Friendly Fire Story

[zza1pqx]

I don't know if this is in the news stateside but it's all over everything here. A British soldier got shot dead by an A10 and the MOD and US won't allow the video to be shown in the Coroners enquiry which is upsetting the coroner and indeed the family of the dead soldier.
The Sun newspaper just got hold of the video, has put it up on their website and I have just watched it. As far as I can see the two Tankbusters asked for confirmation about a lack of friendlies in the area and that the British convoy they were targeting by mistake was the convoy that the artillery had been attempting to take out before it (presumably) went out of range. Once the mistake had been spotted, the US control managed to find out from the British exactly what the casualty situation is and relay back to the mortified pilots before the Britsh control even put out a message. It becomes clear that British forces could talk directly to the A10s if neccessary later in the video.
Obviously whilst I am full of sympathy for the family of the Soldier killed, I have been struck by the emotive power of the video. We joke a lot about friendly fire but those pilots were clearly devastated.
I work in a job where occaisionly mistakes appear to cost lives and it's a difficult thing to deal with. I would urge anyone who finds the 'friendly fire' debate apparantly dismissed by the perpetrators to take a look, it's quite moving.

Link > http://www.thesun.co.uk/

[Hellfighter]

holy crap thats is bad.

some times the right hand don't know what the left hand is doing and cut off the other hand totally!

will they did not mean to do it! but still it really sad.
think they could gone in to have a better look closer to see what they was aiming at!!!!

source news page: http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007060133,00.html

[add-in source link do to main page will change later on, this way other go right to the page it is on]

freaky pilot act like it was a dang sport till they got the bad news! not what they like to hear and ran for it.

did not even call in get help sent to them guys at all. i would call them pilots brain dead.

war is not a sport and all should be judge for their action in it if they done something badly wrong like this video should have be ok to use in this case totally in the right.

got a funny feeling they are no longer in the service and are out in the general public drinking a beer and have a good time. sad for them die for their breaking the rules and not waiting to get a ok to shot.

[zza1pqx]

I read it completley different to you Chief. I saw them asking Manilla lots of times to confirm there were no friendlies, even asking to double check because of apparant friendly colourings and they were given the go ahead. After they realised the mistake they hung around waiting for information on the damage they had done and further instruction, even reaching Bingo fuel before being formaly told to RTB after abort. The fact that Manilla was able to get casualty statistics on the ground from the British suggests someone knew they were there earlier on. A British accent command came to abort about 5 minutes after the attack. That says to me the British had means of contacting US air support AND Manila and their artillery. There was some overall air command too - Sky something. When everything from everyone senior says go ahead what do you do?
I feel for the pilots. They are the last line of defence from stupid instructions sure, but I don't believe their emotional reaction came from thinking they were in trouble, I think it came from genuine distress at the death of an allied serviceman caused by them acting on their own and other peoples mistake.

[Capers]

I have been following the story here as well. I agree with you zza1pqx to be honest. It was clearly stated that the pilots saw the orange doors on the convoy and checked if there were friendly forces with command and they were told no. So there was a convoy which they were told were not friendly and their orders are to engage, they did. Then command corrected themselves.

The pilots were given incorrect information which they acted on - it's a communication issue.

Who's to say enemy forces wouldn't just paint their doors orange to avoid being targetted?

[Hellfighter]

some reason i read another item and not the one says them



still it in the pilot hands to go in and view the target up-close. what they think they seen was not rocket launcher's at all.

1340.13 POPOV36:

OK, well they got orange rockets on them.

who paint Rockets Orange no one do? that should have been first clue something was not right about it. they should have gone back and taken a 2nd closer look at it better again and maybe not a fly by so fast so they have a better see on so call targets.



it was in the pilots final judgment call and view of the targets. command not there to see it! the pilots are there to double check it.

all command can do is give a best judgment call if any good guys in the area, if a company in the move on the road and they are not were they should be it can happen.

bottom line it was a bad judgment call on the pilots and as will command.

pilot have eyes on the target and command are totally blind worst then the pilot are.

Command have only hear say what is going on on the map area..

Pilot can see and have hands on the weapons to fire at so call targets. Pilots have the last say if it a go or not.

even if command center says yes the pilots can call it off.

too later on:

1351.33 POPOV36:

Yeah, I know that thing with the orange panels is going to screw us. They look like orange rockets on top.

[Stephen]

friendly fire is my worst fear over here and thats all im gonna say on that subject.