A Daily Breakdown of Patriot Activity

CIAO DATE: 09/04

A Daily Breakdown of Patriot Activity

Victoria Samson

May 2003

Date	Iraqi Missile	Patriots	Notes
March 20	Unidentified missile, but most likely an Iraqi Seersucker CSSC–3 cruise missile	None	This struck outside Camp Commando in Kuwait at approximately 10:28 AM. Because it was flying so low, it managed to avoid setting off the Patriot radar and arrived unheralded.
March 20	3 tactical ballistic missiles launched from the Basra area. The first two came about midday, while the third came in the evening.	At least 2 PAC–3s, 3 GEMs; at least 6 total were launched.	The first 2 attacks occurred at approximately 12:24 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. local time. The Patriots which achieved the intercepts were launched from 2 different locations — Ali al Salem and about 9 miles from Camp Thunder. The first Iraqi missile was launched against the 101st Airborne division; 3 Patriots (at least 2 of which were GEMs) were sent to intercept it. The first Patriot achieved the interception; the second Patriot malfunctioned and blew itself up; the third Patriot, launched because the second malfunctioned, exploded in the desert. The second Iraqi missile was launched against Camp Doha; two PAC–3s were sent to stop it. One of them intercepted it, so the other one blew itself up as programmed. The third Iraqi missile was launched against Camp Udari on the evening of March 20; it was intercepted by a GEM.
March 21	3 ballistic missiles	3 GEMs were launched by 2 Kuwaiti Patriot batteries.	The Iraqi missile which was intercepted was launched against the Ali Al Salem air base. It was destroyed by a Kuwaiti GEM. Additionally, two Iraqi missiles were fired; they landed either in the desert or in the Persian Gulf east of Kuwait City. By this point, Kuwaiti defense officials were claiming that 10 Iraqi missiles had been launched at coalition forces on their territory.
March 23			By this date, military spokespeople were saying that the Patriot had shot down 4 out of 6 Iraqi ballistic missiles launched at Coalition forces in Kuwait. The other 2 Iraqi ballistic missiles fell into the desert or Persian Gulf.
March 23	None	At least one PAC–2	A PAC–2 destroyed a British Tornado GR–4. The Tornado was returning from a bombing mission over Iraq when it was shot down in northern Kuwait, killing the two pilots on–board and creating the first friendly fire casualties of the war. An investigation is underway to determine what caused the friendly fire incident.
March 24	2 surface–to–surface missiles	At least 2 Patriots	There were 2 separate missile incidents. One of the missiles landed in the desert. At least 2 Patriots were launched against the second missile, which was aimed at U.S. troops in Kuwait.
March 24	None	None	A U.S. F–16CJ launched an AGM–88 high–speed anti–radiation missile at and damaged a Patriot battery–s radar after the pilot thought he was in danger of being targeted by the Patriot system. The Patriot had been forward–deployed to protect 3rd Infantry Division troops heading toward Baghdad. The Patriot’s radar was operating automatically and the Patriot crew had withdrawn due to heavy bombardment in the area (about 30 miles south of Najaf), so no human casualties occurred. This incident prompted the Air Force to change its rules of engagement: now, pilots flying suppression of enemy air defense missions are to double–check with a second, more discriminatory system to confirm that the source of the radar emissions showing up on their monitors is unfriendly.
March 25	1 ballistic missile	Kuwaiti Patriot battery	At this point, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense was claiming that 15 Iraqi missiles had been launched.
March 26	1 ballistic missile	Kuwaiti Patriot battery	This was the 3rd time a Kuwait Patriot battery successfully intercepted and destroyed an Iraqi ballistic missile. By this point, Pentagon officials were saying that Iraq had launched 10 short–range ballistic missiles at Kuwait thus far: 7 were reported to have been intercepted by Patriots; 2 fell in the desert; 1 landed in the Persian Gulf. According to CENTCOM, 8 of the Iraqi missiles were Ababil–100s, and 2 were Al Samoud–2s.
March 27	1 Ababil–100 ballistic missile	At least 2 Patriots	This was the first missile attack against Kuwait City. An Ababil–100 was on a trajectory which would have sent it directly into the allied central command center in Camp Doha when it was intercepted. According to CENTCOM spokesperson Army Capt. Douglas James, the total number of Iraqi missiles launched at coalition forces now was 12: 8 were engaged, 4 were not (3 had non–threatening predicted impact areas, and the 4th malfunctioned and blew itself up shortly after its launch).
March 28	1 CSSC-3 Seersucker cruise missile	None	An Iraqi CSSC–3 Seersucker cruise missile landed in the gulf off the coast of Kuwait, hitting a metal deflector placed there in the hopes of drawing cruise missiles away from the harbor.
March 29	1 CSSC-3 Seersucker cruise missile	None	The low–flying CSSC–3 Seersucker cruise missile didn’t set off Kuwait City’s air defense radars, so the missile flew undetected and landed just off shore near the Souq Sharq shopping mall. 2 minor injuries were reported.
March 29	1 ballistic missile	Kuwaiti Patriot battery	This was the second report of an Iraqi missile launch on March 29. Kuwaiti military officials said that a missile fired from southern Iraq was intercepted in northern Kuwait by the Kuwaiti Army
March 31	2 CSSC-3 Seersucker cruise missiles	None	These CSSC–3 Seersucker cruise missiles were launched against two separate targets (allied forces in Umm Qasr and Safwan).
April 1	None. There initially was a report of a “hostile object” launched toward Kuwait, but that turned out to be a false alarm.	Kuwaiti Patriot battery	Kuwaiti Patriots were fired at what was reported to be an incoming “hostile object”. Kuwaiti officials later stated that it was a false alarm.
April 1	1 ballistic missile thought to have been fired from just south of Baghdad.	At least 1 PAC–3	This was the first Iraqi ballistic missile intercepted in Iraqi airspace (near Najaf) and the ninth intercept reported by CENTCOM. By this point, it was reported that 17 Iraqi missiles had been launched since March 20. Kuwaiti officials had 20 Patriot missiles for defending Kuwait City.
April 2	A U.S. F/A–18C Hornet	At least 1 PAC–3	The F/A–18C was conducting a bombing run over Karbala when a U.S. Patriot missile battery launched PAC–3s at it and its wingman. The wingman was able to take evasive maneuvers and avoid a hit. The F/A–18C was not so lucky: it was hit and its pilot was killed. An investigation of why the Patriot battery engaged the F/A–18C is underway.
April 7			As of April 7, Iraq was reported to have fired 19 missiles at Kuwait and against coalition forces.
April 9			Lt. Gen. Ronald Kadish, head of the MDA, said in front of the Senate Appropriations Defense subcommittee on April 9 that the U.S. had fired 4 PAC–3s. It was also reported that by April 9, 20 PAC–2 variants had been fired.
April 16			By April 16, U.S. Army officials were claiming that the Patriot had 9 interceptions for 9 missiles engaged. U.S. Patriot batteries were responsible for 6 of the engagements, while Kuwaiti Patriot batteries did 3 of them. 8 of the Iraqi missiles reported to have been intercepted were supposedly destroyed mid–air; the 9th was “significantly damaged” and landed without doing any harm. U.S. Army officials also were saying that 6–9 Iraqi missiles had been deemed harmless and allowed to remain unengaged.
April 24			By April 24, U.S. Army officials were saying that PAC–3s had done 2 out of the 9 Patriot intercepts; GEMs had done 6; and 1 was done by a GEM–Plus.
May 6			As of May 6, U.S. Army officials were stating that 20 Iraqi missiles had been fired at coalition forces and Kuwait.

