Substitute Marine A for Pilot A.

[Toadstool]

Bos

Marine A kills known Taleban who wasn't dead but just wounded, result a charge of murder. Found guilty and, sentenced to a minimum of 10 years.

This has been debated at length in this thread. Regardless of what anyone thinks, the trial is over. I will be interested to hear whether or not there will be an appeal. As I have said previously, I just wish that Taliban had been blown to smithereens then the Royal, who was a brave and professional soldier with an exemplary record, would not be in this sorry mess.

A Drone driver is ordered to target a known Taleban, result Taleban bloke dead.

I have no problems with this whatsoever.

Drone driver awaits the next mission and no one is bothered about any collateral of which there always seems to be some.

Incorrect.

I am not going to comment further on this point with regard to UK ops.

The CIA on the other hand seem to be operating with a completely separate and much more relaxed ROE. This is only my opinion based on press reporting.

[Training Risky]

Turned on R4 this morning to hear Freddie Forsyth discussing the renewed campaign to clear Sgt Blackman's name.

I know it's the DM (bear with me) but this story (even if partially true) vindicates everything I said earlier about the chain of command leaning on junior officers and the whole courts-martial process to get the 'right' outcome.

Colonel resigned in protest at the betrayal of Sergeant Alexander Blackman | Daily Mail Online

I never usually give to charity online, but the paypal payment to his defence fund that I just donated is the best use of my MoD salary this week!

Link to aviation? Apache mortally wounds insurgent, then Marine is jailed for finishing the job. Anyone ever involved in air weapons targeting should watch their front gate for SIB to stalk up the path...

[WE Branch Fanatic]

Originally Posted by TR

Anyone ever involved in air weapons targeting should watch their front gate for SIB to stalk up the path...

As long as you are not targeting unarmed individuals who are Hors de Combat, you should be alright.

[alfred_the_great]

Originally Posted by WE Branch Fanatic

As long as you are not targeting unarmed individuals who are Hors de Combat, you should be alright.

Having first dragged out of the sight of persistent ISTAR, and then dis-arming them before shooting them in the chest.

And if you can do all of that from the aircraft, I'm impressed.

[Training Risky]

Well maybe dismounted warfare is a bit different from the safety of a portacabin in Lincolnshire. Afghanistan is obviously distant enough in the corporate memory for people like you to make such comments...like I should be surprised

[ShotOne]

Training risky, I'm not sure what you're driving at by talking about the "safety" of a portakabin in Lincs. in the context of retrospective legal action it's anything but. Every word and action of the Reaper crews is recorded in detail and stored, in effect, forever; if some future investigator decides they disapproved of a decision they could find themselves facing a court in twenty or more years time.

[Training Risky]

ShotOne, what I was alluding to was the extreme difference in operational conditions between the 2 opposite ends of the targeting chain: geographically remote, clinical RPAS operators versus 6 months of under-resourced, over-stretched troops going face to face with a dangerous enemy who doesn't play by the rules.

To put it another way, it is very easy for 'Air' posters on this site to judge the 'Land' man when they have never served in such conditions (stand fast the SH force).

[Mil-26Man]

To be fair Training Risky, no one ('Air' posters or not) had sought to judge anybody on this topic since December 2013, until you decided to bring it back up again.

Were you just looking to pick a fight?

[Training Risky]

No, no fights necessary. I just wanted to remind people that one of our own was cast aside and abandoned for political expediency.

[ShotOne]

Even the majority here who agree with your basic point, training risky, can't fail to be narked at your implication that their view counts for less than that of a 'Land' man. All aircrew are exposed to the full force of the system if they make a wrong call. In the case of crews presently operating over Iraq, with the added prospect of being put in a metal cage and set on fire if anything goes wrong.