"Kosmo, bandits, 2-ship, bullseye 086, 22 miles.....engaged defensive!"
The cockpit fills with an orchestra of light and sound. The RWR emits a
launch tone, you look and see the red missile launch indicator is
illuminated, confirming a radar missile inbound. The RWR indicates it's
from the North, 11 o'clock. Decision time!
A Russian MiG. Any pilot's worst nightmare, and rightfully so.
The MiG is a mobile weapons platform capable of delivering its lethal
ordnance right to your door step, anytime, anywhere.
A combat pilot knows that accomplishing a successful mission
will undoubtably entail a tangle or two with a MiG. And we all know
that the skies in a Falcon 4 Campaign are full of them. Therefore it
will serve you well to know exactly what you're going to do when that
moment comes....before that moment comes.
Of the ordnance a MiG is capable of delivering, the radar
guided missile will most likely be the first one you encounter, as it
has a stand off range similar to that of the AIM-120. It's important,
therefore, as a proficient combat pilot to fine tune your radar guided
missile evasion skills.
The Maneuver
This maneuver, while not being the only way out of a potential hamfist
with an air to air, missile, will grant you a 75% "get out a jail" rate
(the author admits he doesn't know what a hamfist is, but it can't be
good). If you're regularly getting shot down before any of your AI
wingmen...well that's just a shame, and you had better seriously
consider putting yourself through Tactical Weapon School.
In a typical engagement you will find yourself engaged head on
into the MiG. If the MiG happens to get a shot off before you, standard
evasion procedure dictates that you immediately turn perpendicular to
the bandit, putting him and his missile on your 3-9 line, as seen in
Fig. 1. We're going to take it a little further, and ensure that the
pursuing missile isn't able to acquire the correct, and lethal, firing
solution.
The incoming missile is confined in its maneuvering capability, as the
rocket motor has a limited burn time, ussually only a few short
seconds. During the burn time, most missiles will immediately begin a
climb above their intended target. This allows the missile more energy
after the rocket burns out as it dives towards its intercept point.
It's this weakness that you should take advantage of.
Turning and putting the missile at your 3-9 line serves two purposes.
First, it verifies that the incoming missile you see is tracking YOU!
This is standard doctrine, developed by "Boots" Blesse and the like way
back in Vietnam.
"..in a few minutes I spotted the three-ship flight and
rejoined. Soone we were in the Hanoi area providing cover for F-105s
and F-4s striking targets just west of town. A SAM was fired at us,
beginning a sequence of events that was not to end until nightfall.
When a SAM was fired, it was our procedure to turn, placing the missile
at 90 degrees left or right to judge its approach.
"The SAM usually went above you and descended - from there you
could determine if it was guiding toward you. If so, you took your
flight down as steeply as possible, watching the missile increase its
dive angle. At the last moment you would pull up and the SAM, unable to
turn as tight, would fly into the ground. It required good timing and
calm heads, but it worked." ("Check Six, A Fighter Pilot Looks Back" by
F. C. Blesse.)
Figure 1
This maneuver complicates the missiles' target solution. After this
initial turn you are able to observe the missile turn and track you.
Now it's time to take action, or face that long and lonely float to the
ground. Oddly enough, the Air Force frowns upon planting a $26.9
million dollar F-16C as a permanent landscape fixture.
If it has a good track on you, it will turn and start going high.
Russian missiles consistently track in a very steep lead pursuit
course. We're going to exploit that tendency.
Dogfight Mode
This move will take some practice, until you can get the timing down
just right. The best place to learn is in the Dogfight module, using
external views, then after you become comfortable move into the cockpit
so you'll recognize the angles and maneuver from the seat. Put yourself
up against a MiG-29, enable jammers, load yourselves out with a couple
of radar missiles, and put about 35 miles distance between you.
At the first sign of a missile launch, usually the RWR, throw
on the jammer and make that first turn to put the missile at your 3-9
line. Now you have about 3-5 seconds to look over your shoulder and
spot the incoming missile. You'll want to hurry and get a visual on the
missile before its motor burns out, because it's easier to see while
it's trailing smoke, otherwise it's just a little white dot. (Ed.
