FRATRICIDE
Fratricide
FRATRICIDE: ISSUES


QUESTIONS:

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES?

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS?

WHAT CONTROL MEASURES CAN
REDUCE FRATRICIDE?
PRACTICAL EXERCISE
Casual Factors Per TC 1-210
Poor Land navigation
Loss of communications
Position Reporting errors
Incorrect target identification
Incomplete planning and coordination
Equipment failure or improper procedures
FRATRICIDE: DEFINED

DEFINITIONS:
 DICTIONARY
 TRADOC
FRATRICIDE: DEFINED

TRADOC DEFINITION

The employment of friendly
weapons and munitions with the
intent to kill the enemy or destroy
his equipment or facilities; which
results in unforeseen and
unintentional death or injury to
friendly personnel.
FRATRICIDE: HISTORY

HISTORY OF FRATRICIDE:

WORLD WAR I & WORLD WAR II

THE KOREAN WAR

THE VIETNAM WAR

OPERATION JUST CAUSE

OPERATION DESERT STORM
FRATRICIDE: HISTORY

WORLD WAR I:
 Battle
of Verdun - 351st French
Infantry was annihilated by
friendly 155mm artillery
 Battle
of Rossignol forest - 1st
French Colonial Infantry was
fired on by friendly artillery
FRATRICIDE: HISTORY

WORLD WAR II:

North Africa Campaign 1942 701st U.S. Tank Destroyer
Battalion repeatedly attacked by
friendly air strikes

Operation Cobra 1944 - U.S. 30th
Infantry Division attacked by
friendly CAS
FRATRICIDE: HISTORY
 VIETNAM:
 Two
U.S. Infantry Companies
were strafed and bombed by
two U.S. Air Force
F-100s
 Pleiku
1969 - U.S. soldiers
were fired on by a UH-1
helicopter
FRATRICIDE: HISTORY

OPERATION JUST CAUSE:

Mechanized Infantry unit
came under fire from an
Air Force AC-130
gunship
FRATRICIDE: HISTORY

DESERT STORM:
 Two
U.S. 1st Infantry
Division vehicles came
under attack by an AH-64
 A-10
strafed allied vehicle
FRATRICIDE: HISTORY

OPERATION PROVIDE
COMFORT:
 Two
F-15s shot down two
UH-60s over Northern Iraq
FRATRICIDE: REPORTS

RELUCTANCE TO REPORT
FRATRICIDE: REPORTS

RELUCTANCE TO REPORT
 Morale
 Creates
mistrust with
adjoining units
 Careers
 In
the best interest of all
FRATRICIDE: REPORTS

REASONS TO REPORT:
FRATRICIDE: REPORTS

REASONS TO REPORT:
 Prevention
 Media
 No
will eventually find out
perception of cover up
 Makes
Commander
accountable
FRATRICIDE: FACTORS

CAUSES OF FRATRICIDE
FRATRICIDE: FACTORS

CAUSES OF FRATRICIDE

LACK OF SITUATIONAL
AWARENESS

NO POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION
FRATRICIDE: FACTORS

CAUSES OF FRATRICIDE
 POSITIVE
IDENTIFICATION
 ABSOLUTE
I.D. OF FRIEND
OR FOE
NOTE: ABSOLUTE I.D. IS IMPOSSIBLE AT
MAXIMUM RANGES WITH SOME WEAPON
SYSTEMS.
FRATRICIDE: CAUSES

MOST COMMON ERRORS:

LAND NAVIGATION FAILURES

REPORTING, BATTLE TRACKING
FAILURES

DIRECT FIRE CONTROL FAILURES

BATTLEFIELD HAZARDS

FRIENDLY MINE FIELDS
FRATRICIDE: CAUSES

MOST COMMON ERRORS:

