SUBSIM Radio Room Forums - Rigged Training, Lesser Learning??

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I've also heard that during another exercise where the US was testing they're new intergrated systems (global electronic network etc) against a "modern military" (they used Isreal as the model enermy), the US general commanding the Op-For used instant, co-ordinated overwhelming attacks to overload the electronic systems of the US forces, which the US then didn't count, changed the rules so it wouldn't happen again and consequently "won" the exercise.

I know the situation you speak of. It was a wargame to show how a theoretical invasion of Iraq would go, the Marine general given command of the OPFOR essentially cheated the wargame (designed as a operational level simulation) by placing elements that weren't meant to simulated in there. The Navy (rightfully) called foul and had them restart, sans the exploits of the game system. He then commenced to commit ever more wacky and improbable strategies, until the umpires got fed up and took control of his forces. Then he went off and cried about it to the media.

Note that wargame (after umpires took over) showed that a fast-moving ground campaign, beginning with a decapitation strike, would destroy the Iraqi armed forces in weeks. Funny how that worked out, isn't it?

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Now I'd have though it would have been much better for US forces to actually learn from losses and make sure they can counter such circumstances, or is the US more interested in projecting the image of being Supreme rather that the actually facts?

It would be much better if we could fight as we train, with full power active sonar and millions of square miles of ocean to hide in, but the powers that be dictate that exercises maximize training value. Which means the carrier sails donuts in an incredibly small area, there is little-to-no active sonar (which is pretty much crippling to ASW forces), and vessels sunk early are refloated.

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Sorry, pretty long winded I know, just curious on what other people, specifically ex-military people thoughts on the issue?

Currently serving in the Navy, I think it's pretty much BS. Train as you fight, fight as you train. It's one thing when you are supporting development of new systems and need a controlled situation for data collection. It's quite another when you are preparing men and women for situations where second place swims home.