FA228024P0017

Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) Phase I

Redefining Military Readiness through Immersive Wargaming

Wargaming and AI for All

The proposal seeks to address the need for enjoyable, analyzable joint operation wargames to engage significant portions of allied warfighters. Currently, there is no centralized wargaming cloud leveraging service members' creativity to crowdsource innovative strategies while producing datasets to enable advanced analytics. This hinders force education on modern warfare, reduces opportunities to discover new concepts, and limits data to train systems. Low number of airmens receive regular wargaming opportunities. Further, most exercises use conventional, risk-averse courses of action. To address this, the proposal customizes the commercial X-Plane 12 flight simulator into an AI-ready wargaming platform using plugins. X-Plane provides a mature foundation for rapid prototyping with industry-leading graphics, physics modeling, and expandability. Plugins will enable multiplayer gameplay, military-relevant scenarios and mechanics, data logging, analytics integration, and upgrades for 50+ simultaneous air/ground entities. The approach balances engagement and realism while capturing data to train Airmen and AI systems. It serves both entertainment and preparedness objectives. Phase I will demonstrate core competencies to establish feasibility before expanding scope. Transition opportunities exist across wargaming, training, experimentation, and analytics. This solution promises to increase readiness and evolve 21st-century concepts. The emphasis is meticulous data collection/filtration to train neural networks, enabling AI pilots to potentially exceed human performance.

The goal of phase I is to establish the technical merit, feasibility, and commercial potential of proposed R&D efforts and determine the quality of performance of the small business awardee organization.

AF241-0001

F241-0001-0535

24.1

Victor Lopez