Carrier groups place many powerful weapons and sensors in dangerous areas where personnel may remain on sustained alert. That concentration of combat power carries operational risk even in peacetime, and war increases the pressure. Friendly-fire incidents have a long history. Crews continually scanning for threats can interpret an unexpected contact as hostile and react before the picture is clear.
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High-alert carrier operations carry fratricide risk
The concentration of combat power in a carrier group also raises the danger that tense operators will misidentify an unexpected contact and attack friendly forces.