British air force plane hit by US missile: US military
( 2003-03-23 18:04 ) (7 )

A British Royal Air Force aircraft was reported missing Sunday and British and US officials said it may have been shot down by a US Patriot missile.

Group Capt. Al Lockwood, a spokesman for British forces in the Persian Gulf, said the aircraft may have been shot down near the Kuwaiti border. Britain's Ministry of Defense said the crew was missing.

"One of our aircraft recovering from operations over Kuwait, evidence is beginning to come to light that suggests it was engaged by a US Patriot missile," Lockwood said.

Asked whether "engaged" meant "shot down," Lockwood said, "Evidence is pointing in that direction."

A US official confirmed that a Patriot missile battery "may have engaged" the aircraft near the Kuwaiti border. The official said no other information was available.

Patriot missiles are designed to shoot down incoming ballistic missiles and low-flying cruise missiles, not planes. Lockwood indicated there would be an investigation.

"We wish to find out just as everybody else does, the US as well, why this happened," Lockwood said. "And we will be carrying out a joint investigation to determine the facts so that we can eliminate this problem forever."

He said the Americans were "just as concerned as we are that this has occurred."

"You must remember is high-intensity conflict. This is war and it's not training," said Lockwood. "We will continue to do our job and see it to its finish."

In London, the defense ministry declined to say how many crew members were in the aircraft, or what type of aircraft was involved.

Britain has sent some 45,000 military personnel to the Persian Gulf to join in the US-led attack against Iraq. Fourteen British and eight American servicemen have been killed since the beginning of the war against Iraq.

Six British troops and a US Navy officer died Saturday when two British Royal Navy helicopters collided over the Persian Gulf.

Another helicopter crash Friday claimed the lives of eight British and four US Marines. The CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter crashed and burned about nine miles south of the Iraqi border town of Umm Qasr. Military officials said no hostile fire was reported in the area.

Two US Marines were killed in combat Friday, and a member of the 101st Airborne division died in a grenade blast Saturday.