Surface Warfare Officer Reactive Decision Simulator (SWORDS)

The Surface Warfare Officer Reactive Decision Simulator (SWORDS) is a real-time battlefield simulator that allows future Naval Officers to conduct realistic war-game scenarios. Built for Midshipmen (MIDN) at Embry-Riddle Navy ROTC, SWORDS allows students to take on the role that Surface Warfare Officers (SWOs) fill in the fleet. From Junior Officer of the deck to Commander of a Carrier Strike Group. SWORDS is not just one game on one screen, each scenario is designed to include multiple ships. With each ship being controlled by different groups of students, using different screens. All of the screens and students are connected through the simulation in real-time.

SWORDS emphasizes three key categories/skills that MIDN must demonstrate: Navigation, Communication, and Leadership in stressful situations. The software specifically scores the navigation component, while MIDN staff use the software logs and monitor students to score them on the other categories.

MIDN have to take multiple navigation courses, and SWORDS help students put into practice what they have learned. They are required to safely navigate their ship using paper maps and navigation tools. Players are required to submit a correct coordinate of their ship every 5 minutes, if they don’t or put an incorrect position in, they will be deducted points. MIDN are also required to monitor radar contacts and determine speed/heading from radar information.

Each screen of SWORDS provides information or allows a ship to deal with an incoming contact, a contact is any vessel or aircraft within 15 nautical miles of their ship. Each ship has a radar screen that gives physical information on the contact such as their latitude and longitude. There is also an intel screen that can provide images or descriptions of a contact. MIDN must communicate between the different screens and positions to determine if a contact is dangerous, and if so, what weapon systems they should use to take it down. Communication is key not only inside of the ship, but also between ships. In simulations run at ERAU, there are different ships with different weapon loadouts. Meaning some ships can take down contacts that others can not. The students must work together using limited communication channels, to provide an accurate battlemap context to surrounding ships and work together to complete their mission.

Each scenario is designed by a MIDN staff every semester. Past scenarios include anti-terror missions, freedom of navigation crossings, and night time carrier operations. These scenarios are designed to induce stress but introducing a large amount of contacts that the MIDN have to figure out in a short amount of time whether they are a civilian vessel, or an enemy contact.

SWORDS has been in use for five semesters now, and each time it evolves. It started as a 2D windows application, and has gone to a 3D battlespace on a website that allows students with any laptop to participate. Each semester around 80 MIDN partake in this exercise, with about 60 connecting directly to the software.