CLASHES IN THE SKY

Despite the destruction of 33 Iraqi aircraft in the Gulf War so far, only a few of the engagements have involved the close and complex aerial combat that characterizes dogfights. Many of the other enemy craft have been downed without the elaborate maneuvering that is associated with Top Gun-type flying. In one of the first dogfights of the war, U.S. F-15 pilot Capt. Steve Tate locked in on an Iraqi F-1 Mirage that was on the tail of another U.S. F-15. He destroyed the Mirage with a radar-guided missile.

The top U.S. dogfighters include both F-15s and F-16s. Here are the key phases of engaging the enemy in the air: HIGH “G” BARREL ROLL One standard maneuver in an air-to-air engagement is called the High “G” Barrel Roll. In this example, the F-16--being pursued by a enemy MIG-23 fighter--suddenly loops around to drop behind the pursuer and attacks. DETECTION: Either through electronic or visual means, detection is usually the deciding factor in the outcome of air-to-air combat. The pilot who makes the first identification of an enemy enjoys a tremendous advantage. CLOSING IN: Altitude and speed are important factors in this phase; both translate into more options for the pilot who needs to move into a favorable attack position behind the enemy aircraft. ATTACK: Radar-guided missiles can be fired at distances from 5 to 62 miles away from the target, heat-seeking missiles are effective from 2 to 11 miles, and mounted guns can be used within 2,000 feet of the enemy plane. About 80% of victims are taken by surprise, but if the attacker fails to hit his target, the encounter moves to the next phase. MANEUVER: At this point, the pilot must employ his greatest skills as an aviator and decide whether to to attack again or to disengage. Once in a dogfight situation, the advantage enjoyed by the pursuing pilot decreases dramatically. EXIT: The attacking pilot normally tries to exit within about 30 seconds to avoid a counter attack. Fighter Jargon: Some of the terms pilots use in communicating with each other: * Bandit: enemy plane * Bingo: out of gas, need to go back * Bogey: unidentified, treated like a “Bandit” until identified as a “Friendly” * Bogey-gathering turn: an attention-getting aeriel turn * Dogfight: planes engaged in air-to-air combat at close quarters * Friendly: one of our planes * Fur ball: hectic tangle in air-to-air combat * Joker: low on gas Source: Maj. Greg Kreis, director of public affairs Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.; and “Modern Air Combat” by Bill Gunston and Mike Spick