Fighter Combat - Tactics and Maneuvering

124 ONE-VERSUS-ONE MANEUVERING, SIMILAR AIRCRAFT
climb can be employed to reduce speed and increase turn performance. It is
essential that the angles fighter arrive at time "2" with at least neutral
angles.
The choice of maneuver planes from time "2" to time "3" is largely
dependent on the fighter's speed at time "2." Any excess speed should have
been eliminated by this point, but sometimes hard bogey maneuvering
results in the angles fighter arriving at time "2" with less than the desired
airspeed. This deficit may be partially offset by a nose-low oblique turn,
but a couple of cautions should be recognized. Any altitude differential
generated by such a maneuver results in greater turn requirement for
placing the nose on the target, delays the shot, and reduces aircraft separation.
Another factor is the difficulty in maintaining the plane of maneuver.
Just as the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, the
shortest turn between times "2" and "3" is a constant-plane maneuver.
When his aircraft is turning out of the target's maneuver plane, it is
difficult for the pilot to predict the final plane of the attack at time "3," and
therefore that maneuver plane cannot be established reliably at time "2."
Any miscalculation results in greater required turn and reduced separation
at the shot. Because of these complications it is usually best to keep the lift
vector on the bogey throughout the maneuver from time "I" to time "3,"
regardless of the target's maneuver selection. At time "2" a small differential
may be established in maneuver planes to compensate for lower than
desired speed or to provide a bit of look-up for the shot.
The procedure just described typically provides aircraft separations of
about two fighter turn radii. The actual separation at the shot is largely
dependent on the level of bogey maneuver, however. If the opponent turns
at his maximum capability throughout the engagement, and the angles
fighter matches this performance as prescribed, separation will be minimal
or nonexistent. Off-boresight capability is valuable for increasing
launch separation in this maneuver, since the missile may be fired before
the angles fighter completes the turn.
If the missile misses at time "3," the angles fighter could be at a
considerable energy disadvantage, depending on the target's defensive
maneuver. If the pilot of the angles fighter does not have an offensive
position following such a missed shot, he should pass the bogey with
minimum flight-path separation and then should commence a nose-to-tail
extension maneuver to gain separation for escape. Returning to re-engage a
bogey with all-aspect missile capability is not recommended.
Another viable angles tactic for all-aspect missiles involves the nose-tonose
technique described for other weapons scenarios, whereby the angles
tactician attempts to gain a small angular advantage with each pass. Along
with the angular gain on each turn, aircraft separation at the instant the
target is boresighted also tends to increase during the nose-to-nose turn
series. Once about 90° angular advantage has been achieved, aircraft
separation at boresighting should be equivalent to about one fighter turn
radius. This method is generally inferior to the nose-to-tail tactic, since it
takes longer and usually generates less separation for the shot. It does,