Informationized Wargaming with Joint All Domain Operation

RockyMountainNavy, 13 December 2024

I recently acquired four games in the Joint All Domain Operation-series published by War Drum Games out of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 2024. Along the spectrum of wargaming, which one might envision running from highly abstract games (like Chess) to detailed simulations (like the video combat simulator Command Modern Operations), Joint All Domain Operation (JADO) skews heavily towards the simulation end of the spectrum.

Based on a superficial look at the series, I initially placed JADO along the wargaming spectrum in roughly the same area that I see the Victory Games Fleet-series from the 1980s-90s and Compass Games’ Breaking the Chains or South China Sea series from the mid-to-late 2010s. The JADO series advertises itself as an operational-level treatment—from a PRC perspective—of modern or near-future combat operations across the land, sea, air, and even cyber domains. After working to learn the game and playing solo tutorials and scenarios, I discovered the JADO is complex in many ways that makes learning and playing the game difficult—and I am not just talking about the translation challenges. JADO also appears to model the complexity of “informationized warfare” as viewed through a Chinese wargaming lens.

[This is the first in an I-do-not-know-how-many-post series covering JADO. This first posting is intended as an overview to introduce the games with a focus on JADO 01 Nav/Air East China Sea Package 01-A. Note that all the game materials are printed in Chinese with no “official” translation into English to be found. The international wargaming community has (thankfully) done some great informal translations. Any quotes that follow should be considered more akin to “gists” than an authoritative translation.]

 

JADO goes…global?

The introduction to the core rules of Joint All Domain Operation 01 Nav/Air East China Sea Package 01-A (ver 1.6) relates that, “The Global Battlefield is a campaign-level modern warfare simulation wargame system.” To deliver that “Global Battlefield” JADO uses two related yet separate game engines—the first form of complexity in the game series. The JADO game system includes different sets for Land or Sea-Air battles. The four games that I acquired are:

• • JADO 01 East China Sea Nav/Air Package 01-A: Sea-Air set covering the East China Sea (think Guam to Taiwan).
  • JADO 01 East China Sea Land Package 01-B: Land set for Taiwan
  • JADO 02 North China Sea Nav/Air Package 02-A: Sea-Air set for Korean Peninsula
  • JADO 02 North China Sea Land Package 02-B: Land set for Korea

Looking strictly at the scales of the games, JADO is very much a campaign- or operational-scale treatment. Yet, the two different sets of JADO actually use two different scales—more complexity. JADO Sea-Air sets use four (4) hour turns and hexes of 75 kilometers (40.5 nautical miles). Counters in a Sea-Air set represent one (1) ship of over 6,000 tons displacement, two (2) medium ships of 3,000 tons displacement, four (4) small ships of roughly 1,500 tons or less displacement, one or two submarines, or 10-12 combat aircraft or 1-4 support aircraft. In JADO Land sets each turn is also four (4) hours time but each hex is 15 km and every strength point on a counter represents 500-1000 combat troops, 50 combat vehicles, or 12-15 helicopters.

Multiple expansion kits are available for JADO. From what I can tell, most look to add specific new units or capabilities to the game leveraging the core game engine. It appears that the publisher is using an approach akin to the way DLCs are used for video games.

 

Dark Seas

The map for JADO Package 01-A is emblematic of the Sea-Air sets in the series and thankfully not another source of complexity. The map sheet measures approximately 33” x 23.25”. In terms of area covered the map for Package 01-A ranges from mainland China on the west edge to Kyushu on the North edge to Guam on the extreme southeast edge to Luzon on the south edge. Airbase holding boxes are on the west and east edges along with boxes that look to be places to hold various markers. Location names and various lines and geographic features are marked in both Chinese and English. The color palette used is quite dark but stands out well against the more lightly-colored counters. Each player will also have oversized cards for various formation boxes; the fact that each card is separate means that the players only use what is needed and are not saddled with having to find space for a formation sheet that goes half (or more) unused in a game. There are also cards for tracking ammunition of units. All together, players will likely need at least a 4’ x 5’ table to play the Sea-Air set and a like-sized second area if the accompanying Land set is played at the same time.

