If the enemy aircraft is flying across your path or away from you, try to get close behind it as quickly as possible, before it has a chance to turn toward you. Your direction of approach will primarily depend on the enemy's path in relation to yours. If you do choose to attack, you should close as quickly as possible. In some cases, it's best to continue a bombing run or head for home. You must evaluate the damage condition of your airplane, the amount of fuel you have remaining, your current mission, and your weapons remaining in order to make this decision. Once an enemy has been detected, you must make a decision whether or not to close. When you're not actively engaged in combat, dodging SAMs, or on a bombing run, always keep your radar in the long-range mode. The earlier you detect the position and course of an enemy aircraft, the more time you'll have to form a battle plan and maneuver to a favorable position to attack or avoid. Aerial CombatĪerial combat can be broken down into five stages:Īlthough in actual practice some of these phases may be skipped, each needs to be examined and understood. All things considered, the current close-range missiles aren't much deadlier than the machine guns used during World Wars I and II. WeaponsĪs the lethality of weapons used in air-to-air combat has increased, the targets have become harder to hit due to their increased speed and maneuverability. Historically, only one out of five kills has been made by outmaneuvering an opponent, but when you're involved in a low-speed turning dogfight, outmaneuvering suddenly becomes very important. (However, two-person play with one flying the plane and the other operating the keyboard can greatly improve your chances for survival.) Maneuverability You'll be responsible for carrying out your assigned mission totally by yourself, no wingman to watch your six. Unfortunately, you're all by yourself when flying your F-15 Strike Eagle simulator. Teamwork is the second most important factor.

Four out of five defeated pilots didn't know they were under attack until it was too late to maneuver to safety. In actual air combat, surprise has always been the dominant factor in victory. Once in the favorable position, accelerate and close fast. Surprise can also occasionally be gained by detecting an enemy with long-range radar and making a wide, slow turn to position yourself behind the opponent. SurpriseĪlthough surprise isn't often possible with the F-15 Strike Eagle simulation, it can be accomplished by firing medium-range missiles early, as soon as an enemy aircraft is detected coming toward you. The effectiveness of an attack is basically determined by four criteria, which are listed here in order of priority. It has been shown over and over that flying skills and aggressiveness can overcome more recently developed weapons and superior numbers.ĭespite all these changes, certain basic principles have remained constant over the years. Regardless of the level of sophistication of the equipment, however, the most important measure of a country's air power is how well the pilots can tactically maneuver to utilize and deliver the weapons available. The rules are constantlychanging what worked yesterday may not work tomorrow, or the latest technology may be defeated by an obsolete system in actual combat conditions. The aerial chess game of move and countermove, one plane against another, has been a difficult thing for experts to pin down over the years.

Air combat maneuvering