Fighter aircraft exist to destroy other aircraft.
The airplane itself may be considered only a
weapons platform designed to bring the weapons
system into position for firing. Fighter weapons
have varied greatly over the years and each
weapon has had unique requirements for successful
employment. The requirements might include effective
ranges, aiming, relative position of fighter
and target, or a number of other factors. All
of the requirements of a particular weapon system
must be satisfied simultaneously in order for
the weapon to be used successfully. Meeting
these weapon-firing requirements, while frustrating
those of the enemy, must be the goal of all
air combat maneuvering.
Basic fighter
maneuvers (BFMs) are the building blocks of
fighter tactics. They may be classified as primary
maneuvers, which can be performed without regard
to an adversary (e.g. accelerations, climbs,
turns), and relative maneuvers, which must be
described or performed in relation to other
aircraft. Air combat maneuvering derives from
basic fighter maneuvers and can be categorized
into two basic approaches: the “Angles”
Fight (Turn & Burn) and the “Energy”
(Boom & Zoom) Fight. These labels refer
to the first objective of the engagement. In
the angles fight the tactician first seeks to
gain a position of advantage (Angles), even
at the expense of relative energy, and then
attempts to improve this advantage until he
achieves his required firing parameters. The
purpose of the energy fight is to gain an advantage
over the opponent while not yielding a decisive
position of advantage. Once a sufficient energy
advantage has been attained, it must be converted
to lethal position of advantage, usually without
surrendering the entire energy margin. Each
of these tactical theories has benefits and
drawbacks, depending in large measure on the
aircraft involved.
Pilot ability
is the single most critical factor in determining
success or failure. Tactics are selected primarily
as the basis of available weapons capabilities
of the opponents, and they are designed to optimize
aircraft performance to achieve firing parameters
before the adversary reaches his parameters.
Depending on the initial conditions and weapons
mixes, either angles or energy tactics may be
preferable. Victory depends on having a tactical
plan prior to the engagement and executing that
plan aggressively.
Taken from Robert Shaws "Fighter Combat
Tactics and Maneuvering"
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