 

 

Techno-JADO

The unit counters in JADO reveal a very detailed, techno-widget-centric approach to simulating combat. Counters are just over 1/2” and are very dense with information—yet more complexity from reading (deciphering?) the very small font. On some counters the information actually is printed on both sides of the counter (one side is not enough!). Units are rated for the following (translated as “Modules”):

• • Troop Strength Module – Scale of unit and durability to sustain damage.
  • Range Module – Combat radius of aviation units.
  • Altitude/Range Module – Flying altitude and/or attack range.
  • Radar Cross Section (RCS) Module – Rating for RCS used for detection.
  • Detection Modules – Five types of Detection are found; Air, Surface, Sonar, Ballistic Missile, and Electronic Reconnaissance.
  • Attack Modules – Different attack modes.
  • Protection Module – Rated for Electronic Defense and physical.
  • Name Module – Name and weapon model (i.e class) as well as associated weapons.

Interestingly, in JADO many individual weapons (especially anti-ship cruise missiles, ASCM) get their own counter called a Weapon Unit. A Weapon Units moves, detects, and attacks independent of the platform that delivers it (once launched, of course). This approach, using a separate counter to denote a weapon system, should be familiar to most any naval wargamer that has played so many World War II games with torpedoes. What makes the JADO implementation more complex is that each Weapon Unit type moves, detects, and attacks as if it was a naval unit or aircraft (i.e. another layer of complexity).

 

Building a professional navy

The back of the box of each JADO games announces that the Difficulty of the game is “Professional.” While I do not know how War Drum Games assigns difficulty levels, suffice it to say I am in agreement with the rating based on the complexity I encountered trying to learn the game.

 

Each game in the JADO series come with two rule books; a core rule book and a module rule book. As one would expect, the core game engine for each set (Sea-Air or Land) is found in the core rule book. The core rule book for JADO Package 01-A has the following table of contents:

1. 1. Introduction
   2. Combat Units
   3. General Adjudication
   4. Air Combat
   5. Sea Operations
   6. Campaign Missile Warfare
   7. Electromagnetic Space Warfare (Advanced Rules)
   8. Optional Rules

The module rule book in each JADO package adds exclusive rules, “Simulation Exercise Topics” which are a form of tutorials, and multiple scenarios. Overall, the two rule book approach is logical and should be indicative of a well organized set of rules. Alas, the reality is a bit more…complex.

 

Even placing translation challenges aside, the core game engine for JADO is clearly complex. The first challenge is the formating of the rules—think walls-of-text! Second, it is very hard find a succinct sequence of play. At best I can tell, there is no separate sequence of play found in the core or module rule books. There is a double-sided “Comprehensive Reference Card” that claims to include the round flowchart and hints from the rules. The card is text-heavy and “seeing” the flowchart amongst yet another wall-of-text is extremely challenging. It might just be a quirk of translation but it is also very hard to distinguish between Phases and Sub-Phases and Rounds. As best I can tell the game flow goes:

• • Maintenance Phase
  • First Air Combat Phase
    • Deploy by determine load out, place into formations, determine altitude.
    • Aerial Patrol (Sub)Phase; players alternate deploying to map.
      • Combat Air Patrols (CAP) can be detected enroute (requires using Synchronous Flight rules) or on station and may be intercepted enroute or on station by an airbase or another patrol.
    • Air Combat Rounds (two rounds max); each round is Timing, select Tactical Posture, Detection, Attack Order, Air Attacks, Damage, Second Round (repeats).
  • Maritime Patrol Phase (used to “target” enemy surface units; subject to intercept much like above).
  • Second Air Combat Phase; also called Enemy Mission (i.e. ‘Strike’) Phase. Players alternate deploying strikes to map.
    • Strike Adjudication; detection and combat.
    • Relocation Missions executed.
  • First Sea Operations Phase
    • Voyage (movement); units with a “Voyage” value of 3 can move 1 hex.
    • Detection
    • Combat
  • Second Sea Operations Phase
    • Voyage; units with Voyage value of 3 or 2 can move one hex.
    • Detection/Combat
  • Third Sea Operations Phase
    • Voyage; units with Voyage value of 3, 2, or 1 can move one hex.
    • Detection/Combat
  • Missile Warfare Phase (Ballistic Missiles)

