Fighter Combat - Tactics and Maneuvering

TACTICAL INTERCEPTS 355
the interceptors have forward-hemisphere weapons capability. Attacking
the lead bogey element first, with a FQ intercept or head-on, may allow
sequential attacks on trailing elements. Especially if the bogeys are bombers,
it may not be wise to allow the lead element through unscathed.
When the interceptors are equipped only with rear-hemisphere
weapons against trailing fighters and the trail element can be identified
with some certainty, a stern conversion might be employed against this
element. One situation which may develop, particularly against radarequipped
bogeys or those under close GCI control, is illustrated by Figure
10-5.
At time "1" in this example the fighter pilots have their desired offset
from the bogeys' flight path and plan a stern conversion on the trail bogey.
At time "2" the fighters have reached conversion range against the trailer,
and the pilots are beginning their turns. Unfortunately, contact with the
lead bogey has been lost because of the fighters' radar antenna gimbal
limitations. Being closer, this lead bogey has already begun its own stern
conversion against the fighters. At time "3," just when the fighter pilots
are feeling confident of a kill, the lead bogey is slipping into firing position
and the fighters are sandwiched. This situation can be particularly dangerous
against a more maneuverable bogey, which can profit more from the
available displacement than can the fighters.
Because of this danger, a single-side offset to a stern conversion is not
recommended against fighters in trail. The alternatives are sequential FQ
attacks with all-aspect missiles, guns, or rockets on each bogey in turn, or
use of a more suitable intercept tactic (one of the tactics that follow).
Even with these limitations the single-side offset offers some advantages.
Positively placing the bogeys on one side of the formation isolates
the threat sector and reduces the chances of being bracketed by the enemy,
as well as allowing the fighter pilots to choose the direction of their
approach for environmental reasons. This tactic also provides reasonably
good mutual support, since the fighters can remain fairly close together
and are not required to venture far from a good defensive-spread formation.
In general, however, the single-side offset is a rather defensive tactic, since
it offers the fighters few significant advantages that are not also given to
the enemy.
Trail
Description
A trail intercept is any intercept in which the fighters are arranged in a trail
formation at the merge. Figure 10-6 depicts an example in which the two
sections are approaching with some offset at time "1." The fighter leader
turns immediately to collision heading for a FQ intercept. Meanwhile, the
wingman repositions behind the leader in trail. The trailing distance is
normally as great as visual conditions allow; the wingman must keep sight
of his lead, and he cannot be so far behind that he cannot offer some
support to the leader in case a bogey attacks the lead fighter from behind
(i.e., trailer nose-tail distance should not greatly exceed weapons max-