Fighter Combat - Tactics and Maneuvering

SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-TWO 263
induced into turning back to the east (the direction of his threat sector), the
possibility that the eastern fighter will be presented with an easy RQ kill is
greatly reduced. Also, depending on the bogey's turn performance and
weapons range, the pilot of the northern fighter (at time "3") may be forced
to turn back south to defend against a missile launch by the western bogey.
Such a defensive move may cause the northern fighter to turn in front of
the eastern bogey and into a dangerous sandwich. This technique is therefore
generally undesirable against bogeys that are more maneuverable and
have long-range missiles. In this case, particularly against lower-energy
bogeys, a vertical pull-up may be preferable at time "2," followed by a
pitch-back toward the near bogey, a close pass (on the proper side this
time), and another turn toward the threat sector. When the bogeys are
equipped with all-aspect missiles, or when they have equal or better energy
performance, however, vertical maneuvering can be quite dangerous and
normally should be avoided.
In general, nose-to-nose maneuvering tends to keep aircraft closer
together during an engagement, which is usually beneficial to the larger
fighters. In addition, tight fights may limit the use of an enemy's all-aspect
missiles because of minimum-range constraints. This is of particular value
when only the enemy is so equipped.
Summary
The two-versus-two scenario can be very complex, and the outcomes of
engagements often hinge more on such factors as section coordination,
aircraft size, and number of crew members than on the more widely
accepted measures of fighter performance. Aircraft performance and
weapons-system performance remain as important players, but the impact
Figure 6-12. Nose-to-Nose Turns during Loose Deuce Maneuvering