Sources (by incident date):

March 20: “Missile strike at Camp Commando,” CENTCOM Press Release 03–03–32, March 20, 2003; “Patriot missile defense system upgraded since ‘91,” Pittsburgh Post–Gazette, March 23, 2003

March 20: “Patriot batteries intercept, destroy TBMs,” CENTCOM Press Release Number: 03–03–31, March 20, 2003; “Revamped Patriot System Downs 2 Missiles Aimed At U.S. Forces,” Los Angeles Times, March 21, 2003; “DoD Officials Outline PAC–3 Production Plan In Wake Of Initial War Performance Reports,” Defense Daily, March 21, 2003; “Improved Air Defense Gets Tryout In Combat,” Washington Post, March 21, 2003; “U.S. Says The Iraqis Are Repositioning Their Missile Sites,” New York Times, March 23, 2003 ; “PAC–3, enhanced PAC–2 engage Iraqi missiles in first combat use; follow–on PAC–3 test postponed until late summer,” Inside the Army, March 24, 2003; “Patriot Crew Remains a Believer in System; Mistakes temper the mood of soldiers who downed the first Iraqi missile, but they say their morale and confidence are still high,” Los Angeles Times, April 2, 2003

March 21: “Iraqi oil well blazes darken Kuwaiti skies as Patriots down new missile,” Agence France Presse, March 21, 2003; “U.S. says the Iraqis are repositioning their missile sites,” New York Times, March 23, 2003

March 23: “Patriot Missiles Bag Their Prey Again, Reportedly Shooting Down 4 Of 6 Iraqi Rockets,” New York Times, March 23, 2003; “U.S. says the Iraqis are repositioning their missile sites,” New York Times, March 23, 2003;

March 23: “U.S. missile shoots down British jet; Ally’s air accident toll at 16,” Chicago Tribune, March 24, 2003; “Probe starts into loss of Tornado to friendly fire,” Financial Times (London), Marc 24, 2003; “Patriot battery chief apologises for fatal blunder,” The Australian, March 26, 2003; “Patriot Downs RAF Fighter: Two Crew Members Killed In Friendly–Fire Attack,” Washington Post, March 24, 2003; “The Patriot’s fratricide record,” UPI, April 24, 2003; “Patriot May Mistake Aircraft For Missile In Combat's Electronic Glut,” Inside The Pentagon, April 24, 2003; “Radar Probed In Patriot Incidents,” Washington Post, May 8, 2003