 

Operational Tactics Across Domains

The heavy techno-focus of JADO uses a game engine that is highly interactive (detailed?) and calls for many die rolls. The designer does not appear to embrace notions of simplifying or collapsing models together. Many phases are executed in an alternating fashion, Offensive player followed by Defensive player, until each passes. The game gains complexity given the many tactical-level decisions needed in most any mission executed. Players are called upon to make very tactical-like decisions such as loadout, flight altitude (can vary), routes to patrol stations, Tactical Posture in an attack, altitude differences, and more. The Electromagnetic Space Warfare (Advanced Rule) adds yet more complexity. Optional rules such as 8.1 Aerial Refueling or 8.2 Data Link and the many special units in the module rules heighten the realism of the game but at the cost of yet more added complexity, usually through rules exceptions used by certain units.

The module rule book for JADO also includes rules for integrating the Sea-Air set with the Land set. Given that turns are the same time length, the real challenge comes from the different map scales used. JADO uses special rules for entering/exiting the Land set map though module rule 4.3 Nested Entry and Exit. Given that I focused on the Sea-Air set in Package 01-A for this posting I have yet to deeply explore the connection between the Sea-Air and Land sets so I cannot make a true judgement call on that complexity…yet.

What I can make a judgement on is the complexity of combat resolution in JADO. A typical engagement sequence for an anti-ship missile engagement goes something like this:

• • Attacking Weapon Unit enters detection range (based on Weapon Unit RCS).
  • Defender attempts Air Detection.
  • If detected can engage if defensive weapon in range.
    • Defender can fire as many times as Firepower Channel Limit allows.
  • For each defending “round” fired gain 1d10.
    • Roll each d10 comparing to Electronic Protection of target as modified by attacking weapon; each roll under is a hit.
    • For each remaining hit roll 1d10 again comparing to Physical Protection of target as modified; each roll under is a hit.
    • Each remaining hit decreases attacking Weapon Unit value by 1.
  • If Weapon Unit reaches target gain 1d10 for each “round” remaining roll the following.
    • Roll d10 die pool against Electronic Protection as modified for hits.
    • Remaining hits roll against modified Physical Protection.
    • If any hits remain unblocked apply as damage.
    • With the exception of large naval units, most ship counters are “sunk” on a single hit.

As “complete” as that sequence above appears I am quite sure I missed something in there. While the core game engine of JADO attempts to use similar mechanisms across different rules, the fact to the matter is that there are many rules exceptions making learning and internalizing the rule set a great challenge. Most importantly, the entire combat resolution system is borderline tactical in scale. Comparing JADO to a tactical naval warfare game like Harpoon V is not unreasonable. For an operational-scale game I expected a degree of abstraction; alas, the combat rules are highly detailed with little abstraction as written.

 

Tutorial to Scenario

The JADO rule books also do not appear to have examples of play, neither for individual rules nor an extended example of play, which makes learning another complex challenge. In an effort to ease the steep learning curve, eight “Simulation Exercise Topics” in the module rule book focus on different core game mechanisms and form a series of tutorials. The module rule book states the Simulation Exercises are suitable for single players (solitaire play) to familiarize the player with the rules. The eight topics are:

1. 1. Routine Patrol Simulation
   2. Air Combat Simulation
   3. Air Defense Readiness Simulation
   4. Air-to-Ground Strike Simulation
   5. Emergency Combat Readiness Takeoff Simulation
   6. Formation Navigation Simulation
   7. Anti-Ship Strike Simulation
   8. Deterrence Warning Simulation (i.e. Ballistic Missiles).