ID ERROR

NAVIGATION

LOSS OF FIRE CONTROL

INEFFECTIVE MANEUVER CONTROL

WEAPONS ERRORS

OTHER
FRATRICIDE: EFFECTS

EFFECTS OF FRATRICIDE
FRATRICIDE: EFFECTS

EFFECTS OF FRATRICIDE

HESITATION TO CONDUCT LIMITED
VISIBILITY OPERATIONS

LOSS OF CONFIDENCE

LEADERS

SOLDIERS
FRATRICIDE: EFFECTS

EFFECTS OF FRATRICIDE

LOSS OF INITIATIVE AND
AGGRESSIVENESS

COHESION AND MORALE
DEGRADED

OVERSUPERVISION

LOSS OF COMBAT POWER
FRATRICIDE: PREVENTION

COUNTER MEASURES

TACTICAL PLAN

TECHNIQUES

PROCEDURES

EQUIPMENT SOLUTIONS
FRATRICIDE: PREVENTION

TACTICS
 TACTICAL
 JOINT
 UNIT
PLAN
OPERATIONS TNG
TRAINING
FRATRICIDE: PREVENTION

TECHNIQUES
 PROPER
 ASCIET
IDENTIFICATION
FRATRICIDE: PREVENTION

PROCEDURES:

FIRE CONTROL PLAN

INFORMED SOLDIERS

REHEARSALS

ACCURATELY TRACK THE BATTLE

ADJACENT UNIT COORDINATION
FRATRICIDE: PREVENTION

PROCEDURES

RECONNAISSANCE

COORDINATE ALL FIRE SUPPORT
ASSETS

ESTABLISH LIAISON TEAMS

TRAINING LITERATURE & DEVICES
FRATRICIDE: PREVENTION

EQUIPMENT CONTROL
MEASURES:

LOW TECH

HIGH TECH
FRATRICIDE
Practical
Exercise
FRATRICIDE: EXERCISE

GROUP ACTIVITY

IDENTIFY THE HAZARDS IN THIS
SCENARIO

DEVELOP COUNTERMEASURES TO
MITIGATE THESE HAZARDS

REPORT ON YOUR RESULTS

NOTE: Use METT-T as the outline for
ID of Hazards and list of
Countermeasures
FRATRICIDE: EXERCISE
GENERAL SITUATION

MISSION - Probe enemy positions for location &
strength

ENEMY - Mech Inf with Russian (Soviet) style
weaponry

TERRAIN



Desert with moderate dunes

Wind 090/25k, no moon, clear, 2350 hrs
TROOPS & EQUIPMENT

Mech Inf, well-trained, rested troops

AH-64 team

Fully functional equipment
TIME - Adequate tactical planning time available
FRATRICIDE: EXERCISE
TASK FORCE IRON: a
case study in fratricide
TASK FORCE IRON
NORTH
SCREEN LINE
MECH INF TASK FORCE
IRAQ
KUWAIT
AH-64
APACHE
WINDS
3
MILES
FRATRICIDE: EXERCISE

MISSION HAZARDS

Commander’s intent unclear or
complex; vehicles stationed with
random spacing and orientation

Poor flank coordination; right flank
coordinates not known by
Commander

Poor communication procedures;
initial AH-64 salvo did not prompt
cease fire request from vehicles
FRATRICIDE: EXERCISE

ENEMY HAZARDS

Weak reconnaissance of enemy
positions and composition

Weak intelligence; friendly
scouts provided incorrect
coordinates to Commander
FRATRICIDE: EXERCISE

TERRAIN HAZARDS

Navigation difficult; lack of
uniquely identifying terrain
features

Night; although not inherently a
hazard, justifies further caution
and target verification
FRATRICIDE: EXERCISE

TROOPS & EQUIPMENT
HAZARDS

Anxiety and confusion over
vague mission parameters

Lack of trust/confidence in onboard instruments (AH-64)
FRATRICIDE: EXERCISE

TIME HAZARDS

“Gunfighter 6” backseat pilot
urging quick shoot ...”Let’s get it
over with and go home”

Task Force Cdr also urged quick
shoot ...”Can you engage
targets? Then, take ‘em out”
FRATRICIDE: EXERCISE

Countermeasures


Tactical Plan
 Simplify
Tactical Plan
 Maintain
Situational Awareness
Procedures
 Verify
target coordinates
 Inform
Soldiers
FRATRICIDE: EXERCISE

Countermeasures

Equipment Solutions
 Global
Positioning System
 Identify
Friend or Foe (IFF)
Transponders
 Unique
Vehicular Markings
FRATRICIDE: SUMMARY

SUMMARY

DEFINITION

HISTORY

CAUSES

EFFECTS

REDUCTION MEASURES
FRATRICIDE
Fratricide