F-4 AIR COMBAT TACTICS

for [Music] h [Music] oh [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] F4 Pilots assigned the specific mission of seeking out and destroying enemy aircraft in the air and on the ground must understand and be proficient in aerial combat maneuvering air-to-air combat is a Swift and deadly game Victory or defeat may be decided in only a few seconds Mission success and usually your life depend upon a thorough knowledge of your weapons and weapon system as well as those of the enemy Pilots assigned combat Duty will be exposed constantly to situations where only the most skillful maneuvering teamwork And Timely application of basic air combat tactics will enable them to emerge Victorious flying the F4 in air combat tactics training as well as in combat itself demands an ability to maneuver the aircraft at maximum performance to do this the pilot must have an understanding of adverse yaw and iedr effect aders yaw is defined as yaw that is opposite to the desired direction of turn at subsonic speeds and high angles of attack Rudder must be used in the F4 to offset this yaw this yawing moment is caused in part by the aileron on the top wing left wing in a right turn being deflected down and causing more drag than the spoilers on the low Wing because these spoilers are operating in a lower pressure area one example of dihedral effect and perhaps the easiest to understand is the characteristic of any swept-wing aircraft to obtain more lift from a wing that is straightened out into the relative wind the opposite Wing is in effect swept further back for this reason the F4 can be rolled with Rudder when performing a hard turn as angle of attack begins to increase the pilot may be tempted to tighten the turn by using more Aeron this adds to the undesirable condition and if these improper controls are held a snap roll away from the desired turn may result this could be disastrous in combat to prevent a snap roll or poststall gation the pilot must when subsonic at high angles of attack use Rudder to control roll rate and Bank hold the ailerons neutral and control turn rate with back stick pressure caution develop a feel for the Rutters do not arbitrarily Jam full ruter in in the direction of turn or dihedral effect will cause a roll in the direction of Applied Rudder with proper training the F4 pilot will have no trouble in developing a feel for his aircraft and flying it to maximum performance remember you are flying the airplane not riding it the basic fighting unit is the two ship element it is is much more maneuverable than a flight of four the leader must however spend a great deal of his time clearing the wing man rather than looking for potential targets when the element is used as a part of a flight of four the wingman flies a position 1,000 to 3,000 ft out from the lead depending on altitude and from line of breast to 20° back flying this position the wingman can cover the leaders 9:00 to 3:00 area through the rear hemisphere his primary area of responsibility during turns the wingman Maneuvers in the horizontal and vertical planes by playing the outside as well as the inside of the turn the wingman can easily maintain position conserve energy and provide visual coverage in the rear hemisphere when on patrol the wingman stays well forward in Easy view of the leader he maintains coverage in the rear hemisphere while the leader searches for the enemy the distance between aircraft may be increased at higher altitudes due to increased enemy missile performance this increased separation extends visual coverage in the rear hemisphere moving the blind spot farther out upon initial contact with the Enemy the wingman must move to the maximum performance maneuvering envelope the size and shape of this envelope varies but generally it is a cone 60° to 90° from the liter and 1,00 to 1500 ft back these distances and angles may vary as long as the wingman is able to provide Mutual support and visual coverage during violent Maneuvers the primary duty of the wingman while flying in the maximum performance maneuvering envelope is to provide coverage in the rear to maintain position and to perform his duty the wingman will need a degree of skill and proficiency which is gained only through practice when flying in the maximum performance maneuvering envelope the wingman provides the leader with a spare weapon system should his own malfunction my gun's jamm Tak him to should this occur the wingman moves forward assumes the lead and maintains whatever ADV AG the leader may have had if at any time the wingman cannot perform his duties he should notify his leader immediately the offensive potential of the two ship flight is is greatly enhanced when it is used as part of the basic combat Patrol formation this is a four ship flight comprised of two mutually supporting elements in this formation the leader plans the attack and engages the enemy the number three man or element leader supports the flight leader and assists in the attack the number two four men support their respective leaders and cover the vulnerable 6:00 areas since the element leader functions as alternate flight leader as well as leader of his own element He is selected for his demonstrated leadership ability and aggressiveness the supporting element is flown 3 to 9,000 ft out from the leader and 0 to 5,000 ft up these distances will depend upon altitude configuration and Mission requirements this is because of decreased enemy missile performance in denser air and the difficulty in seeing camouflaged aircraft at low altitudes visual contact must be maintained while on patrol the element leader May maneuver his element from a position of line AB breast to a maximum of 10° back during turns the element maintains this position by energy altitude trade-offs generally this type of maneuvering will require one crossover for every 90° of turn the leader will usually turn 90° or in 90° increments if not he'll inform the element leader so that he may plan his crossover so as to be in correct formation position when the leader rolls out there are two points that deserve special emphasis first wherever possible the supporting element is flown down Sun second great care must be taken when crossing over in the fluid four formation to prevent midair Collision during the brief periods of reduced visual contact correct employment of visual search techniques by each member of the flight will provide good detection rates at ranges of 3 m or more in the rear hemisphere the flight leader searches the forward hemisphere from 