AFJT does not expand extensively on ACM tactics, instead focusing on the basic principles only. Two fundamental manoeuvres/tactics are taught during AFJT to enable a pilot to perform basic operations in support of missions, these are the Bracket and Grinder. Further tactics and manoeuvres are covered in the TOPGUN course. The material in this document is drawn from the Falcon 4.0 manual and from knowledge gained while flying with the 1st/440th VFW.
Bracket/Bracketing:
A bracket places fighters on both sides of a target banding or group. This tactic is very effective because it sandwiches the target. If the target turns to engage one arm of the bracket, the other arm has an easy 6 o’clock entry. The bracket gives the target two choices both of them bad. Either way the target turns, it winds up with an enemy at 6 o’clock. The bracketing fighters can take missile shots at any time during the intercept. See image below:
Grinder:
Not to be misconstrued with an internet liaison app of similar name. This is a form of Combat Air Patrol (CAP) that places a flight hot/cold to the likely direction of threat (rather than sitting across the likely direction of threat like a BARCAP). The trade-off is that while a narrower area is covered by a Hot/Cold CAP, there is always at least one aircraft hot to the direction of threat.
Grinder expands on the theory of the Hot/Cold CAP by creating a tactic that allows aircraft to fly individually or in pairs (as required), engage a bandit or group, support their missile and disengage moving back towards friendly aircraft. Then the next aircraft will move forward and deal with any further threats.
This tactic has several benefits. First, there is no sort required (unless engaging as a pair). Second, it allows the engaging pilot to engage a target, crank/notch and then pump to get out of harms way quickly. Third, while the engaging pilot is disengaging, the next aircraft in trail can begin its own sort, monitor the threats and engage as required before disengaging. Finally, this tactic can be used to hold a position, fall back in the face of a threat or advance into a threat.
To set a Grinder up, the location and direction of the Hot/Cold CAP will be pre briefed. The flight lead can then opt to fly horizontally towards the middle of the CAP and then split his flight equally between the Hot and Cold axis. More likely, the flight lead will drag the flight into a pre-briefed separation in trail (in this case the CAP Hot/Cold legs are 20nm, so the flight lead would drag a 4 ship into 5 mile trail or a 2 ship into 10 mile trial). The CAP speed will be pre briefed. In order to safely deconflict airspace. Hot legs are on even number angles (e.g. A20/22/24 etc) and cold legs are on odd number angles (e.g. A19, 21, 23 etc).
The Grinder tactic sets up as per this CAP pattern. When required to advance further or move back further the flight lead will direct the flight based on the lead’s intentions. When flying stationary, a suitable reference point will be used to fly to/from on the required heading, e.g. a steerpoint(s) or notable landmark.
See images below showing a Grinder set up:
- Board index Front Line Squadrons 3(F) Squadron Training Viper School AFJT (Advanced Fast Jet Training)
2: AFJT A-A Manoeuvres
Return to “AFJT (Advanced Fast Jet Training)”
Jump to
- ↳ Mess
- ↳ Missions
- ↳ Training
- ↳ Briefings
- ↳ Mess
- ↳ Missions
- ↳ Training
- ↳ Briefings
- ↳ Weapons Training
- ↳ A-10C 'Warthog'
- ↳ Guns
- ↳ Maverick
- ↳ LGB
- ↳ CBU
- ↳ Unguided
- ↳ Rockets
- ↳ AIM-9 Sidewinder
- ↳ BAE Hawk
- ↳ Mirage M2000C
- ↳ Guns
- ↳ Radar Operation
- ↳ Mantra R550 Magic ll (Short Range Infrared Missile)
- ↳ Mantra Super 530 (Radar Guided Air to Air Missile)
- ↳ GBU Variants
- ↳ Mk 82
- ↳ Mk 82 Snake eye
- ↳ Unguided Rocket Pods
- ↳ BLG-66 Belouga Cluster Bomb
- ↳ AV-8B Night Attack
- ↳ Guns
- ↳ Sidewinder
- ↳ Sidearm
- ↳ Maverick
- ↳ Rocket Pods
- ↳ LGB's
- ↳ Unguided
- ↳ OCU Downloads
- ↳ OCU Documents
- ↳ RAFAir Basics
- ↳ Air Traffic Control
