US military officials backtrack: 'Sophisticated weaponry' did bring down helicopter in Iraq

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.khaleejtimes.ae/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/focusoniraq/2007/February/focusoniraq_February115.xml§ion=focusoniraq&col=

BAGHDAD - A transport helicopter that crashed in Iraq last week, killing all seven on board, was brought down by a “sophisticated piece of weaponry”, the US military said on Wednesday.

The Ch-46 Sea Knight, the Marine version of the twin-rotor Chinook, crashed near Baghdad on Feb. 7, the seventh helicopter to be shot down in Iraq since Jan. 20. The military initially said mechanical failure was probably to blame.

The high number of US helicopters lost in less than a month has raised questions about whether insurgents in Iraq are using new tactics, such as studying aircraft flight patterns, or have acquired sophisticated weaponry.

Five of the downed helicopters were US military aircraft and two belonged to a private American security company.

US military officials have previously said they did not believe advanced missile systems were used in any of the attacks, which killed 28 personnel, and have referred only to machinegun fire bringing down the helicopters.

[MadMaddie]

1. Guess they won't get retired in the next couple of months...

* is Hitler and our Generals are Rommel..

[kirby]

2. Ambiguous...

Isn't anything beyond a bullet 'sophisticated'? To me, and RPG or a MANPAD is 'sophisticated'.