"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 Pilots worst nightmare. And rightfully so. The MiG
is a mobile weapons platform capable of delivering it's lethal ordinance
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 ordinance 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. Therefore it's important, as a
proficient combat pilot, to fine tune your radar guided missile evasion
skills. 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 FTWS.
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 pursing missile
isn't able to acquire the correct, and lethal firing solution.
The incoming missile is confined in it's maneuvering capability, as the
rocket motor has a limited burn time. Usually 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 is 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!.
Second it begins to complicate the missiles' target solution. After this
initial turn, you are able to observe the missile turn and track you,
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's got 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.
This move will take some practice, until you can get the timing down
just right. The best place to learn is in Dogfight, 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 it's motor burns out, because it's easier to see while it's trailing
smoke, otherwise it's just a little white dot.
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 your 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, to finish
level again with the horizon, but on a compass heading 180 degrees from
your original course. See Fig. 2. 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 force the closing missile,
that was 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.
There are already several
good articles published about 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 and 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 form 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
an offense". Well 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 and inbound missile threat, and will most likely instinctively
to 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 loose 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 it's 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 your self 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 at ryan@huntelectric.com. 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.
