US F-16 FIRES ON ALLIES

Sky News ^ | March 25, 2003

[Dog Gone]

A US F-16 fighter jet has destroyed an Allied Patriot missile battery after the plane was mistakenly locked on to.

There were no casualties according to US military sources.

The F-16 was en route to carry out a mission in Baghdad when the incident happened.

It is the second friendly fire incident involving Patriot missiles during the war on Iraq so far.

On Sunday a Royal Air Force Tornado GR4 was shot down by a Patriot missile near the Kuwaiti border, killing both men on board.

Allied planes should be protected from so-called "friendly fire" by on board software which identifies them as part of Coalition forces to ground troops.

[TheSpottedOwl]

Thanks to our buddies from Mother Russia supplying the Iraqis with those, ever so handy, jamming devices.

[laconic]

Does anyone out there know whether the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers are navigable by major river craft up to Baghdad? On the surface, this would seem to me to make resupply a bit easier as well as opening up another front.

[hchutch]

Someone's IFF switch was off.

Remember folks, IFF switches should remain ON!

[BureaucratusMaximus]

Um...yeah...the title says it all. /sarcasm off

[ewing]

probably during the sandstorm.

[Teacher317]

Allied planes should be protected from so-called "friendly fire" by on board software which identifies them as part of Coalition forces to ground troops.

Is that an editorial comment, or a report that such systems are on board but somehow failed or were not noticed?

[jae471]

I thought the title was a bit loaded, also.

[Poohbah]

Try again.

This was a boneheaded F-16 driver, not a GPS jammer.

Kindly note that GPS-guided ordnance has been landing spot-on-target the entire war.

[TankerKC]

Would a Patriot Battery have an IFF?

Agree, you have to keep 'em on and have the right code.

[HairOfTheDog]

Dang. The guys that were running the patriot battery that locked on must have has a *Moment of clarity* when they realized what was about to happen, and ran? Lucky break here, no one was hurt.

[dighton]

"Let's be careful out there!"

[jbstrick]

I'm pretty sure this has nothing to do with the jamming equip.

[Trust but Verify]

I'd blast the Patriot if it locked on me after what happened last week.

[Hodar]

That is a statement of fact. A FOF (Friend or Foe) beacon identifies allied forces from enemy forces. The code is encrypted and changes frequently. Every plane and ground force unit (missle batteries, tanks, squad, etc) has one; for the intent of avoiding friendly fire.

And yesterday, several posters were attacking and insulting our Austrialian friends, over NOT dropping bombs when they could not positively identify the target. I guess some people just want death, and it doesn't matter on which side.

[jbstrick]

What the article DOES NOT mention is the fact that the Pat battery locked onto the F16

[FreeTheHostages]

Our Patriot missles have been doing their job spot-on too.

[Tennessee_Bob]

Whoops - that was yesterdays transponder code. Dang, I hate when that happens!

[TankerKC]

It is a comment that the systems on board should identify coalition aircraft. See here: IFF

[thoughtomator]

Do our men even have to be close to the missile battery to operate it? I would be surprised if they couldn't operate the Patriots from a safe distance.