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Air Combat Basics 115
AIR COMBAT BASICS
Strategy and Tactics Overview
Modern technology has completely revolutionized the battlefield in less than a
century. Aircraft, in particular, have advanced from little more than motor-powered
kites to modern combat jets in just a few decades. Defense contractors and
military officials often cite the strengths of their vehicles, but rarely mention the
major shortcomings in public. Consequently, many people develop an opinion that
aircraft (and other battlefield platforms) are more capable than they really are.
The primary reason flight-simulator pilots get shot down is inappropriate usage of
their platform. Keep in mind that surface-to-air defenses and enemy aircraft have
made the same technological leaps. True, today’s aircraft are significantly more
powerful and resilient than their WWII counterparts; at the same time, enemy
gunfire is much more accurate, powerful, and able to fire at longer ranges. In
short, the battlefield is a more dangerous place than ever before.
Understanding Enemy Air Defenses
Enemy air defenses, including surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft artillery, are
an integral part of the modern battlefield. Interlinked defense nets let defense
sites across the battlefield communicate and share information. Pilots must
possess a thorough knowledge of (and a strong respect for) such systems, or
they’ll find themselves riding a parachute with alarming frequency.
AAA
In general, Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA) is effective against low-flying targets and
mainly serves for covering troops from enemy aircraft. Many armies have multibarreled
mobile AAA systems fitted with radar and a fire-control system that
provide effective operation in any meteorological conditions. In contrast to ground
forces, ship-borne artillery usually has a multipurpose character, and fighting
against airborne targets is just one of their several functions.
An AAA shell consists of a warhead, an impact fuse that detonates at the
moment of contact with the target, and a “time fuse,” which detonates after a
particular flight time. The target is generally destroyed by the fragments
produced by the warhead on detonation.
Land-based systems, like the ZSU-23-4 Shilka (pronounced ‘shil-ka’) employ mutlibarreled
cannons, off-road mobility, and high rate of fire. Usually equipped with its
own radar, self-propelled AAA usually has some backup aiming method, such as
an IR or optical seeker.
To destroy low-flying airborne targets, combat ships use multipurpose guns that
can also be used against enemy ships and coastal defense. For the most part,
shipborne artillery is classed as 100 to 130mm guns (heavy caliber), 57 to 76mm
guns (medium caliber), and 20 to 40mm guns (small caliber). All guns have a high
degree of automation of aiming, loading, and firing. Automatic small-caliber (20-
40mm) anti-aircraft guns are mainly effective against low-flying aircraft and cruise
missiles. Since SAMs normally have a substantial minimum range (within which
airborne targets cannot be hit) ship-borne AAA is used as a short-ranged, point -
defense weapon. Firing around 1,000 rpm per barrel, such weapons create a