Fighter Combat - Tactics and Maneuvering

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ONE-VERSUS-ONE MANEUVERING, DISSIMILAR AIRCRAFT 193 reduced frag pattern of the cluster weapon. Although this "shotgun" weapon makes a direct hit more likely, a direct hit would probably be required to destroy the target, and it would still be quite difficult to achieve against an evasive helo. The cluster bomb would be better than general purpose bombs against a helo at high altitude, but other air-to-air weapons would probably be more appropriate in that case. AAMs may also be viable weapons against the helo. The radar-guided weapons, however, have serious problems, as noted earlier, and probably would be rather ineffective, especially against a low-altitude target. A Doppler-guided missile might have a chance if it was employed in a low-level, head-on attack, so that the helo's closing speed would aid the missile in distinguishing the target from ground clutter. Side-lobe clutter, as described in Chapter 1, is the problem with RQ attacks with this weapon, and it may necessitate a higher-altitude, shoot-down launch. Heat seekers are much better suited to this scenario, but they still are not without problems. Helicopters often have exhaust shields that reduce their IR signatures, and hot exhaust gases may be dispersed by the rotor wash. In a look-down environment, especially over hot desert terrain, RQ-only heat seekers may be more effective than their all-aspect counterparts because they are less sensitive to background IR radiation. RQ heatseeking missiles should be fired whenever the target heat source can be detected, regardless of aspect. Even "RQ" AAMs may have all-aspect capabilities against slow aircraft that are unable to generate high speed or a high load factor. If all else fails, a high-speed pass very low over the top of the helo is very likely to disrupt airflow through the rotor blades sufficiently to cause a loss of control, and can drive a low-altitude helo into the ground. Probably the best tactic to employ against a helicopter is to sneak up on it and attack with bombs, guns, unguided rockets, or IR missiles. If detected by the target, about the best the pilot of a fixed-wing fighter can hope for is a head-on pass. Turning with a helo is fruitless and can be downright dangerous. If the first attack is not successful and multiple runs are necessary, a variation of extension tactics can be used. On each pass the fighter pilot should turn hard toward the helo to reduce lateral separation to a minimum, then extend at low altitude and high speed, turning in the nose-to-tail direction only as necessary to keep sight of the helo behind. If the helo is missile equipped it is important both to stay low to avoid giving the bogey any look-up and to cease use of afterburners before the bogey can complete its turn and fire. The combination of high fighter speed, low altitude, and the slow speed of the helo all work to reduce the helo missile's max-range to probably half that advertised for fighter engagements at higher altitudes. Against non-missile-equipped helos, a gradual climb may be more comfortable during the extension. The extension should be continued until the fighter is well outside the helo's missile range, and until the fighter can make a reversal to meet the helo again head-on and still have sufficient separation for gun, missile, or bomb-sight tracking. A power reduction and a nose-high oblique reversal may allow the fighter pilot to tighten his turn and get the nose around
194 ONE-VERSUS-ONE MANEUVERING, DISSIMILAR AIRCRAFT quicker. The length of the extension may be reduced by the requirement to keep sight of the helo, and tracking times may be short as a result. If two fighters are available, one can orbit around the fight high, keeping track of the helo and directing the engaged fighter pilot in case he loses sight of the bogey. Or both fighters can engage the helo simultaneously from different directions. Caution is required, however, when the fighters are dropping bombs, as the frag pattern from one bomb must be given time to dissipate before the second fighter enters the area. In general, except for the comments on rotor-blade effects, the tactics and considerations outlined here are relevant to most low-altitude engagements between fighters with very great disparity in performance. Notes 1. John T. Godfrey, The Look of Eagles, pp. 98-99. 2. Randy Cunningham, Fox Two, pp. 104, 106-8. 3. Manfred F. von Richthofen, The Red Air Fighter, pp. 84-85. 4. Robert S. Johnson, Thunderbolt! pp. 148-49.
