Fighter Combat - Tactics and Maneuvering

SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-TWO 251
gage from slower bogeys in the rear hemisphere but must go either around
or through the bogeys to get home. This situation is illustrated in Figure
6-4. In this scenario the section is line abreast and headed away from home,
and it suspects a slower bogey is somewhere behind it out of range. Perhaps
the bogey has all-aspect weapons and superior maneuverability, and the
section would like to avoid tangling with it on the way back to the barn.
One possibility is a 90° tac turn right or left, followed by a long extension.
The bogey is likely to counter by trying to cut the section off using lead
pursuit (time "2"). Eventually, however, the slower bogey must drift back
into a long trail once more (time "3"). At some point the section then
performs a second tac ninety in the same direction and streaks for home
(time "4"). The bogey attempts to close by again using lead pursuit, but it
still can't get close enough for a shot.
Although it is effective, this technique may not be practical in all cases.
The straight-line extension between turns must be lengthy or the bogey
may still manage an intercept. Constraints on the section's combat fuel
endurance or area restrictions (e.g., there may be hostile SAM sites on
either side of the engagement area) may force the section into a tighter
reversal, requiring it to fight its way back to the bar.
One further reversal method is worth mentioning for its usefulness in
select situations. This is the section vertical pitch-back, where both
fighters perform simultaneous half Cuban-Ss (i.e., a vertical pull-up to the
top of a loop, then a roll to an upright attitude and a dive back down to near
the original altitude). When a lower-energy bogey that is not equipped with
all-aspect missiles is behind the section, this method allows the section to
remain line abreast throughout the reversal and either meet the bogey
head-on with minimum flight-path separation or pass overhead at an
unreachable altitude. Against a guns-only bogey a section Immelmann
might be better. The Immelmann (described in Chapter 4) is a vertical
pull-up to the top of a loop, followed by a roll to the upright attitude and
acceleration while remaining roughly level. This method keeps the sec-
Figure 6-4. Tac-Turn Disengagement