Likewise, the individual scenarios of JADO form another set of tutorials but for two players. The five scenarios are described thusly:

1. 1. “This scenario imagines that the Z side [PRC] launches a comprehensive ballistic missile suppression against the T side’s [Taiwan’s] main island before the landing day” in this 1 round scenario.
   2. “This scenario imagines that the Z side launches a comprehensive ballistic missile suppression against the T side main island at the start of the landing day and seizes complete air superiority over the entire T island within 12 hours” in a 3 round scenario.
   3. “This scenario imagines a joint air and sea confrontation between the Z side’s air force and naval surface ships and the M side [American] in the upper East Sea area” in this 6 round scenario.
   4. “Aircraft carrier showdown! This scenario imagines the Z side using the Liaoning aircraft carrier battle group as the core pivot to conduct area denial operations against the M side’s single aircraft carrier battle group” in this 10 round scenario.
   5. “This scenario is a fictional live-fire joint military exercise by the Z side, codenamed ‘Southeast 2X’ overall operational plan. This scenario can be combined with the land-based Scenario Four for simultaneous deduction [resolution].” The scenario duration is 7 rounds.

Rule 11.0 Full Unit Deployment in the module rule book of JADO Package 01-A provides deployment information for all units in the module allowing players to custom-build scenarios.

While the eight simulations in JADO are clearly intended to provide a player the opportunity to learn the various parts of the game engine, the lack of examples of play makes it difficult for a player to see if their understanding is correct. There are a few videos available that explain or show JADO in play but they are not in English and getting a subtitled version—that is understandable—is really not a simple process. To learn JADO, much less play it, one needs to truly be a bit of wargaming “professional” because the challenge is not simply to read the rules but to discern the (unclear) intent behind them in order to play a game.

 

Detecting a Theme

If the game engine for the Sea-Air set of JADO Package 01-A has a theme it appears to be detection. It starts with the RCS Module of each counter and extends into the many rules for detection, be it by radar or sonar or infrared electro-optical systems or electronic warfare. Detection of units is also resolved at multiple occasions in a game. As explained in 4.6 Maritime Patrol Phase, JADO uses a “non-blind mechanism” to get past the fact that players have a “god’s eye view” of the map. Just because you can “see” it on the map does not mean you can shoot it; you have to “detect” it first! JADO is not unique in this approach; the Fleet-series, South China Sea, and Breaking the Chains 2.0 all have some form of rules for detection or targeting. The difference in JADO appears to be the many times detection is called for; another example of detailed simulation over abstraction.

[One very interesting detection rule is found at Module rule 2.9 Near-Earth Satellite Orbit. The rule explains to the player what certain markings the map are for but then say, “which are not involved in the basic module.” If not in the basic module then where?!]

 

South China Sea Table Battles

As mentioned above, JADO seemingly occupies a similar wargaming space as three other operational-level modern naval wargames in my collection. The below table provides a broad comparison of JADO to those three other wargames.

 

As the above table shows, JADO seems to most closely compare to Compass Games’ South China Sea (and the second game in that series, Indian Ocean Region: South China Sea Vol. II). Comparing JADO to South China Sea we see that not only are the scales very close but both have info-dense counters. Importantly, JADO has a more detailed (complex?) game engine that reaches down into the tactical level to show the impact of tactical situations on the operational battlespace whereas South China Sea uses Political Turns that operate above the operational level of the main game to portray the impact of strategic decisions from above on the conflict.

The reach-down approach of JADO is in keeping with the apparent design goal of the game. As stated in the Introduction, JADO “comprehensively deconstructs the basic theories of weapon equipment and operational use under high-tech conditions” as it, “explores the new advantages of informationization created by joint operations across multiple branches and domains.” The hyper-techno and tactically focused JADO does not include any kind of a political game; the closest one comes to politics in JADO is perhaps the naming of the factions with the PRC as the “Z Side.” In the Ukraine War the Z symbol has taken on a dark meaning thanks to its use by Russian forces. The other factions in JADO—T for Taiwan, M for American, R for Russia, and F for the Philippines—are named in a somewhat sensible, even politically neutral, fashion (frankly, I was a bit surprised to see the name Taiwan used). Further, the Simulation Exercises and scenarios try to avoid portraying a threatening political agenda through constant references to “simulation” or by stating each “scenario imagines…”

Without the benefit of designer’s notes or a full understanding of the background of War Drum Games, it is difficult for me to assess how “balanced”—in terms of capabilities—the units in JADO Package 01-A are. At best we can do a comparison between games. For ships, I looked at how JADO and South China Sea both compare a Type 55 Renhai guided missile destroyer (DDG) to an Arleigh Burke DDG. The intent of this comparison is not to judge if either JADO or South China Sea is “right” in their assessment but merely to explore how each appears to make that comparison between the two different ship classes.

