ACM *dogfighting?

Question

I want to learn a little about dogfighting

hows it like?

do you use ECMs while performing manouvers?

& is it smarter to use sidewinders instead of AIM-120 s because it they might be harder to dodge in short ranges?

Answer 1

You are asking a question that takes a year of training to detail and teach... but since you are probably a flight simmer here are a couple of thoughts for you.

When you activate ECM you broadcast your position, so if you are trying to not attract attention, I wouldn't recommend it. If you have a radar missile inbound, that would be a good time to have it on.

AIM-120 AAMRAMs are expensive and deployed against targets that are out of the range of the shorter ranged IR missiles of the 9mike family. They take some time to arm and track off their own radar, and consequently their targeting radar signature is different than your search radar so you will alert your target that he has a missile inbound.

An IR missile is shorter ranged, smaller warhead, and is a "passive" device that will not alert your target that he has trouble coming. It is a little slower, and consequently more maneuverable than a slammer. You have to "see and avoid" heaters. Hopefully you have sharp eyed guys in your flight, because closure rate on an all aspect IR from launch off your nose is going to be a matter of seconds.  Don't s***w up.  Good luck

Answer 2

Basic Fighter Maneuvering (BFM) is what the Navy uses to describe dogfighting and the Air Force definition changes all the time, but it's not "ACM" this week.

If this is a simulation question, dogfighting in almost all respects cannot be simulated outside of an actual aircraft.  Heck, it can't even be properly described on that Dogfight show on the History Channel (*edit: didn't see the above comment before writing).  The wide perspective that it is cold, calculating, and video-game-ish couldn't be more wrong.  There is also no movie from Hollywood that can depict it perfectly and Hollywood would lead you to believe that there is all this time to sit around in the cockpit and be sly and cunning coming up with the one perfect move to save the day.  It is a dynamic, violent, athletic activity that is only interspersed with moments of video game similarities.  It's like wrestling with a PSP connected to a tazer in one hand.  The crushing G forces, the floating in the straps, the lightning-fast decision making, the energy management, the perfect timing, the visualizing, the mental exhaustion, the physical exhaustion, the hours upon hours of preparation, the hours and hours of briefing and debriefing...it is all very challenging and highly dependent on both experience and currency.  Anything more, and this answer would turn into a 500 page manual, so the short answer is that I can't even begin to explain it here.

Beyond that, weapons choice falls down to range and envelope, so that's a another question for a different day and most of the information will be classified anyway so it's of no use to try and guess.  All of these weapons will kill you just the same, so the trick is not being in the right place for them to be there at the right time.  Sorry, I hope that answer can suffice.

Answer 3

I would suggest watching the History Channels series dogfight.  It's the best thing on the subject for the layman out there.  On the History Channels web site they had a series of recordings of Dogfights during the Vietnam War. I'm not sure if the recording's are still there but I was surprised how calm everybody was it's not like the movies at all.  The History Channels web site is worth a look.

Answer 4

Hi,

The Viper and Hornet guys got it absolutely correct.  The question you're asking is not uncommon, but to give you more than generalities is just not going to happen as we're touching on tactics here-and those are at the Secret level.

The only thing I could add is in a furball, a key issue is Situational Awareness "SA"-you'll hear this term a lot.  This means keeping the spatial relationships of all the players in one's head.  A big part of my job sitting in the back, once in the merge was not only to be an extra pair of eyes, but to help the pilot keep his SA.  Also keep in mind engagements are over in literally seconds, something that Hollywood doesn't like as it doesn't make for good movies BTW. One of the best quotes I heard from one of the old guys in my first F4 squadron was, "Make sure your first decision's right-otherwise you may not live long enough to make a second".  Finally, the EWO in me wants to state  ANY type of Radio Frequency emitter can be located; that would include the typical barrage or deception jammer, and as these guys said Slammers once they've gone active.  That's a bad thing in the pre-merge and merge.  Chaff is an expendable and passive though.

Answer 5

You can experience dogfighting via this company:

http://www.aircombat.com/

My friends did it and thought it was awesome.