaces.Distributed Multiplayer Roles: Enable concurrent strategic and operational roles within distributed, multiplayer wargames.Secure Containerization: Package all components for deployment on Air Force networks and government cloud platforms.A headless mode enables faster-than-real-time AI training, which is vital for RL experimentation, while a web-based dashboard delivers intuitive controls, geospatial overlays, and automated Course of Action (COA) comparisons. By standardizing data flows and automating scenario adjudication, STRATEGIC Engine sharply reduces the manual workload common to Title 10 wargames. At the same time, it leverages SCEPTER’s advanced AI capabilities to explore new strategies in large-scale, realistic conflict simulations. This integrated framework accelerates insight generation for Air Force planners and establishes a foundation for continued AI-driven research and development. The final product will be a fully integrated, containerized software suite, complete with documentation and user training.