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Friendly fire (or non-hostile fire) is a term originally adopted by the United States military in reference to an attack on friendly forces by other friendly forces, which may be deliberate (eg. incorrectly identifying the target as the enemy), or accidental (eg. missing the enemy and hitting "friendlies"). Friendly fire is contrasted with fire originating from enemy forces ("enemy fire"). In a friendly fire incident personnel may be killed, or material assets may be damaged or destroyed.

The British military refers to these incidents as blue on blue, which derives from wargaming exercises where friendly forces are "blue" and enemy forces are "red". The term fratricide may also be used, which technically refers to deliberate attacks upon one's own forces, but which is used as a synonym for accidental friendly fire in military bureaucratic writing (and by the press, which echoes the language).

Classification

Friendly fire incidents fall roughly into two classes:

• the first is due to errors of position, where fire aimed at enemy forces accidentally ends up hitting one's own. Such incidents were relatively common during the first and second World Wars, where troops fought in close proximity and targeting was relatively inaccurate.

• the second class is due to errors of identification, where friendly troops are mistakenly attacked in the belief that they are enemy. This class has become comparatively more common in recent times, since greater weapon accuracy has diminished misfiring. Highly mobile battles, and battles involving troops from many nations are more likely to cause this kind of incident.

The armed forces of the United States are widely believed to be more prone to friendly fire incidents than the military of other nations. The Pentagon estimates of U.S. friendly fire deaths are:

• WW II: 21,000 (16%)
  • highest-ranking U.S. loss of the war, Lieutenant General Lesley J. McNair
  • Sinking of the Surcouf by US planes
• Vietnam war: 8,000 (14%)
• Gulf War: 35 (23%)
• Afghanistan (2002): 4 (13%)

History

The accidental attack of French regiment between each other at the Battle of Fleurus let to the habit of attaching a white scarf to the flags of the regiments -- white being the colour of the kings of France.

See also

• Fragging, intentional killing of a friendly soldier
• Christopher Finney, British soldier awarded the George Cross for bravery under friendly fire during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
• identification friend or foe
• Stonewall Jackson, famous Confederate Civil War general accidentally killed by his own troops at Chancellorsville.
• Afghanistan friendly fire incident, where four Canadian soldiers accidentally killed by US troops.
• Harry Schmidt, U.S. military pilot responsible for friendly fire incident in the 2001 U.S. invasion of Afghanistan.
• Pat Tillman, famous American football player and friendly fire victim in Afghanistan
• Giuliana Sgrena, the Italian journalist who was almost killed by US troops after her liberation.

External link

• Friendly Fire Notebook, List of U.S. friendly fire incidents

• Military history