accidental attack

An unintended attack that occurs not by deliberate national design, but rather as a direct result of a random event, such as mechanical failure, human error, or unauthorized action by a subordinate.

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.

(DOD) An unintended attack which occurs without deliberate national design as a direct result of a random event, such as a mechanical failure, a simple human error, or an unauthorized action by a subordinate.