Fighter Combat - Tactics and Maneuvering

FIGHTER WEAPONS 5 1
Besides the guidance problems already discussed, very low altitude
employment of AAMs offers other difficulties. Most guidance and control
systems cause the missile to oscillate some distance around the intended
trajectory. At very low altitudes one of these corrections may result in
ground impact. Fuzing can also be a concern, especially with active fuzes,
since the surface may be mistaken for the target by the fuze, causing
premature detonation. Ground clutter may have the same effect with
Doppler-rate fuzes.
Extremely high altitudes also can cause problems for missiles, as the
thin air reduces the maneuvering capability of aerodynamic controls and
results in sloppy guidance.
The advent of AAMs having capability against targets with forward
aspect, particularly semi-active AAMs, has increased the importance of a
performance parameter known as "relative range." A missile fired at its
maximum relative range results in target impact at the greatest distance
from the launching aircraft. The shooter-to-target range at impact is often
called "F-pole" or stand-off distance. When two missile-equipped fighters
approach nearly head-on, the one with the greater F-pole generally has the
advantage, since its missile would arrive on target first. In the case of
semi-active missiles, which require target illumination by the launching
aircraft, this also terminates any threat from the enemy's missile still in
flight. Maximum stand-off distance occurs when the missile decelerates to
the speed of the launching aircraft. After this point the shooter would
begin to close on his own missile, decreasing the range at target impact.
Maximum relative range is generally somewhat less than the ultimate
aerodynamic range, but a missile launched at this point will arrive on
target first. So, depending on average missile speed, the aircraft firing first
is not necessarily the winner of such a game of "chicken." However, a
missile in the air has an uncanny ability to attract the attention of the pilot
in the target aircraft, often causing him to forget all about launching his
own weapon. Because of this psychological factor missiles are sometimes
"fired for effect" even when the shooter knows there is little chance for
success. The target's defensive reaction may place the shooter in a much
more favorable position. In some cases it may be advantageous to fire one
missile at maximum aerodynamic range, or even beyond, for effect, and
follow it with another at maximum relative range. This is often possible
with radar missiles, but a second heat seeker may conceivably guide on the
tailpipe of the first one, limiting the usefulness of this tactic with heatseeking
missiles. Missiles of two different types are often fired together,
since target defensive countermeasures employed against one may be
ineffective against the other.
Increased stand-off distance is also valuable in that it may allow assessment
of the results of the first missile and, if necessary, permit the firing of
another before minimum range is reached. Under almost any imaginable
circumstances, missiles with launch-and-leave capability are preferable to
semi-active types with about equal range, since the former do not restrict
the shooter's maneuver capability after launch.
Maximum F-pole normally can be increased by firing the missile at
higher aircraft speed (which in turn increases the missile's velocity), and