In South China Sea, a Renhai (called in that game a guided missile cruiser—CG) is stealthier than a Burke, can sustain more damage, but has a less effective missile defense and cannot provide Area Defense. The Renhai is equivalent in guns, slightly less effective in anti-submarine warfare, has longer ranged anti-ship missiles, and has a ground strike capability the Burke does not possess.

 

In JADO, there is much (much!) more data presented on both sides of the counters as well as “Firing Base Tables”:

 

Comparing a Type 55 Renhai in JADO to a Burke we see that:

• • For Air Detection, the Renhai has greater detection range but a lower probability of detection.
  • For Surface and Sonar Detection, the Burke has an advantage against larger RCS targets, but is clearly inferior in range to detect underwater targets.
  • Renhai is noisier than a Burke but moves at the same speed.
  • On the back side, the maximum anti-air range of a Renhai is less than a Burke; the Renhai has no ballistic missile defense capability.
  • The RCS signature of a Renhai and Burke are equal.
  • Renhai mounts more powerful guns.
  • A Renhai has better Electronic Protection but equal Physical Protection.
  • Both Renhai and Burke have towed sonar arrays for passive detections and equal active sonar suites.
  • A Renhai usually carries 7x HHQ-9E surface-to-air missiles (SAM), 3x HHQ-10 SAM, 4x YJ-18A anti-ship missiles, and 2x YU-7C torpedoes. The HHQ-9E mount has five other spots that load 2x YU-8 torpedoes in one spot, 4x HHQ-11 SAMs each in two more spots, and 2x YJ-18A missiles in each of the last two spots.
  • A Burke carries a standard load out of 5x SM-2MRIIIB SAM, 1x SM-3II ballistic missile interceptor, 1x SM-6ERI SAM, 2x RGM-109E4 land-attack cruise missiles, and 2x Mk-54 torpedoes. The SM-2 mount also has four extra silos that can take a single SM-3II (max 2), a single SM-6ERI (max 2), 4x ESSM-II SAM (max 2 sets of 4), 2x RGM-109E4 (max 3 sets of 2), or 2xMk-54 torpedoes (single pair).

Suffice it to say that the counters for Air and Weapon Units in JADO are just as, if not more, complex than the naval units with all the data communicated on each chit. The level of detail on each JADO counter easily overshadows its South China Sea counterpart. The details are such that perhaps a better comparison would be how the counters and Firing Base Tables in JADO compare to the Harpoon V (Admiralty Trilogy Group, 2020) Annex A entry for the Type 055 [Renhai].

To the Sea With Xi

In their chapter, “The Impact of Xi-Era Reforms on the Chinese Navy” in Chairman Xi Remakes the PLA: Assessing Chinese Military Reforms (see Saunders, Phillip C., ed. and Aurthur S. Ding, Andrew Scobell, Andrew N.D. Yang, and Joel Wuthnow (2019) Chairman Xi Remakes the PLA: Assessing Chinese Military Reforms. Washington D.C., National Defense University Press), Ian Burns McCaslin and Andrew Erickson examine how the Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is working towards Chairman Xi’s goal of readiness to “fight and win informationized wars” (McCaslin & Erickson, p. 125). As part of that effort, “Xi has implemented ambitious reforms intended to force collaboration between the services and improve their ability to conduct joint operations” (McCaslin & Erickson, p. 125). The authors argue that the modernization of the PLAN is taking place ”along three vectors of modernization: hardware and ‘software’ developments aimed at creating a blue-water navy capable of power projection; creation of a maritime component that can work effectively with other services as part of the PLA [Peoples Libration Army]; and further development of an ‘interagency’ maritime force wherein the navy works with the coast guard, maritime militia, and other parts of the Chinese government to advance China’s maritime sovereignty claims” (McCaslin & Erickson, p. 126).