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Fighter Combat TACTICS AND MANEUVER
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Preface ix Acknowledgments xv Abbre
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CONTENTS Vll Single-Side Offset 353
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X PREFACE tactics varied greatly, a
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Xll PREFACE current void of informa
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Acknowledgments Much of the credit
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Abbreviations AAA anti-aircraft art
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Fighter Combat TACTICS AND MANEUVER
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2 FIGHTER WEAPONS although fixed to
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4 FIGHTER WEAPONS some firing range
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Table 1-1. American Aircraft Guns T
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8 FIGHTER WEAPONS angle is also dep
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10 FIGHTER WEAPONS the ballistics o
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12 HGHTER WEAPONS often bars of lig
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14 FIGHTER WEAPONS This system has
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16 FIGHTER WEAPONS required firing
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18 FIGHTER WEAPONS With a disturbed
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20 FIGHTER WEAPONS We were both fly
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22 FIGHTER WEAPONS The predictor LC
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24 FIGHTER WEAPONS The next best th
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26 FIGHTER WEAPONS tracking G, shor
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28 FIGHTER WEAPONS defender's inten
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30 FIGHTER WEAPONS and acrobatic ma
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32 FIGHTER WEAPONS Missile Propulsi
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34 FIGHTER WEAPONS Missile Guidance
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36 FIGHTER WEAPONS straight path. T
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38 FIGHTER WEAPONS target to correc
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40 FIGHTER WEAPONS sensor systems,
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42 FIGHTER WEAPONS Since CW radars
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44 FIGHTER WEAPONS Missile Fuzes Th
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46 FIGHTER WEAPONS prised of many i
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48 FIGHTER WEAPONS The maneuvering
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50 FIGHTER WEAPONS racy being about
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52 FIGHTER WEAPONS then slowing the
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54 FIGHTER WEAPONS Shooter and targ
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56 FIGHTER WEAPONS will exhibit lar
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58 FIGHTER WEAPONS (RWR), that an e
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60 FIGHTER WEAPONS barrel-rolling a
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2 Basic Fighter Maneuvers I fly clo
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64 BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS the comb
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66 BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS himself
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68 BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS speed ad
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70 BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS pursuit
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72 BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS Figure 2
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74 Figure 2-7. Low Yo-Yo BASIC FIGH
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76 BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS The pote
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80 BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS In case
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82 BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS capitali
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84 BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS one (the
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86 BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS his exte
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90 BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS the boge
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92 BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS subseque
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94 Figure 2-22. Defensive Spiral BA
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96 BASIC FIGHTER MANEUVERS usually
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3 One-versus-One Maneuvering, Simil
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100 ONE-VERSUS-ONE MANEUVERING, SIM
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140 ONE-VERSUS-ONE MANEUVERING, DIS
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Page 215 and 216: 196 SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-ONE
Page 225 and 226: 206 SECTION TACTICS. TWOVERSUS-ONE
Page 229 and 230: 210 SECTION TACTICS, TWO-VERSUS-ONE
Page 245 and 246: 226 SECTION TACTICS/ TWOVERSUS-ONE
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Page 257 and 258: 238 SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-TWO
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244 SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-TWO
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256 SECTION TACTICS, TWC-VERSUS-TWO
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7 Division Tactics The essence of l
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268 DIVISION TACTICS design began t
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270 DIVISION TACTICS so called beca
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272 DIVISION TACTICS "4." At time "
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274 DIVISION TACTICS Figure 7-8. Se
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276 DIVISION TACTICS Lieutenant Eug
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278 DIVISION TACTICS away, the free
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280 DIVISION TACTICS cloud) is now
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282 DIVISION TACTICS Figure 7-13. G
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284 DIVISION TACTICS defensive look
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286 DIVISION TACTICS In a dog-fight
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288 DIVISION TACTICS Americans empl
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8 Unlimited-Aircraft Tactics Of cou
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292 UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS seve
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294 UN LIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS the
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296 UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS beca
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298 UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS I de
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300 UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS post
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302 UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS many
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304 UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS poss
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306 UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS posi
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308 UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS may
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310 UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS inte
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312 UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS A go
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314 UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS doct
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Fighter Missions To use a fighter a
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318 FIGHTER MISSIONS Scenarios Sinc
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320 FIGHTER MISSIONS altitude, deta
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322 FIGHTER MISSIONS agency and the
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324 FIGHTER MISSIONS As previously
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326 FIGHTER MISSIONS cruise missile
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328 FIGHTER MISSIONS pattern gives
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330 FIGHTER MISSIONS have to coordi
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332 FIGHTER MISSIONS can be turned
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334 FIGHTER MISSIONS the enemy. Suc
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336 FIGHTER MISSIONS aircraft, and
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338 FIGHTER MISSIONS point for a di
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340 FIGHTER MISSIONS become major t
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342 Figure 9-3. Fighter-Escort Miss
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344 FIGHTER MISSIONS Figure 9-6. Fi
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10 Tactical Intercepts Confront the
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348 TACTICAL INTERCEPTS Figure 10-1
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350 TACTICAL INTERCEPTS desired alt
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352 TACTICAL INTERCEPTS If the turn
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356 TACTICAL INTERCEPTS range). If
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358 TACTICAL INTERCEPTS ment, and t
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360 TACTICAL INTERCEPTS Advantages
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364 TACTICAL INTERCEPTS leader thro
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366 TACTICAL INTERCEPTS immediate l
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368 TACTICAL INTERCEPTS awareness),
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370 TACTICAL INTERCEPTS and positio
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372 TACTICAL INTERCEPTS low, traili
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376 TACTICAL INTERCEPTS also have t
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378 TACTICAL INTERCEPTS Visual Scan
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380 TACTICAL INTERCEPTS Likely thre
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382 TACTICAL INTERCEPTS be best for
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384 TACTICAL INTERCEPTS target on t
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Appendix Fighter Performance Perfor
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APPENDIX Figure A-l. V-n Diagram di
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APPENDIX 391 Figure A-2. Aircraft T
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APPENDIX 393 Figure A-4. Instantane
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APPENDIX 395 neuverability may be d
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APPENDIX 397 Figure A-7. Engine Thr
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APPENDIX 399 tends to reduce pressu
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APPENDIX 401 Figure A-11. Typical H
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APPENDIX 403 cause the Ps = 0 line
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APPENDIX 405 In theory the energy t
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APPENDIX 407 aircraft surfaces. In
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APPENDIX 409 Outside the zero-Ps li
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APPENDIX 411 factor," which is the
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APPENDIX 413 this condition occurs,
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APPENDIX 415 speed control. Many of
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APPENDIX 417 short or swept wings a
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420 BIBLIOGRAPHY Johnson, Robert S.
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422 INDEX Canard controls, 32, 398
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424 High yo-yo. See Yo-yo, high H-M
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426 INDEX Pursuit: curves and traje
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428 INDEX Turns (continued] 191, 20
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Fighter Combat - Tactics and Maneuvering

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