A U.S. Air Force Predator unmanned aircraft. The decision to fire a missile from one of the growing fleet of U.S. drones is made as ground commanders, pilots and analysts at far-flung military installations analyze video and data feeds from the combat zone and communicate through voice and text messages. The system is far from foolproof. (Handout, Reuters / September 24, 2011)Multiple Missteps Led To Drone Killing U.S. Troops In Afghanistan -- L.A. Times
Though no dereliction of duty was found, a Pentagon investigation raised troubling questions: Among them: Was the Predator missile fired too quickly?
Reporting from Washington — On the evening of April 5, a pilot settled into a leather captain's chair at Creech Air Force Base in southern Nevada and took the controls of a Predator drone flying over one of the most violent areas of southwestern Afghanistan. Minutes later, his radio crackled.
A firefight had broken out. Taliban insurgents had ambushed about two dozen Marines patrolling a bitterly contested road.
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My Comment: Kudos for the L.A. Times for doing this report. This post gives a good sense on how the fog of battle impacts drone operators and how missile strikes can target friendly's. Read it all.