15° above the Horizon downward the lead also makes casual checks of his element and its rear area the element leader in addition to maintaining his position searches the forward Ward hemisphere from 10° below the Horizon upward the rightwing man searches the area from the flight leader 9:00 position to the rear as far as he can see the left wingman searches the area from the support leader 3:00 position to his rear as far as he can see the use of small check turns will improve the 6:00 coverage by displacing the blind spot from side to side laxity in performing scan responsibilities cannot be tolerated this is equally true in regard to radar search radar coverage in a flight of four is improved when each flight member searches a definite area with a minimum overlap the lead aircraft selects one bar scan radar mode 50m scope and adjusts the antenna elevation so that approximately half in ground return appears at the top of the scope this radar search pattern supplements the leader's visual search area the rear seat pilot maintains constant radar surveillance of his area the number three man or supporting element lead selects three bar scan radar mode 50m scope and adjusts the antenna to obtain half in of ground return on the lowest sweep he then selects a one bar scan thus automatically raising the antenna to the desired elevation this radar search pattern supplements the element lead's visual search area the number three rear seat pilot like the lead rear seat pilot concentrates exclusively on radar scan the number two man selects one bar scan radar mode 25m scope and adjusts the antenna so that half inch of ground return appears at the top of the scope and maintains that search position while the number two aircraft Commander is scanning his visual search area the rear seat pip divides his time evenly between the radar and a visual scan of the same area scann by his aircraft Commander the number four man selects one bar scan radar mode 50 m scope and adjusts the elevation strobe to 8° up he then selects three bar scan for search the rear seat pilot in the number four aircraft like the number two rear seat pilot divides his time evenly between visual scan and radar scan the number four aircraft radar scan area combined with the number two radar scan area provides a thorough long range detection capability in the forward hemisphere when combined with the visual and radar scan of the lead and supporting element it can be said that the air battle consists of three phases acquisition maneuvering and terminal acquisition you must find the enemy to engage him maneuvering you must outmaneuver the enemy to destroy him terminal you must know your weapons and weapon system to hit in the F4 has an excellent long range air intercept radar if properly used this radar can be a decisive factor in the air battle with this long range detection capability it is probable that contact will occur in the forward quadrant prior to visual contact the problem of visual identification of Bogies must must receive special attention proper interpretation of radar returns can provide valuable information at sufficient range and time to allow the attackers to maneuver to gain tactical Advantage prior to visual contact when equipped with all aspect missiles and in a front hemisphere attack separate the elements to achieve a first pass ID and missile launch A good rule of thumb to determine minimum contact range necessary to gain the separation for attack is approximately three times Optimum Missile Range for example if Optimum Missile Range is five mil then minimum contact range is 15 mil if contact is made at sufficient range the ID element should make a descending acceleration using afterburner to 1.2 Mack the launch element executes a barrel roll or S maneuver to obtain desired separation in minimum time while gaining separation the ID element wingman should make a thorough radar search of the area for other aircraft that could be a threat the ID element lead maintains radar contact and Maneuvers for a collision course after allowing the ID element to gain the desired separation the launch element also accelerates to 1.2 Mock and maintains a Target lock on while keeping visual contact with the ID element as soon as visual ID can be made the ID element lead relays to the launch element lead the identification of the target aircraft and if it is enemy clears him to fire Ms migs 21s no missiles on board clear to fire clear to fire if the ID element is undetected passing below the enemy or if the enemy fails to maneuver the ID element should employ basic fighter Maneuvers to reack or support the launch element if however the ID element is detected and the enemy maneuvers against it they may employ counter Maneuvers against the enemy or continue a straight ahead runout while the friendly launch element sandwiches the enemy when the ID is made and clearance to fire received the launch element executes either a front or a rear hemisphere attack depending on the enemy's actions both elements then Engage The Enemy supporting each each other until the enemy is destroyed when attacking from a beam the separation required is less and it is easier to attain on the initial visual identification pass the ID element May Fire if identification can be made soon enough if not he turns 180° from the target's heading and Maneuvers for a follow-up attack the turn will put him out out of the target area and allow the launch element a shot as they follow and maneuver for a missile or a gun attack the two elements then fight as a team until the enemy is destroyed in a Stern attack you must consider the range to Target fuel required to close and you're heading a Stern Chase is useless if Bingo will occur before identification or firing range a Stern approach however is the best position for surprise in a missile or gun attack the elements in a Stern attack maneuver so as to keep pressure on the enemy at all times and support each other until the enemy is destroyed when operating as a lone element and attacking a flight of four make either a beam attack or a Stern attack since identification and re attack are the most difficult from head-on be very careful to maintain element Integrity when attacking as a lone element since look back from the F4 war is poor after radar acquisition and initial attack competence in basic fighter Maneuvers is essential in destroying the enemy with either a missile or gun the high-speed yo-yo is a good maneuver to maintain the advantage when on the attack its purpose is to maintain nose tail