According to a statement from U.S. Central Command, two U.S. Navy pilots ejected safely over the Red Sea during the early morning hours of December 22 when their F/A-18 fighter aircraft was shot down in an apparent case of friendly fire.

The guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG 64), which is part of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, mistakenly fired on and hit the F/A-18, which was flying off the USS Harry S. Truman.

Both pilots were safely recovered. Initial assessments indicate that one of the crew members sustained minor injuries. This incident was not the result of a hostile fire, and a full investigation is underway.

The incident happened over the Red Sea after the Super Hornet, assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, was on a mission to protect merchant vessels from Houthi rebels. US-guided missile destroyer USS Gettysburg fired upon it.

The two-seater F/A-18F squadron aboard Truman are the “Red Rippers” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11 from Naval Air Station Oceana, Va. The strike group is part of the US-led Operation Prosperity Guardian to protect the merchant vessel from Houthi attacks from Yemen. Over the weekend, the U.S. forces had conducted concerted attacks to “disrupt and degrade” Houthi operations.

Gettysburg was deployed to the region last week and has been tasked with detecting and destroying threats to Truman and its escorts. While the reason behind the friendly fire has not been revealed, the primary causes of fratricide have remained constant despite rapid changes in technology and the increasing complexity of U.S. air-land operations.

Mostly it is the absence of positive target identification and lack of human situational awareness.

It is unclear if the identification friend or foe (IFF) technique was used before shooting the aircraft down. In an IFF beacon system, a ground-based transmitter usually initiates the identification sequence (interrogator) that sends a coded signal to any aircraft of unknown identity.

Aboard friendly aircraft, pulses from the interrogator trigger a combined receiver/transmitter (transponder) to reply by transmitting a coded signal back to the ground station. The interrogator then receives and processes this signal to obtain the target range, azimuth, and identity status. IFF systems complement radar capabilities by providing a means to detect and identify targets.

If no reply is received, the shooter may assume the target is the enemy, but perhaps it is a neutral or a friend without an operating transponder. IFF systems are sensitive electronic devices that are susceptible to damage, enemy exploitation, and human error. These can contribute to fratricide in a high aerial threat environment.

Few things complicate the target identification and engagement sequence more than the presence of identical or similar combat systems among friendly, neutral, and hostile forces. This can be ruled out as the Houthi rebels do not fly Super Hornets.

Research indicates that the following are the main reasons behind friendly fire. The loss of situational awareness and the lack of positive target identification account for most incidents of air-land fratricide. The U.S. target acquisition and weapon system technologies have outpaced target identification capabilities. Most target identification in battle is still visual. Similarities between friendly and enemy combat systems degrade target identification efforts and increase the risk of ‘blue on blue.’

In World War II, friendly fire incidents were common due to the chaotic nature of large-scale battles. For example, during the Battle of Normandy, Allied aircraft mistakenly bombed their own troops, causing significant casualties.

However, the cases of friendly fire have persisted even after technological advancement in the military. During the Vietnam War in 1968, a U.S. Air Force F-4 Phantom II was mistakenly shot down by a U.S. Navy ship, killing both crew members.

Over 17 percent of American casualties in Operation Desert Storm (107 of 613), and 24 percent of fatalities (35 of 146) are known to be the result of friendly fire.

During Operation Desert Storm, a British Tornado was shot down by the U.S. Patriot missile battery, resulting in the loss of both crew members.

On April 14, 1994, two U.S. Air Force F-15 jets under the control of an Air Force airborne warning and control plane (AWACS) accidentally shot down two U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters in northern Iraq. This tragedy claimed the lives of 26 members of the Combined Task Force for Operation Provide Comfort and paved the way for a comprehensive review of joint air command and control(C2) procedures and theater-specific rules of engagement (ROE).

In recent times, an Indian Air Force Mi-17V5 chopper was shot down in friendly fire on February 27, 2019, during heightened tensions with Pakistan following the Balakot airstrike. The helicopter was flying near Budgam in Jammu and Kashmir. It was during the same time that Pakistan Air Force fighter jets breached Indian air space.

The Mi-17 V5 helicopter was mistakenly identified as a hostile aircraft by the IAF’s air defense system. The helicopter was hit by an IAF surface-to-air missile while returning to Srinagar. The incident occurred on the same day as a dogfight between Indian and Pakistani fighter jets, adding to the confusion and tension.

A Court of Inquiry (CoI) was conducted to investigate the incident. The CoI found that the helicopter’s Identification of Friend or Foe (IFF) system was switched off, leading to its misidentification.

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