Radar Didn’t Target Pilot Who Fired Missile in Iraq

A U.S. F-16 fighter pilot wrongly thought that he was being targeted by radar when he fired a missile at an Iraqi installation Saturday in the “no-fly” zone over southern Iraq, the Pentagon said Sunday.

“Further analysis . . . has not substantiated initial indications of Iraqi radar activity,” the Defense Department said in a statement. The statement said instruments aboard the F-16 caused the pilot to believe incorrectly that he had been illuminated by Iraqi radar.

The Pentagon statement did not say how the error occurred but said the pilot had conducted himself “according to the rules of engagement” when facing such a threat. Radar is used to target an aircraft for a surface-to-air missile.

The Pentagon announced the incident late Saturday, about 18 hours after the attack occurred. The F-16 returned safely to its base in Saudi Arabia, officials said. The Pentagon did not say what damage was done by the plane’s missile.