March 24: “Patriot battery intercepts, destroys Iraqi missile,” CENTCOM Press Release 03–03–58, March 24, 2003; “Missiles fired at the 101st Airborne Division in Kuwait,” NBC News Transcripts, March 24, 2003; “Patriot intercepts Iraqi missile over Kuwait,” Xinhua General News Service, March 24, 2003; “Medium–range missiles in Iraqi stockpile, allies say,” Boston Globe, March 25, 2003

March 24: “2nd Patriot incident involves U.S. F–16,” Chicago Tribune, March 26, 2003; “Patriot missiles seemingly falter for second time; glitch in software suspected,” Washington Post, March 26, 2003; “The Patriot’s fratricide record,” UPI, April 24, 2003; “Patriot May Mistake Aircraft For Missile In Combat’s Electronic Glut,” Inside The Pentagon, April 24, 2003

March 25: “Patriots intercept another Iraqi missile over Kuwait,” Agence France Presse, March 25, 2003; “Patriot destroys Iraqi missile over northern Kuwait,” BBC Monitoring International Reports, March 25, 2003

March 26: “Patriot battery intercepts third Iraqi missile,” CENTCOM Press Release 03–03–71, March 27, 2003; “Patriots give sense of safety to Kuwait: system scores success in intercepting Iraqi missiles after failures in 1991 war,” Washington Post, March 28, 2003

March 27: “Kuwait says another Iraq missile shot down by Patriot,” Agence France Presse, March 27, 2003; DoD briefing, March 27, 2003; “Patriots intercept eight Iraqi ballistic missiles, involved in two friendly fire incidents,” Defense Daily, March 28, 2003; “A poor man’s air force,” New York Times on the Web, June 19, 2003

March 28: “A poor man’s air force,” New York Times on the Web, June 19, 2003

March 29: “Iraqi Silkworm missile hits Kuwaiti capital,” Agence France Presse, March 29, 2003; “Iraqi missile slams into pier in Kuwait; Low–flying weapon damages nearby mall, but no people are injured; ‘We’ve been waiting for this’,” Baltimore Sun, March 29, 2003

March 29: “Patriot system intercepts Iraqi missile,” BBC Monitoring International, March 29, 2003; “Iraqi missile intercepted in northern Kuwait,” Xinhua General News Service, March 29, 2003

March 31: “A poor man’s air force,” New York Times on the Web, June 19, 2003

April 1: “Air raid sirens sound in Kuwait,” Agence France Presse, April 1, 2003; “Kuwait: air defences fire Patriot missile against ‘hostile object,’”BBC Monitoring International Reports, April 1, 2003; “The News with Brian Williams,” CNBC, March 31, 2003; “Kuwait shoots down Iraqi missile,” Associated Press, April 1, 2003

April 1: “First Iraqi missile destroyed by Patriot battery in Iraq,” CENTCOM Press Release 03–04–11, April 1, 2003; “An Iraqi missile was shot down by a Patriot missile battery before it reached Kuwait, a military spokesman said Tuesday,” Associated Press Online, April 1, 2003; “Patriot system cornerstone of Kuwait’s defense against Iraq,” Associated Press, April 1, 2003; “Eye on the sky: behind a Patriot battery, some ups and downs,” Boston Globe, April 2, 2003; “Patriot Crew Remains a Believer in System; Mistakes temper the mood of soldiers who downed the first Iraqi missile, but they say their morale and confidence are still high,” Los Angeles Times, April 2, 2003; “Central Command: Patriot believed responsible for downing F/A–18 Hornet on April 2,” Associated Press, April 14, 2003

April 2: “Patriot System Likely Downed U.S. Navy Jet,” Washington Post, April 4, 2003; “New Questions Surround Patriot Missile System,” Defense News, April 7, 2003; “Lots of Questions, Few Answers At Hearing on Patriot Friendly–Fire Incidents,” Congressional Quarterly Daily Monitor, April 10, 2003; “U.S. Missile Killed Pilot Of Navy Fighter,” International Herald Tribune, April 15, 2003; “Patriot Missile: Friend Or Foe To Allied Troops?” USA Today, April 15, 2003; “The Patriot’s fratricide record,” UPI, April 24, 2003; “Patriot May Mistake Aircraft For Missile In Combat’s Electronic Glut,” Inside The Pentagon, April 24, 2003; “Radar Probed In Patriot Incidents,” Washington Post, May 8, 2003

April 7: “Patriot missile facing crucial combat test; Strong defensive record contrasts with role in friendly–fire mishaps,” Boston Herald, April 8, 2003

April 9: “Model of U.S. Missile Defense Now Guarding Kuwait, Kadish Says,” Bloomberg.com, April 9, 2003

April 16: “Friendly–Fire Cases Draw New Scrutiny To System,” Boston Globe, April 16, 2003

April 24: “Most Intercepts Of Iraqi Rockets Were By Older Patriot Missiles,” Inside The Pentagon, April 24, 2003

May 6: “Army Stands Behind Patriot Missile System As Critics Question Its Value,” European Stars and Stripes, May 6, 2003