RED Analytical Wargame (RAW)/CIRSIUM
Digital wargaming for the modern battlefield
Modern land warfare is evolving rapidly, driven by new technologies, dispersed formations and the increasing importance of intelligence, surveillance and data‑enabled decision-making. Defence organisations now operate in an environment where high-intensity conflict is again a realistic planning assumption, and military headquarters must be able to test decisions quickly and confidently.
The British Army’s Land Warfare Centre and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Allied Rapid Reaction Corps required a capability that could reflect contemporary operational complexity while supporting senior commanders under time pressure. They needed a digital environment that brought together realistic combat behaviour, intelligence-driven decision-making, and rapid analytical exploration of courses of action.
Modelling for high-intensity operations
The client required a high-fidelity wargaming capability that could accurately model high-intensity land domain operations, including realistic combat algorithms, sensor-driven intelligence, terrain effects, logistics and resilient data for both NATO and adversary forces. Existing tools lacked the integration, analytical depth and operational usability needed to support fast, evidence-based planning and rapid comparison of courses of action by senior commanders.
RAW, the RED Analytical Wargame, which is known in British Army service as CIRSIUM, was created as a fully integrated, next-generation digital wargame that acts as a playable mathematical model of operational‑level land combat. Using RED Scientific Reply’s (RED’s) combined strengths in operational analysis, software development, engineering and data science, RAW/CIRSIUM provides a commercial‑grade solution tailored to defence decision‑makers. It incorporates advanced combat algorithms supported by extensive military data, with bespoke feeder models developed where source information was incomplete. Historical analysis underpinned the design, including a curated dataset of more than 250 real‑world engagements to validate model accuracy.
Broad-spectrum simulation
RAW/CIRSIUM simulates a broad spectrum of land operations: terrain‑based mobility, target acquisition, intelligence from sensors and reconnaissance assets, logistics, close combat, indirect fires, rotary‑ and fixed‑wing aviation, attrition, and casualty generation. A flexible time‑step system enables detailed modelling during action and rapid progression during quieter phases, visualised through an innovative synchronisation matrix. Its intelligence model removes unrealistic ‘god’s eye’ perspectives—commanders instead see only what their sensors and assets reveal.
A modern, map‑based interface uses NATO Joint Military Symbology, layered overlays, and intuitive controls to support rapid information processing. Senior commanders can pre‑plan manoeuvres and engagement sequences, enabling fast, efficient play during demanding planning cycles. Delivered with comprehensive documentation and a data dictionary, RAW/CIRSIUM provides a transparent, commercially robust solution for operational planning and analysis.
Modular, agile delivery
Development followed a modular, agile delivery model, ensuring continuous alignment with British Army and NATO user requirements. Early stages focused on data collection, system‑level research and historical combat analysis, forming the foundation of the model’s algorithms and parameters. Parallel streams integrated software engineering with operational research, allowing rapid prototyping and real‑time customer feedback. Feeder models were created where additional aggregation or conversion of military performance data was needed.
Through iterative trials with operational users, the interface, intelligence views and synchronisation matrix evolved to meet real command‑level expectations. RED also developed complementary analytical tools—such as ORACHE (Operational Research Assessment of Combat Historical Evidence), ORCIN (Operational Research Casualty and Injury Model), ORTOLAN (Operational Research Tool for Ordnance and Logistics Analysis), and enhancements to the Force Ratio Analysis Tool (FRAN)—ensuring a coherent ecosystem across planning and analysis. The outcome is a fully integrated, MODNET‑hosted wargaming platform aligned with defence planning processes.
Established capability
CIRSIUM is now an established capability. It has been used by the British Army Land Warfare Centre and NATO for more than six years, with multiple contract renewals demonstrating sustained trust. The system provides a fast, intuitive environment for evidence‑based operational planning whilst delivering measurable value to modern defence decision‑making.