Posted on 09/07/2006 9:44:32 PM PDT by Clive
OTTAWA (CP) - The military is adding to its stocks of special marker systems to reduce the risk of friendly-fire casualties, even though its own studies conclude there's no perfect solution to the problem.
National Defence is buying thousands of infrared markers and strobes to help reduce the potential for what is also known as fratricide - shooting your own.
However, its studies say there is no technology that's 100 per cent effective in preventing friendly-fire casualties.
The military says the battle group stationed in Afghanistan already has these devices on hand and latest purchase will add to the stocks available.
It's not known if the devices were in use last weekend when two American A-10 Warthog aircraft strafed a Canadian unit, killing one soldier and wounding 30 others, five of them seriously.
That's something that will be studied by the board of inquiry set up to investigate the incident.
The contract for the new equipment was posted just days after the fatal incident, but a military spokesman said the timing was coincidence and the initial requisition was filed in August.
The beacons and strobes - some are worn by soldiers and others are attached to vehicles - emit infrared light, which is invisible to the naked eye but can be detected with night-vision goggles and airborne sensors.
The Canadian army has tested a number of similar devices, as well as special glow tape for helmets and uniforms and thermal panels for vehicles as part of a NATO project to cut the risk of fratricide.
However, all of these devices can only reduce, not eliminate the risk.
A National Defence study conducted after a 2002 friendly-fire incident that killed four Canadians during a training exercise in Afghanistan, decided that there's no perfect technical answer.
"One of the principal conclusions of our report is that there are no technological solutions - on the shelf or in development - that would eliminate once and for all fratricide incidents in any scenario," the document said.
In practice, it said, fratricide can be greatly reduced by combining technology with better tactics and procedures, improved training and tighter rules of engagement.
Even then, human error and technical breakdowns can always be expected.
Studies have suggested that friendly fire accounted for 12 per cent to 15 per cent of combat casualties in wars of the 20th century.
In the Gulf War, it is thought to have accounted for almost 25 per cent of American combat deaths and wounds.
One problem is the sheer lethality and accuracy of modern weapons. In the Second World War, an aircraft mistakenly strafing friendly troops might well miss its target through the basic limitations of the planes and sights of the day.
Today, however, once the trigger is pulled, the bullet, shell or missile is almost certain to hit its target, for better or worse.
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This type of reporting baffles me - it's almost as if they are saying that because there's no perfect solution, it's not worth trying a less than perfect solution.
A 100% solution would be great - but even if it only reduces the chances of being killed by 10% a few strobe lights would be worth having - and I assume it's higher than that.
As a Canadian I thank you for the work that you do.
You may be interested in this thread, telling it from the viewpoint of one of the wounded soldiers:
Wounded soldier sympathizes with U.S. pilot who fired on allies
Sell the enemy Dell lap top batteries.
Please send me a FReepmail to get on or off this Canada ping list.
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