From September 29 to October 2, 2025, an exercise was conducted as part of the 71st Course for Senior Officers. Course participants found themselves in a simulated armed conflict, where they had to apply their knowledge in the planning and conduct of military operations.

The four-day group exercise, referred to as a wargame, was part of the subject Applied Theory of Command. Its goal was to practically develop the theoretically acquired skills in analysing the security and operational environment.

From the very first minutes, the participants were placed into a fictional war scenario. Using map data, professional knowledge, and teamwork, they had to face a complex task – to plan and carry out a military operation. The exercise placed high demands on their ability to perceive the situation at the strategic, operational, and tactical levels, and the entire event was conducted in English. A significant role was also played by foreign facilitators from Croatia and the United States, who contributed with their expertise and international perspective.

The exercise followed the established principle whereby participants were divided into two teams representing the opposing sides of the conflict. Throughout the training, they went through all the key phases of military planning and the conduct of operations. They addressed the conflict from the strategic down to the tactical level. Their tasks included not only strategic and operational decisions but also dealing with the cyber and space domains, target detection, logistical support, and combat activities themselves. The results and approaches were then assessed in the final phase of the exercise.

On the last day of the course, Major General Petr Milčický, Director of the Force Development Division of the Ministry of Defence, also took part in the exercise. He briefly spoke with the officers and praised their commitment and approach to solving complex tasks.

Author: Lieutenant Colonel Zbyněk Jakubíček and CSMSS editors