Fighter Combat - Tactics and Maneuvering

FIGHTER WEAPONS
This maneuver spoils the attacker's aim until the defender can dive and
accelerate out of range using full power.
The guns defense tactics described here are designed first to defeat the
gun itself (extension maneuver to deny max-range), then to defeat the gun
platform (break turn to deny a tracking position), and, finally, to defeat or
complicate the tasks of the gunsight and the attacking pilot (out-of-plane
barrel rolls and jinks). The objectives are first, to deny any shot, second, to
deny a good shot opportunity, and third, to make even a poor shot as
difficult as possible. As long as the defender has awareness, speed, and
altitude for maneuvering, he can make the task of an attacking gunfighter
almost impossible. These are by no means the only guns defense tactics,
but they have proven extremely effective.
Guided Missiles
When discussing missiles in relation to air combat this section refers to the
guided variety that change their flight paths in response to target maneuvers.
Unguided rockets may be thought of as big bullets, and essentially the
same tactics and techniques may be applied to these weapons as to guns.
Guided missiles are broadly categorized according to their mission, which
is generally stated in terms of their launching platform and intended
target: air-to-air, air-to-surface, surface-to-surface, and surf ace-to-air. This
section deals primarily with air-to-air missiles (AAMs), but much of the
discussion is also relevant to other types, particularly surface-to-air missiles
(SAMs).
Figure 1-6 is a depiction of a generic guided missile indicating the
subsystems commonly associated with these weapons. Depending on the
design, some of the functions of these subsystems may be assisted or even
replaced by equipment located with the launching platform. The functions
of all these subsystems, however, must be performed in some manner for
success of the entire system-
Figure 1-6. Typical Guided Missile
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