NATO said on Sunday it had lost two U.S. warplanes taking part in
its Kosovo operations — an F-16 that went down over Serbia and a Harrier jump-jet
that crashed into the sea as it returned to its carrier. NATO spokesman Jamie Shea said
the F-16 had crashed in Serbia 18 km (11 miles) east of the town of Kozluk on the border
with Bosnia in the early hours of Sunday.
Serbian media said the F-16 was shot down but the Pentagon in Washington said the cause
was not immediately known and that an investigation would begin shortly.
Shea also disclosed that a U.S. AV8B Harrier crashed on Saturday in the Adriatic while
attempting to return to a U.S. aircraft carrier during a training exercise. The U.S. Sixth
Fleet said the Harrier lost power and crashed into the sea about 25 miles (15 km) east of
Brindisi, Italy. Hostile fire did not play a part in the incident. The pilot was rescued
and is in good condition. Since it began its air campaign against Yugoslavia on March 24,
NATO has also lost an F-117 stealth fighter which crashed in Serbia on March 27 and an
Apache helicopter which went down during training in Albania last month. Four pilotless
reconnaissance "drones" have also been lost. |
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