Fighter Combat - Tactics and Maneuvering

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SECTION TACTICS, TWO-VERSUS-TWO 265 countering and attacking each bogey in turn until one succumbs to an unseen attack. Defensive mutual support is generally by presence only, unless one fighter becomes defensive, at which time the wingman attempts to relieve the threat as quickly as possible. This method is potentially superior to double attack offensively, since both fighters are allowed to assume the offense at the same time. In addition, since it does not rely totally on the ability to outmaneuver the enemy aircraft, loose deuce can be successfully employed against superior enemy fighters and weapons. The relative defensive merits of loose deuce and double attack are more open to question. The fact that the double attack free-fighter pilot is tasked only with defensive responsibility seems to argue for the superiority of this doctrine over the less structured mutual support "by presence" available during loose deuce maneuvering. The double attack free fighter, however, can effectively counter only one free bogey at a time, and even this ability is questionable when the friendlies are opposing superior fighters or allaspect missiles. Once the free fighter is neutralized, double attack offers essentially no mutual support at all. Loose deuce, on the other hand, because of its greater offensive efficiency, provides quicker kills and therefore subjects the section to less chance of interference by additional bogeys in a hostile environment. There is also less tendency for loose deuce fighters to become separated one-versus-one. These advantages, however, do not come cheaply. Loose deuce imposes an increased task loading on the aircrew which must be overcome by extensive training and the maintenance of high proficiency. Although pilot proficiency is of vital importance to any tactical doctrine, loose deuce is generally more sensitive to an incremental improvement in pilot performance than to a similar gain in aircraft performance. In addition, fighter design features such as aircraft size and pilot field of view may have greater impact than thrust-to-weight ratio or wing loading. In conclusion, loose deuce appears to be the superior tactical doctrine in the two-versus-two scenario, provided aircrew proficiency is high. A notable exception to this generalization might be found when the friendly fighters have a significant performance or weapons advantage in a sterile environment against an enemy that is not equipped with all-aspect missiles. Caution, however, is necessary, because loose deuce is a relatively new tactical doctrine and has not been subjected to the test of time under actual combat conditions. Until they have been proven in many theaters of action under widely varying combat scenarios (and probably long afterward), the merits of this doctrine will remain hotly disputed.
7 Division Tactics The essence of leadership . . . was, and is, that every leader from flight commander to group commander should know and fly his airplanes. Air Vice-Marshal J. E. "Johnnie" Johnson, RAF Background During World War I it was recognized that the operation of two fighters together offered improved survivability and increased firepower. If two fighters are good, then why shouldn't three, four, or more be even better? Inevitably this philosophy was tested as the war ground on, and it met with some success. Greater numbers of aircraft, properly arranged, theoretically offered increased defensive lookout. More firepower could be brought to bear on the enemy in an initial attack, and the chances of being engaged by superior numbers of the enemy were diminished. We were too busy fighting to worry about the business of clever tactics. Harold Balfour, RAF WW-I Fighter Pilot (Later British Under-Secretary of State for Air) Increasing the size of fighter formations also has disadvantages, however. The larger the formation, the easier it is to see, and the more difficult is the formation's task of achieving a surprise attack. Large formations are also less maneuverable. Turning can become an exercise in avoiding a midair collision, a situation that greatly decreases defensive lookout. The formation leader must carefully plan and execute each maneuver at considerably less than maximum-performance capability, allowing the other formation members to maintain position. Stragglers are very vulnerable, and their numbers must be minimized. Communications between and control of large numbers of aircraft can also be difficult. Hand signals may be given and relayed from fighter to fighter if aircraft spacing is close, such as in the "wild-goose Vs" of many fighters which were popular with both
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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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1 70 ONE-VERSUS-ONE MANEUVERING, DI
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196 SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-ONE
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206 SECTION TACTICS. TWOVERSUS-ONE
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210 SECTION TACTICS, TWO-VERSUS-ONE
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212 SECTION TACTICS, TWO-VERSUS-ONE
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Page 235 and 236: 216 SECTION TACTICS, TWO-VERSUS-ONE
Page 245 and 246: 226 SECTION TACTICS/ TWOVERSUS-ONE
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Page 287 and 288: 268 DIVISION TACTICS design began t
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Page 295 and 296: 276 DIVISION TACTICS Lieutenant Eug
Page 297 and 298: 278 DIVISION TACTICS away, the free
Page 299 and 300: 280 DIVISION TACTICS cloud) is now
Page 301 and 302: 282 DIVISION TACTICS Figure 7-13. G
Page 303 and 304: 284 DIVISION TACTICS defensive look
Page 305 and 306: 286 DIVISION TACTICS In a dog-fight
Page 307 and 308: 288 DIVISION TACTICS Americans empl
Page 309 and 310: 8 Unlimited-Aircraft Tactics Of cou
Page 311 and 312: 292 UNLIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS seve
Page 313 and 314: 294 UN LIMITED-AIRCRAFT TACTICS the
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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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