Non-combatant casualty value

Military rule of engagement

Non-combatant casualty value (NCV), also known as the non-combatant and civilian casualty cut-off value, is a military rule of engagement which provides an estimate of the worth placed on the lives of non-combatants, i.e. civilians or non-military individuals within a conflict zone. It has become an element of strategic planning and policy-making during a number of armed conflicts, providing a quantification of the proportionality principle as interpreted by the military command, and thus influencing decisions regarding the use of force and "acceptable" collateral damage. It has been described as a "central value in contemporary Western war" and "perhaps our starkest rule of engagement".

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