A senior US military officer in Iraq said the aircraft was on its way to the large US base at Balad, which is used by allied special forces to mount operations in a number of towns inside the so-called Sunni Triangle. It was not immediately clear what caused the crash but the most likely explanation seemed to be that it had been shot down by insurgents. The incident is believed to mark the largest single loss of British personnel since the start of the war, almost two years ago. A "special duties" aircraft would normally carry a crew of five or six. It could carry up to 128 passengers but in a special forces role, a maximum of 70 is more likely.
70 UK SF in one plane over hostile ground? Methinks not. Probably nearer 7.
The Ministry of Defence was unable to say how many people were killed, but Tony Blair confirmed that British servicemen had died including members of the Army. "This country and the wider world will never forget them," he said, in a televised address from Downing Street. "This is the true face of the British Army: brave, committed, professional the world over, doing an extraordinary job on behalf of their country. "Yet again today we see the sacrifice that they make. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who lost their lives today." President George W Bush added his own tribute, saying: "We also mourn the American and British military personnel who lost their lives today." That appeared to suggest that there could have been US special forces on board the aircraft as well. The SAS operates in northern Iraq alongside its American counterparts. The worst loss of life for the SAS since the Second World War was in the Falklands when 18 members were killed.
Another air crash, when a Sea King ditched transferring men between ships in rough weather.
If the aircraft was shot down, it would represent a major success for the insurgents who have been trying to disrupt the Iraqi elections. US aircraft and helicopters have been regularly targeted with shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles. But although dozens of US helicopters have been brought down, until now no fixed-wing aircraft has crashed as a result of enemy attack.
One US C130 Hercules transport aircraft was hit by a missile last November in the same region and three other fixed-wing aircraft, including a civilian airliner, have been hit by missiles after taking off from Baghdad. But none crashed as a result. RAF Hercules operating in Iraq are fitted with several types of so-called DAS counter-measures against the heat-seeking guidance sensors of the missiles. They are based at Basra International Airport or al-Udeid base in Qatar and make regular "milk run" flights to Baghdad airport with supplies for personnel at the British Embassy and nearby US military headquarters. The only RAF C130s known to operate north of Baghdad are the "special duties" aircraft of 47 Sqn based at Lyneham. |