separation as you recognize an overshoot coming up keep your G's on while reducing some of your bank slide high and inside the defender's turn this will reduce your forward velocity while maintaining nose tail separation watch your opponent and slide back down on the attack don't get the nose too low or you may be forced out the bottom the low speed yo-yo is another good attack maneuver in the F4 lower the nose and establish your cut off while nose low light the After Burner and accelerate to Mark 1.1 or more terminate After Burner and begin pullup when the nose is above the Horizon relight After Burner and slide up toward the Defenders 6:00 as you slide into your opponent's lethal cone be prepared to perform a follow-up high-speed yoyo the barrel roll attack is an excellent offensive maneuver for a missile or gun attack when the defender is turning into you while you are still at long range 8,000 ft or more and generating angle off 40° or more begin the maneuver from low and inside the defender's turn play the rate of role for the desired effect depending on the Range and rate of the defender's turn if the defender is turning right you roll to the left and vice versa back stick and Rudder is used throughout the entire maneuver to hold the nose in the desired position upon completion of the Roll you will find your angle off diminished and the range reduced if g-load permits fire a missile when in range press the attack and if need be execute another barrel roll attack or perform a high-speed yo-yo while the fighter pilot and his aircraft comprise an offensive weapon the possibility is strong that the first contact with the Enemy will be in the rear hemisphere this is due in part to the enemy's GCI capability thus it is imperative that you have a thorough knowledge of both offensive and defensive Maneuvers the basic defensive maneuver is the defensive turn this is a hard turn performed to prevent an opponent from achieving a launch or firing position with this maneuver the defender can diminish the lethal envelope and improve his position by rotating his cone of vulnerability away from the attacker if the attack is discovered closer in a break may be necessary this is a maximum performance turn into the attack to destroy the enemy's tracking solution and force him to overshoot the effect is gained in the first 45 to 60° of turn if the attacker does not yo-yo and overshoots reverse and if you're lined up take a quick shot at him if you are not lined up get him out of phase and die for separation if an attacker has been forced to overshoot another maneuver is the scissors as the Mig overshoots make a nose High reversal and continue with a series of turn reversals this will rotate your lethal cone away from the attacker and force him again to cross your flight path and eventually to your 12:00 position the scissors is an effort to gain an offensive position the advantage however lies with the aircraft raft having the shorter turn radius and the lower air speed for this reason the scissors is not considered a good maneuver against the lighter more maneuverable Mig series aircraft after the first couple of reversals if you cannot get a shot watch the M get him out of phase with you and when he cannot see you roll rapidly Engage The After Burner pull the nose down to vertical and accelerate out bear in mind you need altitude for this should the Mig follow close in you may set the hook as he commits himself nose low reduce power extend speed brakes and pull up at maximum performance this should throw the Mig out the bottom roll off and drop in on him if the M does not follow close in do not set the hook accelerate out to at least Mach 1.1 descend to low altitude and gain separation a moderate 2G roll while descending should be enough to spoil the mig's tracking Solution on the way down when on the deck make random reversals to keep him from getting a tracking solution while you use the e4's advantage of speed at low altitude to outdistance the enemy when out of gun range stay low if you're still within Missile Range when you are definitely clear the Mig then pull up and re-engage head-on when a flight of four f4s is attacked by two migs the element under attack should separate either by a straight ahead diving acceleration or by a turn away from the free element the free element then quickly sandwiches the attackers again be doubly watchful for additional migs in the area if both friendly elements are under attack it may be necessary to fight as lone elements until one element destroys his opponent and is thus free to assist the other element when defending as a lone element the defensive split is a valuable maneuver to use instead of the last ditch maneuver with the mig's approaching gun range for example 4,000 ft out and remember that is 4,000 ft out from the wingman and you are unable to force him out of your lethal cone call for a split the low man continues his hard turn into the attack while the high man slides High gaining Separation on the low man the attackers are then forced to make a choice take the low man take the high man split fake at the low man and then take the high man or perform the fluid separation an analysis of past engagements reveals that the migs are un un likely to fake or perform a fluid Separation The Defenders must be on the alert if the attackers split each Defender then defends himself and fights alone until he's destroyed his opponent before he can assist the other friendly aircraft if the attackers take the low man he continues the hard turn and goes into a diving spiral to gain separation while the high man zooms up then drops down to sandwich the attackers once their line of bre should the attackers take the high man he performs a moderate g roll under ending in a turn away from the low man the low man then pulls up and sandwitches the attacker as quickly as possible it becomes readily apparent that teamwork and radio discipline are mandatory for the defensive split Proficiency in fluid four and air combat tactics comes exclusively from training and practice this proficiency is the only key to success air combat is a deadly game played for the highest stakes in the world your life and the life of your budy with so much to lose there is no room for error the knowledge gained in an aggressive air combat tactics program combined with the skills developed in air-to-air Gunner training will provide the Tactical fighter pilot the tools necessary to engage and destroy the enemy in the fight for the sky good luck and good hunting [Music] [Music] oh [Music]