Page 240 - MDSL Final

MARITIME DOCTRINE OF SRI LANKA
gain quick, accurate answers to questions that arise during the process.

Course of Action Analysis (Wargaming)

Course of action analysis is the process of closely examining potential
COAs to reveal details that will enable the commander and staff to
identify COAs that are valid. The commander and staff analyse each
COA separately according to the commander’s guidance. While time-
consuming, COA analysis should ensure COAs are valid.

Wargaming stimulates thought about the operation so the staff can
obtain ideas and insights that otherwise might not have occurred. This
process highlights tasks that appear to be particularly important to the
operation and provides a degree of familiarity with operational-level
possibilities that may be difficult to achieve. An objective, comprehensive
analysis of COAs is difficult even without time constraints. Based upon
time available, the commander should war game each COA against the
most likely and the most dangerous adversarial COAs (or most difficult
objectives in noncombat operations) identified through the IPOE process.

220 To Nurture a Stable Environment at Sea