During AFJT pilots will get their first taste of dogfighting. While the aim of modern air combat is (ideally) to stay out of within visual range (WVR), by design or by accident it is likely pilots will find themselves fighting within the WVR area. It is therefore better to train for this in advance, than starting to learn at the point a merge is called!
This document is drawn from the ‘Flying Operations, F-16 Combat Aircraft Fundamentals’ manual with specific notes on calls/coms added by the author extrapolated the same document as well as from various sources including the TV show ‘Jetstream’. The aim of this document is to provide wingmen (and flight leads) with a reference point that covers the basics of how to execute ACM within the WVR environment (dogfighting as a unit).
The Flight Lead/Wingman Relationship
The points noted below do not assign engaged and supporting roles with leader and wingman positions; this is intentional. The tactics are designed to allow the best positioned fighter to engage the bandit offensively. The flight lead still has the ultimate responsibility for mission accomplishment and flight survival. While the wingman is engaged, the flight lead supports him but retains the authority to direct the engagement, to terminate the engagement, to assume the engaged role.
Engaged and Supporting Fighter Contract
The elements contract has two basic purposes in WVR ACM; kill the bandit and ensure element survival. The basic building block for this is to understand if you are the ‘engaged’ or ‘supporting’ fighter.
This contract is most effective in a 2v1 engagement as in a 2v2 engagement it is most likely that both pilots will be ‘engaged fighters’. When the contract breaks down, the flight may present a danger to itself, confusion of roles is the most common problem. Two fighters, each thinking they are engaged, can easily end up occupying the same airspace.
Engaged Fighter
During offensive manoeuvring there can only be one actively engaged fighter (fighter that is manoeuvring in specific relationship to the bandit) at a time. While defensive, the bandit will choose who is the engaged fighter. In a dynamic environment, such as air-to-air, the roles may change rapidly from one to the other several times. Flight members must fully understand their responsibilities and how they will be handed off, (whether by radio calls or aircraft manoeuvres).
Engaged Fighter Responsibilities:
• Manoeuvre to kill the bandit (offensively) or negate the bandit’s attack (defensively) in the minimum time. Fly your best offensive/defensive BFM.
• Clear the supporting fighter to engage if he is in a better position to shoot, or if defensive and the engaged fighter is not safely outside the supporting fighter’s weapons FOV or target debris would be factor, again clear the supporting fighter to shoot.
• Keep the supporting fighter informed of intentions, capabilities, and future tactical plans.
Supporting Fighter
As the supporting fighter you may have to perform two or more tasks/responsibilities at the same
time. Time sharing between the tasks at hand is required to effectively support the engaged fighter. The time allowed to perform a given set of tasks will be scenario dependent. As a rule of thumb the supporting fighter needs to first manoeuvre to sanitize the area about the fight through visual (tally/visual) and electronic means (radar, GCI, RWR). Next be prepared to commit against any bandit that threatens the element, whether offensively or defensively. Lastly, maintain a high situational awareness to direct the egress in a safe direction.
Supporting Fighter Responsibilities:
• Maintain visual and strive for tally.
• Inform engaged fighter of posit (potential for mid-air in the ACM environment makes this extra comm important)
• Sanitise the area about the fight through visual and electronic means (check your own six).
• Manoeuvre to avoid the fight and gain or maintain entry parameters on the bandit.
• Employ ordnance if the bandit is in a WEZ, consistent with the flight leads game plan, and without
compromising the engaged fighter’s safety.
• Engage other bandits that are a factor to the element and keep the engaged fighter informed.
• Maintain overall situational awareness to include area orientation, fuel, and exit avenues.
• Direct the egress.
Areas to Avoid
The supporting fighter must avoid three areas in order to fulfil their responsibilities:
• Staying directly above, below, or within 2 NM of the fight.
Engaged/Supporting Fighter Comms Flow
Engaged Fighter
The engaged fighter needs to keep his wingman (and potentially other aircraft) apprised of the situation. This is especially true if the engaged fighter needs assistance!
The format of an engaged fighter call includes the following information:
• Engaged state (Offensive, Neutral or Defensive)
• Direction of turn
• Altitude
• Number & type of bandit(s) engaged
• Bandit’s position relative to engaged fighter (nearest cardinal bearing).
• Bullseye
Example: “1, engaged defensive, right turn, angels 3, single Mig29, North, bullseye 090 for 20”.
In the example above the flight lead (1) is the engaged fighter (engaged) the bandit it in a better position (defensive), in a right hand turn (right turn) at 3000’ (angels 3) with a single Mig29 (single Mig29) and the bandit is north relative to #1 (north) which in this scenario means #1 is the aircraft to the East or South and that they are approximately 20nm east of the bullseye (090 for 20).
The engaged fighter should provide a commentary whenever when the situation changes significantly (eg, a change of engaged state, direction of turn, significant change of altitude, number or type of bandit(s) in the furball, or a significant change of bullseye).
In addition to the above engaged call, the engaged fighter must also call out any shots taken on the bandit so that other aircraft are aware of any missile or gun shots in the air.
Supporting fighter
The supporting fighter has two primary roles; keep an eye on the fight and to clear/keep clear the immediate area around the fight. The supporting fighter maintains a commentary for the engaged fighter to state the supporting pilot’s ability to see the bandit and the engaged fighter.
The format of the call is:
• Status of eyes on the bandit (Tally or No Joy)
• Status of eyes on the engaged fighter (Visual or Blind)
Never refrain from admitting you don’t see anyone (“No Joy, Blind”) or that you can only see either the bandit on the wingman (tally, blind / no joy, visual – respectively), this is critical information. Like the engaged fighter, these calls should not be called again unless the situation has changed, or (unlike the engaged fighter) when a significant period (c. 1-2 minutes +) has elapsed.
A supporting fighter may provide certain directive calls, commonly a break call where the supporting fighter spots a missile launch or guns attack against the engaged fighter, or to provide bug out directives if requested by the engaged fighter.
A supporting fighter should only enter the engagement if/when called to do so by the engaged fighter
Remember
This is where the difference between visual/bind and tally/no joy really matters.
- Board index Front Line Squadrons 3(F) Squadron Training Viper School AFJT (Advanced Fast Jet Training)
6: BFM – Supporting or Engaged?
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