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Old 6th Feb 2007, 10:03
  #19 (permalink)  
Blacksheep
Cunning Artificer
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
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Nothing changes. I was reading an account of a friendly fire attack made upon a group of Royal Navy minesweepers in the English Channel soon after D-Day by the RAF. The controllers advised the RAF leader that there were no friendly ships in their area and the attack was pressed home, despite the minesweepwers firing the correct colours of the day and displaying their ensigns.

As a currently civilian (but formerly military) avionics specialist I'm amazed that there is no electronic identification in use. Accountants run the armed forces as well as the corporations these days, so it seems you military chaps are still using ancient IFF systems. Even though 21st century electronics would make identifying friendly forces very easy, money is saved by not including 'friend' identification into targeting systems. The procurement people don't seem to put much value on preventing you accidentally killing each other.

Incidentally, how would those orange roof panels function in an environment where 'The Coalition' didn't have total air superiority?
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