Millennium Challenge 2002 War Game

In 2002, the Pentagon ran a massive war game called Millennium Challenge that cost about 250 million dollars and involved roughly 13,000 troops in a simulation against a generic rogue state. The U.S. side deployed high-tech sensors, networked command systems, and overwhelming firepower, while the opposing “Red” team used simpler tactics to test the limits of that technology. To the surprise of Pentagon planners, the U.S. forces effectively lost the simulation when the enemy side managed to inflict heavy damage early in the exercise. The outcome raised uncomfortable questions inside the Defense Department about overconfidence in complex systems and how a determined adversary might exploit their weaknesses.

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