Recent Blue on Blue fratricide in Iraq

[hosscara]

Was wondering if the Air Force had used a couple of A-10s instead of a B-1B to do the bombing, would the outcome have been a bit different?

[tincansailor]

Was wondering if the Air Force had used a couple of A-10s instead of a B-1B to do the bombing, would the outcome have been a bit different?

Do we know what aircraft conducted the attack? What is the obsession with a strafing run with a 30mm cannon? It's an anti tank weapon. It's not that effective against infantry in an urban environment. The effectiveness of any aircraft dropping bombs is knowing where the enemy is. Sensors, and or targeting from the ground is critical. We don't have American forward observers on the ground to call in airstrikes, or artillery fire.

An A-10C would be just as dependent on ground targeting data in an urban area as any other aircraft. Seeing gunmen, or IEDs in an urban area from the air is next to impossible. Attack Helicopters would do a better job in that kind of fighting. They can loiter over the area and use their IR sensors to spot armed men a mile away. But even they can't see through the surrounding buildings. They still need to be directed by people on the ground. It's the same old story, garbage in garbage out. The likely reason for the tragedy is the guy calling in the airstrike got it wrong.

[MD]

Do we know what aircraft conducted the attack? What is the obsession with a strafing run with a 30mm cannon? It's an anti tank weapon. It's not that effective against infantry in an urban environment. The effectiveness of any aircraft dropping bombs is knowing where the enemy is. Sensors, and or targeting from the ground is critical. We don't have American forward observers on the ground to call in airstrikes, or artillery fire.

An A-10C would be just as dependent on ground targeting data in an urban area as any other aircraft. Seeing gunmen, or IEDs in an urban area from the air is next to impossible. Attack Helicopters would do a better job in that kind of fighting. They can loiter over the area and use their IR sensors to spot armed men a mile away. But even they can't see through the surrounding buildings. They still need to be directed by people on the ground. It's the same old story, garbage in garbage out. The likely reason for the tragedy is the guy calling in the airstrike got it wrong.

Not only knowing where the enemy is. But knowing both where friendlies are, as well as where they aren't, is imperative.

Even when it comes to vehicles, with all the vehicles stolen from or surrendered by Iraq forces to ISIS, you now have two sides with the same vehicles such as HMMWVs, 5 & 7.5 ton trucks, etc. If they're force on force, they may need to be triple checked to ensure who they are.

If it was GPS munitions due to WX or similar, then its not difficult to get passed wrong coords, or to have wrong coords fat fingered into the system.