<P> A force majeure may also be the overpowering force itself, which prevents the fulfillment of a contract . In that instance, it is actually the impossibility or impracticability defenses . </P> <P> In the military, force majeure has a slightly different meaning . It refers to an event, either external or internal, that happens to a vessel or aircraft that allows it to enter normally restricted areas without penalty . An example would be the Hainan Island incident where a U.S. Navy aircraft landed at a Chinese military airbase after a collision with a Chinese fighter in April 2001 . Under the principle of force majeure, the aircraft must be allowed to land without interference . </P> <P> The importance of the force majeure clause in a contract, particularly one of any length in time, cannot be overstated as it relieves a party from an obligation under the contract (or suspends that obligation). What is permitted to be a force majeure event or circumstance can be the source of much controversy in the negotiation of a contract and a party should generally resist any attempt by the other party to include something that should, fundamentally, be at the risk of that other party . For example, in a coal - supply agreement, the mining company may seek to have "geological risk" included as a force majeure event; however, the mining company should be doing extensive exploration and analysis of its geological reserves and should not even be negotiating a coal - supply agreement if it cannot take the risk that there may be a geological limit to its coal supply from time to time . The outcome of that negotiation, of course, depends on the relative bargaining power of the parties and there will be cases where force majeure clauses can be used by a party effectively to escape liability for bad performance . </P> <P> Because of the different interpretations of force majeure across legal systems, it is common for contracts to include specific definitions of force majeure, particularly at the international level . Some systems limit force majeure to an Act of God (such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, etc .) but exclude human or technical failures (such as acts of war, terrorist activities, labor disputes, or interruption or failure of electricity or communications systems). The advisory point is in drafting of contract make distinction between act of God and other shape of force majeure . </P>

A force majeure clause would apply to which of these items