Missile visual size is increased slightly in the 1.08 patch).
Figure 2.
This is where the timing becomes critical. There's no way to get an
exact figure, but about 6-8 seconds before it looks as though it may
hit you, roll inverted 180 degrees and pull on that stick for all
you're worth. Make sure you hit the F-16's corner speed of between
330-440 kts. This will put you in a dive for the ground. As you keep
pulling, you'll finish level with the horizon, but on a compass heading
180 degrees from your original course. See Figure 2 above.
We'll roll inverted and pull towards the ground to let gravity
help us with a tight, quick half loop. Be sure you're dumping plenty of
chaff out the back while turning. You'll learn early the importance of
liberal chaff distribution.
What we just accomplished with this maneuver was to force the closing
missile, already low on energy, to execute a hard turn in an attempt to
follow. If your timing was correct it will not have enough energy to
maneuver, and will over shoot, giving you another chance at the
offending MiG. Better get him this time because during your
maneuvering, he has closed another 15 miles and is ready to put a
heater in the air with your name on it.
IR Evasion and AIM-120
There are already several good articles available on evading IR
missiles. The important thing to remember here is to throw that
throttle aft just as quick as possible. Nothing feels as un-natural as
parking the throttle at idle at a critical time when you need all the
energy you can muster to out-maneuver a MiG and his heat seeking
missile.
We're all guilty of leaving that Pratt and Whitney F100-PW-229 cooking
while attempting to spoof that "Archer In........" Well boys and girls,
it isn't going to happen that way. Your hot engine is going to be a big
white dot in the eyes of that archer, or a cookie if you will. Those
little flares you're popping out the back are just crumbs falling off
the cookie. If you have any experience with a cookie at all, you know
to forget about the crumbs because the cookie is where the action is.
Now what about getting away from the infamous AIM-120. Surely
by now you've tried your skill against an F-16 in a dogfight. Whether
that Viper was piloted by an AI, or a friend, you're aware how lethal
those slammers are. Count yourself lucky if you've ever gotten away
from one. I'd like to meet the man that can consistently drive his
Viper away from the business end of a slammer.
Until that time, I've developed a little strategy that is going to
greatly increase your odds of walking away from an engagement with an
F-16. Even today nothing gets my heart going, and makes my palms sweat,
while my knuckles turn white on the HOTAS, as going up against an F-16
heavily laden with AIM-120's.
You've all heard of "fighting fire with fire", or "the best defense is
a good offense." Nothing could be more true. What does this mean to you
as a Viper driver? Simple. After you detect an inbound missile launch,
send one right back at the offender. Now this isn't as easy as it
sounds. You're going to test your intestinal fortitude, as you try to
keep your cool, and go through the steps of locking up the bandit, and
getting a missile off.
You're going to be fighting the urge to engage defensive in an
attempt to escape that incoming missile. Good news is that the guy who
just shot at you is the same guy you just shot at. Follow? This means
that he now detects an inbound missile threat, and will most likely
instinctively go into a defensive posture. To do so, he will pull to
put you and your missile at his 3-9 line.
What this does is cause him to lose his radar lock on you. Most likely
he would have engaged you at or near the maximum range of the AIM-120,
and having turned and lost radar contact, the missile will not yet have
become active, tracking you via its onboard radar. The once deadly
slammer is now just a flying piece of debris.
Don't pass this secret on to your buddy, and then go up and try
it against one another, because it's not going to work if you both know
about it. You're going to find yourself in a 450 knot chicken fight,
from which you'll both be shot down. Imagine trying to explain that to
St. Peter at the Pearly Gates.
Happy hunting with your new skills. Remember to always push
yourself. Set the game to slightly exceed your skills. That way you'll
continue to grow and advance your abilities. Please feel free to contact me
with your gripes or compliments. And, as always, anyone is welcome to
join our nightly chats at the 187th VFW. You can access our dedicated
Falcon 4 chat room from our web page www.187th.org.
