| The Eastern Daily Press | |
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Two British airmen based at RAF Marham are officially listed as missing after their Tornado jet was shot down by a US Patriot missile in a dreadful "friendly fire" incident as they returned from a bombing mission over Iraq. The base commander in Kuwait yesterday said the crews were left "shocked and bewlidered" by the tragedy. The crew was minutes away from landing at the Ali Al Selem air base in Northern Kuwait, having flown through hostile fire over enemy air space, when the tragedy happened in the early hours of yesterday (Sunday) morning local time. The two highly experienced Tornado crewmen had not been named or their ranks and squadron released, but senior officers in Kuwait have confirmed they were based at RAF Marham. Yesterday the mood at the base in the Kuwaiti desert, home to 80 Tornado crews, from the four Marham squadrons, along with 617 squadron from RAF Lossiemouth, was sombre. However, missions continued into Iraq throughout the day and night as other Tornado crews carried on despite the tragedy involving their close colleagues. It is unclear how the US Patriots - a weapon used to intercept incoming enemy missiles - locked onto the aircraft and shot it down, but a major investigation is now underway to find out how such a catastrophic failure led to the incident. Tornado detachment commander at Ali Al Selem Group Captain Simon Dobb said, "This is a huge blow to the detachment and particularly their squadrons." He would not be drawn on the details of the incident, though the US military has already indicated it suspects one of it's Patriot batteries was responsible, but Group Captain Dobb added "It would be fair to say that the mood of the detachment is one of shock and bewilderment." The aircraft was making final preparations for decent toward the end of the two hour mission to Baghdad and flying on its normal flight path back to the base at around 500 mph when it was shot down just before 3am. The crew would have been aware that the Patriot was "looking" at the aircraft, but would have expected that in the position so close to the border. The Tornado would also have had an individual identification signal to prevent a "friendly fire" incident, transmitted to an AWAC aircraft co-ordinating air movements in the area, and that should have been recognised by the Patriot battery. However, other Tornado crews returning from sorties have talked about the skies around the Iraq/Kuwaiti border as crowded with aircraft during the bombing missions, making flying conditions difficult. Ironically, US Patriots have intercepted a number of Iraqi missiles bound for Kuwait over the last few days. But once it was launched, the crew would have stood little chance as the Patriot hit the Tornado at three times the speed of sound. Group Captain Dobb said "The airplane had been flying as a pair and it soon became clear the second had not returned from its mission. " A search and rescue mission was launched immediately and it soon became apparent that wreckage had been spread over a very wide area. "We also had air crew walking out for another mission at the time and I was keen not to tell them at that stage that we had just lost an airplane." The downed Tornado GR4, which had successfully launched ALARM (Air Launched Anti Radiation Missile) in the Baghdad region to destroy radar facilities used by Iraq to accurately deploy Scud and Al Samoud missiles, came down on a training range in rugged terrain in the north west of Kuwait. At this stage, the crew are still listed as missing. "Both crew members were known to me, and are experienced Tornado operators. My thoughts go out to their family and friends at this time," added the detachment commander, who is also an experienced Tornado pilot. This is believed to be the first "friendly fire" incident of the war in Iraq. However, the American military does have a poor record in operations with so-called "blue on blue" incidents. American airmen killed four Canadian military personnel when they dropped bombs on a convoy in Afghanistan. And in the Gulf war of 1991, nine British soldiers died when their armoured personnel carrier was attacked by a US airforce A-10 tank buster plane. Despite the latest incident, Tornado crews were in the air again throughout the day yesterday (Sunday), and last night as bombing missions against Iraq were stepped up, with barracks and other military installations forming the targets for the Tornadoes as well as reconnaissance missions. There are around 80 crews based at Ali al Selem, most of them from the four RAF Marham Squadrons, II (AC), IX (B) 1331- and flying with 617 squadron as the Tornado Air Combat Wing. Group Captain Dobb added "I must say I am very proud of the rest of the aircrew in the way they have remained focussed on the job in hand to continue their tasked mission." Along with squadron commanders Group Captain Dobb has been speaking to the other aircrew throughout the day, but he added "The ground crew of the aircraft involved would have taken it to heart and would feel it very heavily, perhaps more than anyone else. "They would have seen these guys go off on their mission, it would have affected them deeply when they did not come back. They would have been the last people to speak to them on the ground." The missing Tornado pilot and navigator are the latest in a line of tragedies to hit British personnel in the war with Iraq. 15 service men have already died in three helicopter crashes over the last few day. But friendly fire incidents are particularly difficult for fellow soldiers, sailors and airmen to deal with. When they go to war, they can come to terms with a death at the hands of an enemy, but accepting comrades being killed or fired at by someone on your own side is a more complex issue. During the day, the base Padre, the Rev Jonathan Beach has been talking to some of the aircrew on the flight line in the light of the loss of their colleagues. He said, "They are as was to be expected, not highly emotional, quite restrained, sombre and thoughtful". But the Padre, a former curate at St Luke's and St Marks, in Oulton Broad added, "A blue on blue incident just adds a horrible twist to all the feelings that would be there anyway." British military authorities have demanded an explanation from the Americans, and are working to find the cause of the friendly fire incident, as well as ensure there is no repeat. The British military spokesman at Joint Operations Command in Qatar, Group Captain Al Lockwood, said, "Everybody is eager for an explanation, we take enormous care to ensure that blue on blue engagement do not happen, this is a tragedy and we are working to ensure there is no repetition. But this is not training, this is war for real." He added "It has been a difficult start, and there is a great deal of sorrow for their families and friends, but this will make the coalition stronger."
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