c. It’s a trap. Separate from the fight before it is too late.
9. How do you know when you have entered the offensive BFM entry window?
a. The range decreases to 4,500 feet.
b. When the bandit is 30° off your nose, you are inside the entry window and can start your turn.
c. The entry window light in the cockpit flashes.
10. At what range from the bandit should you normally go from lag to lead pursuit in offensive BFM?
a. 3,000 feet.
b. 4,500 feet.
c. Exact procedures do not apply to modern air combat. Every situation is different, so do what feels right.
Lesson 3: Defensive BFM
Defensive BFM is simple in concept. From an academic perspective, it is far simpler than offensive BFM. When a bandit shows up at your 6 o’clock, you simply create BFM problems. In Chapter 2, we discussed solving the BFM problems of aspect angle, angle-off and range. In this lesson, we will talk about creating these exact same BFM problems for an attacking bandit. We will also discuss what to do after we put some defensive BFM on the bandit and he makes offensive BFM mistakes. The theory of defensive BFM is straightforward, but in the cockpit of modern fighters, the execution is difficult. Defensive BFM requires physical strength and endurance to pull high G loads while keeping track of a bandit at 6 o’clock. This lesson will build your academic foundation in defensive BFM.
Objectives
Once you’ve read Chapter 3, you should be able to do the following:
► Describe the three ways used to detect an attacking bandit
► Understand the use of aspect in defending against a missile attack
► Understand how to create BFM problems for an attacking bandit
► Describe the procedures for executing a defensive turn
► Describe the visual cues that tell you when your defensive turn is working
► Describe the procedures for defending against a gun shot
Lesson 3 Quiz
1. Your wingman calls for you to break left, and as you rack the jet around in a 7 G turn in response to his call, you see the smoke trail of the missile pulling lead on you. What should you do?
a. Turn to put the missile on the beam (on your 3/9 line) immediately, while dropping chaff and flares.
b. Split-S to face the missile head-on from low altitude, dropping chaff and flares.
c. Just keep your high-G turn coming all the way into the missile, while dropping chaff and flares.
2. You are attempting to separate from a mature engagement above the Mach, but you don’t quite make it. A MiG-29 fires a missile your way, and you decide not to bet your life that he is out of range. How should you turn to defeat this missile?
a. Keep your Mach up as you turn. You can never have too much airspeed.
b. You must slow down quickly to corner velocity so you can turn at your best turn rate.
c. Slow down to the minimum airspeed possible while turning. This will give you the tightest turn radius, which may cause the missile to overshoot.
3. Which statement is true concerning defensive turns?
a. Always put your lift vector below the horizon to preserve energy.
b. Always turn level with the horizon. That way you won’t get disoriented.
c. Don’t worry about the horizon. Put your lift vector directly on the bandit during a defensive turn. If you do anything else, you will give the bandit turning room.
4. You get a tally on a MiG-29 at 7 o’clock at over 2 nm and closing. You crank into an 8 G defensive turn, and as you come around, you notice that the bandit is not moving forward toward your 3/9 line. He is maintaining his 7 o’clock position. Given that your initial range estimation is correct, what is the problem?
a. This guy is very good and must know a lot about offensive BFM.
b. You are probably too fast and are not generating your best turn rate. The bandit, therefore, is inside your turn circle and is matching your very poor turn rate.
c. Speed up. Your turn radius is too tight.
5. In the situation in question 4, what will normally happen when you execute the correct defensive turn into a bandit at 2 nm?
a. You will the drive the bandit forward toward your 3/9 line.
b. Anything can happen in an air-to-air engagement. You just don’t know what to expect.
c. The bandit will be forced into a vertical move to maintain his position.
6. You have gotten slow gunning a MiG-29, and as you come off the kill, you see another MiG-29 closing from 6 o’clock at 2 nm. You have only 300 knots. What should you do?
a. Unload the jet and accelerate to corner velocity as quickly as possible. After reaching corner, break into the MiG.
b. Turn with all you’ve got before the MiG gets to your turn circle. This will give him the most BFM problems.
c. Pray for divine intervention. It is the only thing that can work in this situation.
7. A MiG-29 rolls out at your 6 o’clock at 1 nm. You put your best defensive turn on him, and he immediately pulls up into the vertical. What should you do?
a. Quake with fear. This is the dreaded high yo-yo maneuver. You are in for a real tussle.
b. You are in luck. The bandit has just given you turning room you can use. Rotate your lift vector up into the bandit and make him pay for this buffoonery.
c. Slice for the deck to keep his nose out of phase. This is the only counter to a vertical move by the bandit.
8. This situation is the same as in question 7, but this time, the MiG keeps his nose on you all the way in. No missiles are fired. What does this pure pursuit course tell you about the bandit?
a. He is flying HUD BFM. He will arrive close to your jet with no turning room and will overshoot.
b. He is doing perfect BFM. Get ready for the bandit to saddle up on you for a stabilized tracking gun shot.
c. The nose position of an attacking bandit is irrelevant. You can never really tell what people are going to do, especially in high pressure situations like this one.
9. A MiG-29 rolls out behind you at 1 nm, and as you break into him, he puts his nose in lead pursuit and closes the range. At 3,000 feet, you see that he will overshoot with his nose in lead. What should you do?
a. The MiG is probably lining up for a snapshot. Break immediately out of plane to trash his shot.
b. Keep your lift vector on the MiG and keep pulling.
c. Ease off to 1 G to force a larger overshoot.
10. A MiG-29 is camped at your 6 o’clock, inside gun range, with his overtake and angle-off under control. What should you do?
a. Break straight into the bandit with your lift vector right on him to create BFM problems for him.
b. Turn into him while simultaneously dropping the gear and opening the speed brakes. This move, made famous in the movies, will always cause the bandit to overshoot.
c. Execute your planned guns jink immediately. You must start by moving out of the bandit’s plane of motion. Don’t expect miracles. Just keep jinking to stay alive.
Lesson 4: Head-on BFM
There is no such thing as a neutral fight. Unless you are righting your clone in the same type of jet, the fight is not neutral. This lesson will teach you the fundamentals of fighting head-on, or high-aspect, BFM. As you approach a bandit head-on, you are certain of one thing — a great deal of maneuvering is required in order to turn this high aspect pass into a kill. Maneuvering requires energy, so in most fights that start head-on, you will normally get lower and slower as the fight progresses. This lesson will teach you how to spend your energy smartly so that you can efficiently maneuver for a kill once you enter a head-on fight.