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PaperclipPerfector  1d ago (text post)   659 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for December 22, 2024

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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Couldn't some automatic system erroneously detected it as a drone?

Probably, but there should be safeguards- an IFF system to start with, and probably also a human that needs to sign off on weapons free. And IANA navy sailor, but that human is almost certainly an officer who should know better.

TDLR, someone screwed up big.

The USS Vincennes shot down a scheduled passenger flight back in 1988.

Huge screw ups happen.

The passenger flight wasn't data linked to the fire control of the Vincennes, whereas in theory fighters are always talking to every US ship with CEC capabilities, which are the ones launching missiles.

Edit: in this case I'm guessing it was an independent low altitude point defense system that shoots first and doesn't waste time asking questions. And someone forgot to flip the switch from "kill everyone" to "don't kill everyone" when they launched planes.

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