 

JADO certainly is reflective of new hardware that is modernizing the PLAN. The two different sets—Sea-Air and Land—are emblematic of the difficulties the PLAN faces in becoming a truly joint force; the sets are related but not truly joint just like the PLAN is as compared to the PLA Air Force or Army (Ground) branches. To date, the coast guard and maritime militia do not appear in any JADO core set or expansion. All of which means JADO is a narrow view of the reformed PLAN—a narrow view that clearly has embraced the widgets and gadgets of modernization with less consideration as to how that techno-wizardry supports campaigns or even strategic goals. Nowhere is this fascination with widgets better seen than in the victory conditions for the final scenario. The “Offensive Side”—PRC player—wins through air and naval domination. The “Defensive Side”—Taiwan—wins by defending beaches and eliminating landing enemy troops and transport. There is no quarter given to political subtlety here; JADO is a straight up force-on-force fist fight.

The detailed treatment of units and complex, tactically-focuses game mechanisms in JADO serve to showcase the technological advances the PLAN has made in the past few decades. In Victory Games’ 7th Fleet from 1987, the PLAN is represented by less than 30 counters, the core of which are five flotillas of Luda-class destroyers and Jiangsu or Jiangdong-class frigates all equipped with 1960’s STYX anti-ship missiles and other 1950’s-era weapons. Submarines are old, noisy, and lack the ability to range targets from a distance. JADO clearly shows the technological modernization of the PLAN in the past 30-plus years. JADO does not, however, have much to say on how this new PLAN will fight alongside other services.

 

A Wargame With Chinese Characteristics

JADO suffers from an identity crisis. If JADO is truly a game about operations across all the joint domains, one might expect the decisions the player should be making are those appropriate to that level of command and warfare. As a Joint Force commander, the decision to launch an airstrike is most likely to be limited to the weapon platform chosen and maybe the class of armament. One can argue it is below the Joint Force commander’s level to ask them to assign specific weapons loadouts and flight profiles. Granted, some of those decisions may reside with a joint staff element but JADO does not appear to be a game designed to be played by a team of players representing that staff. Neither too would a Joint Force commander likely be concerned about the discrete probability of detection of each salvo of small RCS targets approaching a task force nor the chances of each salvo of missiles being shot down or penetrating electronic and close-in defenses of a single target. Those detailed decisions and questions are best dealt with by tactical commanders. In JADO players are asked to be both an operational and tactical commander—and are very likely to get bogged down in the many tactical details of the latter. The level of detail presented certainly shows a highly informationized view of warfare with many, many details and little abstraction.

While wargamers outside of the PRC may view the game this way, it is possible that JADO is simply a reflection of reality as viewed by the PLAN. It is possible that JADO reflects a reality where PLAN commanders at the operational level are expected to exercise tactical control. I personally saw a similar situation in the Republic of Korea’s Navy years ago. While visiting the first KDX destroyer equipped with the AEGIS combat system, the Combat Information Center (CIC) had a stub in the middle of the deck. Asking what it was, I was told that they moved the Tactical Action Officer’s (TAO’s) chair from the middle of the space to in front of a radar and weapons display to allow the TAO to control a trackball and directly control the systems. It was as if in Star Trek they moved Captain Kirk’s chair from the middle of the bridge of the Enterprise to replace Sulu or Chekov’s station. The notion of delegating authority or depending on subordinates to carry out certain tasks was lost. It is possible JADO reflects similar thinking.

Without the benefit of reading designer’s notes for JADO it is difficult for me to assess if the identity crisis in JADO is by design or simply how the game turned out. Perhaps the designer intended to bring all the toys to the table to see what they can do. The tactical focus of the highly informationized game engine, however, makes discovering any potential lessons difficult as one is seemingly “caught up in the details” and challenged to discover the art of the campaign amidst all the tactical information.

 

 

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