Fighter Combat

FIGHTER WEAPONS 61varies with range. An out-of-plane maneuver performed too early will havelittle effect, while one begun late just may be too late. When in doubt,however, a slightly early response is usually preferable.Waiting for a proper moment to begin my evasion tactic was agonizing. Panicrose up in my throat, urging loss of reason. At the last moment I pulled upwith eight Gs after breaking down and starboard. The missile couldn't takethe turn, going off a thousand feet below.Commander Randy "Duke" Cunningham, USNOne example of the value of visual sighting and timing is a forwardquartermissile shot at relatively close range. Generally the rule is to turnaway from such threats, but if the defender determines that intercept willoccur before he can generate a beam aspect and commence an out-of-planemaneuver, another tactic may be preferable. A break turn toward thethreat, actually pulling it across the target's nose, will require a large leadcorrection on the part of the missile. Depending on the missile's maneuvercapabilities, such a correction may not be possible in the short timeavailable because of high forward-quarter closure. If this tactic is used andthe defender sees the missile correcting, presumably within sufficienttime, a rapid reversal should be made back toward the missile, pulling itback across the nose from the other direction. If started soon after themissile begins its first correction, this reversal will often produce a wideovershoot in the direction of the initial break turn, since missile guidancecorrections will lag target maneuvers and produce out-of-phase missileresponses. A variation on this tactic is a rolling-turn maneuver that causesthe target's nose to inscribe a circle around the missile (i.e., a barrel roll).Again, this move causes the missile to make continuous large lead corrections.This variation is usually most effective when the missile is 30° to 60°off the target's nose. Both tactics can be expected to produce best resultsagainst larger, less maneuverable missiles and at higher altitudes, wheremissile-control reaction time is usually increased.Missile defense often requires instant analysis and rapid reactions. Thetactics to be employed in any conceivable situation must be predeterminedand practiced often so that they become automatic. Once themissile is launched, it is too late for leisurely development of a response.Notes1. John T. Godfrey, The Look of Eagles, pp. 79-80.1. Ibid., p. 81.3. Ibid., p. 85.4. Alan C. Deere, Nine Lives, p. 90.5. Edward H. Sims, Fighter Tactics and Strategy, 1914-1970, p. 245.