Downed UK Jet Downed Had Faulty System
I am sure this will generate a lot of discussion. This wasn't the only occurrence of the PATRIOT locking onto friendlies, as you know a USAF F-16CJ HARM'd one in response to be locked on. Not the best solution, but understandable.
Regardless of the circumstances, my sympathies still extend to the families, friends and compatriots of the lost crew. In this day and age this is very unsat, we should have established systems and procedures to prevent instances such as this one and the USMC FAC/A-10 fratricide incident. Our job is to inflict maximum damage on the enemy, not each other!
Cheers! M2
Downed UK Jet Downed Had Faulty System
Source: Newsday / AP, 14 May 04
A British military jet shot down by a U.S. missile during the Iraq war was hit after a failure of the electronic system designed to identified it as a friendly aircraft, the government said Friday.
A U.S. Patriot missile battery shot down the Tornado GR4A near the Iraq-Kuwait border on March 23, 2003, killing both crew members. The jet was returning from a mission over Iraq. Defense Minister Ivor Caplin said several factors contributed to the incident, including a failure of the jet's "identification friend or foe" (IFF) system. Caplin release a summary of findings by a Royal Air Force Board of Inquiry that investigated the downing. He said the "immediate cause" of the accident was the Patriot missile battery which "misidentified" the Tornado as an enemy "anti-radiation missile" designed to home in on radar systems. Caplin said other factors included the "wide classification criteria" for anti-radiation missiles programmed into the Patriot system. He said that the Patriot rules of engagement were "not sufficiently robust to prevent a friendly aircraft without a functioning IFF system being classified as an anti-radiation missile." The RAF report said neither crew member attempted to eject from the aircraft and both were killed instantly. It recommended that the IFF system on each aircraft be checked after takeoff and that the Tornado's IFF installation should be modified so a cockpit alarm sounds whenever the IFF system fails.
In a statement, the U.S. Central Command said it concurred that the failure of the plane's IFF system was at fault. "The investigation board determined that the Patriot crew fired in perceived self-defense in accordance with existing procedures and Rules of Engagement," the statement said. The Command headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla., said: "The investigation determined that the incident did not occur due to negligence on the part of the Patriot Missile battery personnel, and therefore no charges have been filed nor has any disciplinary action been taken against any service members."