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Video by Kyle Davis

AH-64 Fratricide Incident | Desert Storm

Army University Press

Feb. 18, 2025 | 15:11

Fratricide, also known as friendly fire, is an ever present risk during combat and live fire exercises. This film examines the tragic fratricide incident of February 17, 1991, involving AH-64 Apache helicopters from 1-1 Aviation Battalion and ground forces from 1-41(MECH) Infantry Battalion during Operation Desert Storm. This film is designed for use by the US Army Aviation Center of Excellence and other military schools as a primer for discussions on mitigating the risk of fratricide during combat operations. This in-depth analysis covers the friendly fire event using gun camera footage and the actual cockpit communications from that night. Additionally, this film examines the incident’s impact on future military aviation and tactics. Learn how rules of engagement, IFF failures, and battlefield confusion contributed to the incident and the death of two US Army soldiers, CPL Jeffery T. Middleton and PVT Robert D. Talley.

Chapters:
0:12 Introduction
1:38 Task Force Iron
2:14 ATP 3-90.4 (Counter-Reconnaissance)
3:25 Breach
4:19 17 February 1991
5:16 Chance and Uncertainty
5:43 ATP 3-20.96
6:24 The Incident
11:14 Lessons Learned
13:26 Conclusion

#militaryhistory #desertstorm #friendlyfire #apachehelicopter #usarmy