It is hoped that by working with British-based company Slitherine, which develops games featuring battlefield maps, the DSTL can harness the technology for its own educational purposes around combat strategy.

A two-year contract worth £1.5 million has been awarded to a video games firm by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL).

The DSTL wants to 'provide better ways of visualising military problems' (Picture: Glenn Carstens-Peters).

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Slitherine has created commercial computer games featuring models of modern and historic combat operations, vehicles and weapons.

Wargaming experts from DSTL have also been testing the potential of video games with the Royal Navy, which is now trialling a game for educational purposes.

Nick, Principal Analyst at DSTL, said: "I have played strategy video games myself... They are generally easier to learn how to use and have far larger user bases than analytical defence simulations.

"Of course there are things we can’t use these for.

"Our own simulation modelling, as well as more traditional manual wargaming, is still vital. It’s just another tool for the job.

"We’ll use these tools with our own data and scenarios to provide better ways of visualising military problems.

"These games help us to think more creatively around issues."