 "Beyond Red Sea friendly fire, a curious case of tech, miscommunication and human cost")
On December 22, 2024, a serious incident occurred in the Red Sea when two US Navy pilots were mistakenly shot down by a US Navy ship, the USS Gettysburg. The pilots, flying from the USS Harry S Truman aircraft carrier, were operating in the area when the USS Gettysburg fired at their jet. Luckily, both pilots ejected from their F/A-18 Super Hornet jet and were rescued alive, with only one pilot suffering minor injuries. This incident highlights the ongoing risks in modern warfare, even with advanced technology.
A Red Sea scare
This friendly fire incident is one of the most serious in over a year for the US military. Central Command confirmed that the USS Gettysburg mistakenly fired on a US Navy fighter jet that had just taken off from the USS Harry S Truman. The pilots were unharmed, but the incident shows the dangerous and often chaotic nature of operations in the Red Sea, despite the presence of US and European naval forces patrolling the region to prevent attacks by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.
The event brings attention to issues that lead to friendly fire, such as the fast pace of military operations, miscommunications between branches of the military and the limitations of even the most advanced weapons. Friendly fire isn’t just a rare accident. It’s a serious problem that affects military forces everywhere, especially in tense combat zones.
A pattern of incidents
According to Matija Seric in Eurasia Review, friendly fire incidents have been part of warfare for centuries. One of the earliest and most well-known cases happened in 1758 during the French and Indian War. British forces, led by Colonel George Washington, accidentally attacked their own troops in poor visibility, resulting in 13 deaths. This was one of the first recorded cases of friendly fire caused by misidentification.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsMoving to the 20th century, the scale of warfare made friendly fire incidents more common. Both World Wars had many examples. In World War II, the Allies experienced several cases of mistaken attacks.
In one well-known incident, German planes accidentally bombed German ships in the North Sea in 1940. According to Warfare History Network, during the Battle of Tobruk, Italian anti-aircraft fire shot down an Italian plane, killing several important figures, including Italo Balbo, the governor of Libya.
The Vietnam War made friendly fire an even bigger problem. US soldiers fought in dense jungle, which made it hard to tell the difference between enemies and allies. Around 5 per cent of all casualties in the Vietnam War were caused by friendly fire showing just how risky misidentification could be in such chaotic conditions.
The Gulf Wars in the 1990s and 2000s saw a big change in friendly fire incidents due to the rapid advancement of military technology. The First Gulf War was a key turning point, as new technologies like advanced weapons, night vision and precision-guided missiles were widely used.
However, these improvements also led to more friendly fire casualties. In the 1991 Gulf War, 24 per cent of US military casualties were caused by friendly fire, a shocking statistic that showed how complex modern warfare had become. According to Matija Seric in Eurasia Review, 77 per cent of US military vehicles destroyed in the war were accidentally hit by US or allied forces.
This trend continued during the Iraq War (2003-2011), where the challenges of fighting in cities, guerrilla tactics and quick changes in battle plans led to many cases of misidentification. One tragic example happened during the 2003 invasion, when US A-10 aircraft mistakenly attacked British armoured vehicles, killing one British soldier and injuring several others. The pilots were later cleared of wrongdoing, but the incident showed how dangerous miscommunication and poor identification systems can be.
2019 friendly fire in Kashmir
On February 27, 2019, a Mi-17 V5 helicopter was mistakenly shot down in a friendly-fire incident near Srinagar, killing all six people onboard. This occurred on the same day that Pakistan’s Air Force launched jets to target Indian military sites in Jammu and Kashmir, following India’s airstrike on a terror camp in Balakot, Pakistan.
Friendly fire incidents, where one side mistakenly targets its own forces, are not rare in areas of high tension. The 2019 incident highlighted several critical issues, such as the confusion that can arise during rapid escalations of conflict and the challenges of accurately identifying targets in real-time during combat. The recent US Navy incident in the Red Sea serves as a reminder of how easily military forces can mistake allies for the enemy and how such accidents continue to occur in conflict zones around the world.
Modern warfare and the dangers of technology
As warfare becomes more high-tech, one might think friendly fire incidents would decrease. But in reality, the technologies designed to make military operations more precise often lead to more friendly fire casualties. The use of long-range weapons, drones and automated targeting systems can make it harder to identify the enemy correctly. Problems like miscommunications and software errors can easily cause mistakes resulting in deadly outcomes.
According to the US Naval Institute, the Gulf Wars showed this issue clearly: while technology improved targeting accuracy, it also introduced new risks due to system limits, lack of proper training and the confusion of war. Modern weapons and tracking systems are faster than humans can react, which makes it easier for soldiers to fire on targets without fully confirming who they are.
In the Red Sea, the US military uses complex radar systems and satellites to track enemy movements and protect allies. However, in the fast-moving environment of a combat zone, even the most advanced systems can fail. The USS Gettysburg’s accidental attack on the F/A-18 Super Hornet is a reminder that friendly fire remains a real risk, despite the progress made in military technology.
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