the cause of the crash officially is that the software in the Patriot failed to recognise the IFF code, apparently it has happened again: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/03/26/1048653751202.html

I read that a similar incident took place with an F-16. The F-16's warning radar indicator told she/him were painted by an target acquistion radar,by probably using a HARM, took the radar of the Patriot out. This report stated that the Patriot crew with the 3rd ID had taken cover because of artillary fire in the area and that the Patriot system was on Automatic control. I wonder if that Tornado crew had such a radar warning system, if so was it on?

People are sow saying hteere is a possibility that the Patriots also shot down the F-18.. http://asia.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=2501205 Not good news

It is time to pull the Patriot missile system and all fast attack aircraft from the forward area of operations. There is no need for a medium to high altitude air defense system on the front lines at this juncture of the war as we close on Baghdad. Fast mover aircraft are NOT good close air support vehicles and are usually allowed to engage 20 Km ahead of the front lines only. They fly too fast and too high to identify what is going on on the ground.

yea but the fast movers are probably good at ferrying GPS and laser guided munitions back and forth leaving the A-10's and helicopter gunships to handle the real CAS type missions. at least thats what I would think. I haven't heard that they are moving patriot up but if they are its probably just good insurance against murphyies LAW. as soon as you drop some of your anti air forces they will launch a air attack be it scud,alsumuts, or even some suicidal air jockey.

An A-10 just went down near the Baghdad Airport. This is in the forward area coverage zone of a Patriot Bty. Hmmm.

What we are seeing now is the likely first use of the Russian SA-16/18 Ingla shoulder fired SAM. Note the small amount of blast damage from the small warhead of the probable SA-16 on a A-10 engine. The SA-16 took down a number of coalition aircraft out of the oil smoke in the first Iraq war.

Another case of US high tech gizzmos killing more British servicemen.Transponder off and in the wrong place my left foot,shoot first and hey if its your only ally so what.I bet hollywood etc doesnt make a film about this episode of typical Yank gun ho warfare.Turn off your radar,ground your A10s and the Brits can get on with war in PEACE>

As a retired military aircraft spotter of some destinction it is a constant source of wonder on what basis the americans shoot. They know they have the most planes in the area. Some years back an F-15 jock shot down a Blackhawk, after more than abundant time to look at it. All you need is 1/10 of a second - litteraly.

It turns out that there is a glitch in the software for Patriot. I apparently has two fire modes. If it see an incoming, it first decides if it is a missile or an aircraft. If it decides it's an aircraft, it interrogates the IFF on the incoming craft. If it decides it's a missile, it automatically fires a Patriot. The software bug is in the part of the software that decides whether or not it's a missile. If the target is flying at certain attitudes, it ignores the speed of the incomer and decides that it's a missile. So no IFF. So one missile launched unless the operator overrides. In the F16 incident, the crew had taken cover in a bunker and left it on automatic. I don't know where the crew was in the Tornado incident.