Page 3

Tactics

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Now we come to tactics. A slogan from the Navy Fighter Weapons School, otherwise known as "Top Gun," "Speed is life." Truer words were never spoken. You must keep a speed and energy advantage over your opponent. Try to avoid being drawn into a turning fight, as your Hornet will bleed energy very quickly, rendering all your advanced weaponry useless.

Fig. 6. The Fight

Another word of caution - don't fly too long with ECM active, especially in enemy territory. Yes, ECM offers some measure of protection against enemy missiles, but, with its radiating energy, it also broadcasts a literal beacon to any enemy fighters that might be wandering about, basically saying, "O.K., boys, here I am. Shoot me!!"

A better and safer way to evade enemy missiles is by the use of chaff and flares. Enemy missiles, by the simple nature of their size and speed, have a definite manuevering disadvantage over the Hornet. If one of these gets on your tail, throwing your jet into a tight turn, coupled with liberal use of chaff or flares(depending on missile type, and your avionics will clue you in to that), can usually sucker the missile off you and decoy it away.

Fig. 7. Using ECM

Don't be afraid to use chaff or flares. Trust me, in the real world, a crew chief(Remember, this is really "HIS" airplane, you're just borrowing it) will be a lot less angry if you come home with empty chaff & flare dispensers, if it means you bring "his" airplane back to him. Countermeasures are cheap - pilots are irreplaceable.

Another thing to keep in mind is not to completely trust your radar. Radar is good, yes, and the APG-78 is one of the best, but, it can be defeated. Such things as flying two aircraft in tight formation, and of course, InfraRed Search/Track System(IRSTS), can render radar useless or highly handicapped, and can render unsuspecting pilots dead. Therefore, in F/A-18, use the external views to simulate looking in directions such as over shoulders, behind, and in a wide panoramic view around your Hornet.

Fig. 8. Into the sunset

In conclusion, the Hornet makes one of the most lethal weapon systems in the US Navy's air arsenal. Its comprehensive radar and weapons package and high manueverability make it a formidable opponent to any aggresor nations. This Hornet carries another sting, its air-to-ground weaponry. I'll cover that more in the next installment.

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