The Patriot missile system
A) was designed to shoot down airplanes.
B) failed to shoot down a Scud missile that killed 28 U.S. soldiers in the Gulf War.
C) failed because it had been left running too long.
D) failed because of a computer error.
E) All of the above

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Patriot missile system was indeed designed to shoot down airplanes and also adapted for intercepting ballistic missiles. It failed to shoot down a Scud missile during the Gulf War, resulting in the death of 28 U.S. soldiers. This failure was attributed to a computer error related to the system's internal clock, which had been left running too long, causing inaccuracies in tracking the incoming missile.

The Patriot Missile System