Final answer:
Hostile fire is intentional fire directed at enemy forces, while friendly fire is unintentional fire directed at friendly forces or allies.
Step-by-step explanation:
Hostile Fire and Friendly Fire
In military terms, hostile fire refers to any fire directed at enemy forces or targets. It includes intentional attacks using weapons such as guns, missiles, or artillery. For example, when one army fires at another army to cause harm or destruction, it is considered hostile fire.
Friendly fire, on the other hand, is an attack or fire that is unintentionally directed at friendly forces or targets. It occurs when one's own military unit mistakenly fires on or causes damage to its own forces or allies. Friendly fire incidents often result from miscommunication, faulty intelligence, or human error.
To prevent friendly fire, strict procedures and protocols are implemented, including identifying and confirming targets before engaging and using technology such as radio communications and GPS systems.