A10 Cowboy

A horrible accident, as was this incident:

Link

Both incidents, as described by The Guardian

When is the UK going to pull out of the war?

Ask Robin Cook.

The most sofisticated piece of electonics on a A10 is the CRT they use to review the picture from the Maveric missles video camera as they aquire the target. Thats why the air force doesn't like the A10 it doesn't have enough bells and wistles for them.

According to the report on the news this morning the American attacked the British tanks even though they were displaying the correct friendly insignia; they had the friendly infra-red lights on; they were flying the Union Jack; and they lit friendly coloured flares (red). And the guy kept coming in for another attack until he had wiped out two tanks.

A very sad day - the actions of the American were deliberate. But, given the history of America killing friendlies, he'll get away scot free.

So, you're saying that he chose to attack coalition members? And have you spoken with this pilot or did this insight just come to you in a dream?

Is it difficult to distinguish British from Russian tanks?

That is ridiculous.

His actions were deliberate - how much friggin more did the British have to do to convince him they were friendlies?

And he came around for another shot after they fired the flares.

Deliberate 110%

I don't need to speak to anyone when the facts are as black and white as these.

The "facts" do not support your own arguement. He obviously was trying to destroy tanks...that's his job. You have no proof whatsoever that he knew the tanks in question were coalition forces.

Scientific Note: From where you are your arguement is swirling down the toilet clockwise. If you were here it would be swirling counter-clockwise.

Like most pro-war Americans you have your head firmly in the red, white and blue sand.

Tell me - how does a pilot not see red flare smoke? You going to tell me they were in a sand storm? They were not.

Tell me - does a pilot not check for the large orange sign with the friendly insignia before commencing fire?

Tell me - do cowboy American pilots shoot at every target they see first before determining if they are friendly or not? I guess this one did.

Scientific Exercise Lose your blind devotion to your country for one minute - try to imagine you as one of the British soldiers being attacked by the cowboy.

If anyone is letting their loyalty blind them it is you. You can't even differntiate between a mistake and a deliberate act. British soldiers blew up one of their own tanks yesterday...why don't you assume that was deliberate? Because you've got a big ol' American chip on your shoulder, that's why.

If you want to hate Americans that's between you and your therapist but don't claim to 'know' that an act was deliberate when you're thousands of miles and at least two realities away from where it took place.

He was probably hyped-up on amphetamines, which our pilots are freely given. This is after all a war against Saddam, not drugs.

There are cowboys in every armed force. And there are mistakes made by every armed force. Two different things that sometimes overlap.

I read last week of a report (not widely circulated) about a US forward base coming under US friendly fire and firing back. Now that's funny in a sick kind of way. I guess it's kill or be killed.

No wonder it wasn't widely reported.

This is an urban myth. The swirling of tap water is related to the position of the plugs relative to the sink, not the position of the sink relative to the equator

Because they didn't come back for another strafing run.

Either this A10 pilot was shooting up the Brits deliberately (not unlike the 101st Airborne, who apparently throw grenades at each other for fun) or he was wilfully not looking. One pass is a mistake, two passes is either deliberate or stupid. In either case the cowboy should be grounded (as he almost certainly is).

My guess is that he realized his mistake after the first run, panicked and came back to destroy the witnesses.

Regardless of whether it was a mistake or not, you cannot deny the pilot acted irresponsibly - it was reported that he specifically broke away from the rest of his group just to take out those tanks - and nobody ordered him to take out those tanks or leave his group.

Troops are mean to follow the commands of their superiors, they are not meant to think for themselves - that leads to questioning those orders

Pure speculation.

You have no idea what his rules of engagement were, or how much individual initiative he was given.

Beware - this way leads to Nuremburg.

No doubt this is where the pilot was at the time, totally strung out on sleep deprivation and far too many amphetamines.

Many minds do not take kindly to the combination, and use of the latter is known to be encouraged in the Air Force.

-s*

To suggest the pilot deliberately lit up a British tank is childish and retarded. Was it a screw-up? Definitley, and of the highest order. But what possible motivation could a coalition pilot have to kill allies? Mistaken identification seems a bit more plausable, hm? Just think a little before opening your mouth and people will have more respect for you.

go Rambo - name calling with all the gusto of a 10 year old girl.

And b-t-w I don't even want to speak with a person who has chosen Rambo as his online name - let alone get you to respect me.

Tosser

totally as a sidetrack: what motivation could an allied soldier have to toss grenades into a command tent at camp Pennsylvania?

Not that I think this incident is similar, but I think you cannot simply dismiss the possibility out of hand.

Not a sidetrack at all. The motivation of "Islamic fundamentalism" is the only motivation that I could think of for a situation like this to to arise again (aside from technical errors that may have occurred).

To think that an American soldier could to this to an ally, let alone an American ON PURPOSE astonishes me.