Random error and burst correction by iterated codes

We give a decoding algorithm for iterated codes that can correct up to the number of errors guaranteed by the product minimum distance, rather than about half that number when the iterated codes are decoded independently. This result is achieved by adapting Forney's generalized minimum distance decoding for use with iterated codes. We derive results on the simultaneous burst- and random-error-correction capability of iterated codes that improve considerably on known results.