Fighter Combat - Tactics and Maneuvering

254 SECTION TACTICS, TWOVERSUS-TWO
Figure 6-7. Two-versus-Two Engagement (Continued)
At that moment (Figure 6-8, time "7") the pilot of the western fighter
sees the smoke as the missile leaves the rail and calls the target pilot to
break left against the missile. Simultaneously the western fighter turns
hard left toward the bogey to set up a sandwich. The wily bogey, however,
has other ideas and switches to the western fighter (time "8"). Meanwhile
the early warning has allowed the target fighter to defeat the missile
through a combination of hard maneuvering, power reduction, and flares.
The engaged pilot (in the western fighter) sees his wingman has survived
the missile, calls the bogey switch, and directs the free-fighter pilot to
reverse in order to get himself back into the fight as quickly as possible. As
the bogey overshoots after time "8," the engaged-fighter pilot reverses
nose-to-nose to keep it in sight and draw it away from the free fighter (for
AOT and min-range considerations). At time "9" the bogey overshoots
again, and the engaged fighter reverses, keeping the enemy interested but
not allowing him to reach firing parameters. The bogey pilot continues to
pursue his victim, unaware of the free fighter's position. By time "10" the
bogey has been dragged in front of the free fighter, and its pilot launches an
unobserved missile to end the engagement. The fighters then rejoin in
defensive spread and head for the champagne.
I always thought to go around in circles, slower and slower, was a ridiculous
thing. . . . It's not the way to fight. The best tactic is to make a pass, then
break off and come back. If you don't do this you'll lose people; one can't be
greedy.
Brigadier General Robin Olds, USAF