The US Department of Defense's technology chief says that there is a requirement to consider new technology to prevent blue-on-blue or "friendly fire" incidents, although some of the necessary systems will emerge in the development of the next generation of weapons systems.
There have been a number of blue-on-blue accidents during the Iraq war. Dr Ronald Sega, DoD director of defense research and engineering, says there is a need for the "science and technology community to look at better systems for preventing the occurrence of friendly fire".
He suggests development of the US Army's Future Combat System and the addition of more unmanned air vehicles will yield "technology important to deconflicting the battlespace".
Providing more GPS-based trackers at soldier level is only part of the solution, Sega says, adding: "We need to make sure it is conveyed to aircraft or artillery." He adds: "It is a large system view of the world that has to be considered and to allow the system to be responsive....it's not a simple solution."
| Date | Type | ARM | Fatalities | Circumstance | Notes |
| 4 April | AH-1W Super Cobra | USMC | 2 | Crashed during combat operations | Crashed near Al Aziziyal |
| 6 April | F-15E | USAF | 2 missing | Disappeared in central Iraq reportedly near Tirkit | |
| 8 April | A-10A | USAF | 1 | Shot down by surface-to-air missile | Shot down and crashed near Baghdad airport |
Source: Flight International
