Fighter Combat

ONE-VERSUS-ONE MANEUVERING, SIMILAR AIRCRAFT 113very slow when the pilot commences using energy tactics, it may benecessary to dive the aircraft in the turn to pick up minimum verticalmaneuveringspeed before starting the zoom. Care must be taken not todelay the transition to energy tactics so long (i.e., until the fight is too lowand slow) that insufficient height is available for such a maneuver.When reaching a stalemate, win with a technique the enemy does not expect.Miyamoto MusashiThe converse case, when the opponent refuses to take the angularadvantage offered by the energy fighter, may also arise. This situationshould become apparent before completion of the first nose-to-tail turn,and it invites the energy tactician to begin angles tactics, normally bystarting a low yo-yo from across the circle.Recognizing the need for, and making, tactical transitions such as theseare signs of great experience in a fighter pilot. Usually, once implementinga tactical plan a less-experienced pilot will continue it to its conclusion.Rear-Quarter Missiles OnlyRear-quarter (RQ) AAMs, as discussed in the weapons chapter, are mostoften heat seekers. As with other missiles, they can be expected to haveminimum- and maximum-range limits and aiming requirements in additionto their AOT boundaries. Although this firing envelope (min-range,max-range, and AOT) varies greatly with fighter and target speeds, altitudes,maneuvers, and other factors, for simplicity in this section it will beassumed to be fixed and to have constant min- and max-range limits andAOT boundaries of plus or minus 45°. Even though this envelope is usuallymuch larger than that required for a gun snapshot, it is not necessarilyeasier to satisfy. This is partly because of the relationship between anattacking fighter's nose position (aiming) and its resulting maneuver (position).In order to reach a certain position in space (e.g., the firing envelope)conventional fighters must attain strictly defined nose positions; but thenose position required for the fighter to reach the firing envelope may notsatisfy the missile's aiming requirements. The aiming requirements forthis section of the discussion are boresight, i.e., the fighter's nose must bepointed directly at the target (AON equals zero).With guns, maximum range is one of the most severe limitations, but itcan often be satisfied by use of lead-pursuit techniques. Fortunately forthis weapons system, lead pursuit is compatible with the lead-aimingrequirement. In addition, the other envelope constraints, min-range andAOT, are sufficiently nonrestrictive for the snapshot so that they too maybe satisfied simultaneously.For RQ missiles, min-range and AOT are usually the toughest envelopeconstraints to meet. Unfortunately, pure pursuit, which is compatiblewith the assumed aiming requirements, results in decreasing range andincreasing AOT against a maneuvering target. This is exactly opposite tothe desired effect. Lag pursuit, which tends to increase range and decreaseAOT, is much more compatible with RQ missile requirements; however,once a firing position is attained, this technique usually leaves the fighter