It just makes me wonder about the difference in mentality between the US and the UK when it comes to taking another life.
Perhaps we see destruction of the enemy as being the mission and when successful we take pride in our work.
BN Boy...any Territorials in Iraq or Afghanistan? Would you say the same about them?
Perhaps we should wait till the investigation is done and see what it reports about the causes before we pass judgement. Effective communication between same nation forces is difficult enough....throw in different national forces and there is one more factor that can adversely affect "effective" communication.
Just through sheer numbers of aircraft committed the US forces should be the leading perpetrator of these events just out of pure statistical odds.
The earlier incident should have ended with some pilots going to jail....the wingman called it correctly when he suggested the Lead might have called it wrong immediately after it happened....while still airborne leaving the target.
When the two Blackhawks got shot down.....I would have loved to see that Colonel swinging from a very large Oak Tree.
I have been around a bit of two way rifle range fun and games and know that despite the very best of efforts some rounds will inevitably go astray for any number of reasons.
Read "Roberts Ridge" by MacPherson for an account of how confusing fast close quarters combat can be. Perhaps the flow of information or the lack of it is the root cause behind the latest incident.