- ↳ RAF Air UK Aircraft Liveries
- ↳ Additional Scenery
- ↳ Recommended Mods
- ↳ Recommended Documents
- ↳ Dedicated Flight Server
- ↳ Training Flight Booking
- ↳ 60 Squadron
- ↳ No.3 Flying Training School (Fixed Wing)
- ↳ FTS Missions
- ↳ FTS Documents
- ↳ FTS Downloads
- ↳ 16(R) Squadron F-18 Operational Conversion Unit (OCU)
- ↳ OCU Missions
- ↳ F/A-18 Hornet OCU Syllabus & Student Proficiency Data
- ↳ 19 Squadron
- ↳ Mosquito FB VI
- ↳ Spitfire L.F. Mk. IX
- ↳ Flight Training (FTS & OCU)
- ↳ No.1 Flying Training School (Rotary Wing)
- ↳ Admin & Library
- Getting Started - **NEW PILOTS PLEASE READ**
- ↳ Welcome To RAF Air UK - Please Read
- Pilot's Lounge
- ↳ NOTAM's
- ↳ RAF Air SOPs
- ↳ Dedicated Flight Server
- ↳ RAF Air UK Server Booking
- ↳ Introduce Yourself
- ↳ General Pilot Chat
- ↳ Promotions & Achievements
- ↳ Mission Planning
- ↳ RAF Air UK Mission Building Templates
- ↳ Mission Planners Section
- ↳ Hints and Tips
- ↳ Squadron Aircraft
- ↳ A-10C Warthog - ED
- ↳ AH64D Apache - ED
- ↳ AJS-37 Viggen - Leatherneck Simulations
- ↳ AV-8B Harrier
- ↳ C-101 Aviojet - Aviodev
- ↳ Eurofighter Typhoon
- ↳ F14A/B Tomcat
- ↳ F/A-18C Hornet
- ↳ F-16C Viper
- ↳ F-5E Tiger II - BelSimTek
- ↳ F-86F Sabre - BelSimTek
- ↳ Fw 190 D-9 Dora - ED
- ↳ Hawk T.1A - VEAO Simulations
- ↳ Ka-50 Black Shark - ED
- ↳ L-39C Albatross - ED
- ↳ M-2000C Mirage - RAZBAM
- ↳ MIG-15BIS - BelSimTek
- ↳ MIG-21BIS - Leatherneck Simulations
- ↳ Mi-8MTV2 - BelSimTek
- ↳ Mi-24P Hind
- ↳ SA-342M Gazelle - Polychop Simulations
- ↳ UH-1H Huey - BelSimTek
- ↳ Terrains
- ↳ Caucasus
- ↳ Persian Gulf
- ↳ Nevada Test and Training Range
- ↳ Normandy
- ↳ The Channel
- ↳ Syria
- ↳ Marianas Islands
- ↳ The Falkland Islands
- ↳ Screenies
- Operations
- ↳ Squadron Flights
- ↳ Missions
- ↳ Generic Server Missions
- ↳ Basic/Training
- ↳ Navigation
- ↳ Carrier Training
- ↳ Air To Air Combat
- ↳ Air To Ground
- ↳ Air To Air Refuelling
- Front Line Squadrons
- ↳ 1(F) Squadron
- ↳ Squadron Admin
- ↳ Knowledge Base
- ↳ Kneeboard
- ↳ Document Library
- ↳ Operations
- ↳ Training
- ↳ Training Missions
- ↳ Operational Missions
- ↳ Pilots Lounge
- ↳ Introductions
- ↳ Chat
- ↳ Support
- ↳ 3(F) Squadron
- ↳ Squadron Admin
- ↳ Knowledge Base
- ↳ F16 Systems
- ↳ Procedures
- ↳ Other
- ↳ Kneeboard
- ↳ Ops Room
- ↳ ATO
- ↳ Briefings
- ↳ Debriefings
- ↳ Training
- ↳ 3(F) Squadron Training
- ↳ General
- ↳ Advanced Training
- ↳ Viper School
- ↳ EFT (Elementary Flight Training)
- ↳ BFJT (Basic Fast Jet Training)
- ↳ AFJT (Advanced Fast Jet Training)
- ↳ TWC (Tactical Weapons Course)
- ↳ OCU (Operational Conversion Unit)
- ↳ 3(F) IP Lounge
- ↳ Pilots Lounge
- ↳ Introductions
- ↳ Chat
- ↳ Support
- ↳ Carrier Air Wing
- ↳ 41(f) Squadron
- ↳ 97 Squadron
- ↳ Squadron Admin
- ↳ Document Repository
- ↳ Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) And Other Essentials
- ↳ Training Briefings & Info
- ↳ Training Mission Briefings
- ↳ Questions About Training
- ↳ Operational Mission Briefings & Info
- ↳ Suggestions/Comments About 97 Sqn
- ↳ General Questions
- ↳ Hints & Tips
- ↳ Totally Off Topic
- ↳ 664 AAC Squadron
- ↳ Squadron Admin
- All Things Flying
- ↳ FS Chat
- ↳ Real World Chat
- ↳ Military
- 2019 New Website & Forum Layout
- ↳ Website General Overview
- ↳ Forum - User Signature Layout
- ↳ Website & Forum Bugs, Issues or Suggestions
- ↳ "How the hell do I do that?"
- ↳ Archive
- ↳ 892 Naval Air Squadron
- ↳ Documentation
- ↳ Training
- ↳ Videos
- ↳ Operations
- ↳ Administration
- ↳ 892NAS AC WPE Missions
- ↳ 11(F) Squadron
- ↳ Squadron Admin
- ↳ Training Wing
- ↳ General Flight Training
- ↳ Air to Air Combat Training
- ↳ Air To Ground Combat Training
- ↳ Training Missions
- ↳ Operational Missions
- Help & Support
- ↳ Admin Support
- ↳ Flight Communications Support
- ↳ Current Comms System --- Simple Radio Stand alone (SRS)
- ↳ Archived Comms Support Info
- ↳ Univers Radio Issues & Questions
- ↳ LotAtc Support
- ↳ Dedicated Flight Server Support
- ↳ Dedicated Flight Server Info
- ↳ Voice Activated Commands Support