It all happened on the 28th of March in 2003. The second Iraq war just started 7 days ago. Two US A-10 tankbusters are flying their mission. After they attack a convoy of what they believe to be enemy rocket launchers, the truth is made clear to the two pilots while still in the air circling their prey:

Hey, POPOV34, abort your mission. You got a, looks we might have a blue on blue situation.

Friendly fire. Probably known to man since man started wars (so since the beginning of mankind that would be..?). But in modern times, with all the advancement in weapons and armors, and especially the way the military “advertises” their strategy, that of a “surgical strike”, friendly fire still happens a lot. And when it happens it is almost always deadly.

Yeah, I know that thing with the orange panels is going to screw us. They look like orange rockets on top.

More than two years passed since the incident was in the news. But today it came up once again because british the Sun newspaper revealed a tape recording the actions and dialogue of the pilots and their home stations on the mission. The controversy around the subject is that the US government tried to hide the tape for two full years, and now at last it is brought to light.

More information via the Sun:

• Joy at direct hit turns to horror
• Cockpit video stuns world
• The tape they wanted to hide