Rules of Engagement (ROE)

Rules of Engagement are the directives a military authority issues to define the circumstances, conditions, and limits under which forces may apply force, translating policy and the law of armed conflict into orders a commander can act on. At sea they set graduated authorities from hail and warning to disabling fire, govern self-defense, and shape air-defense conditions (weapons free, tight, hold). They differ from the Rules for the Use of Force that govern law-enforcement and private-security action.