Flight Procedures
Air Combat Maneuvering
maneuver, detection, direction, elevation relative to the threatened aircraft, range, and remarks. For
example:
Call sign
“Eagle”
Maneuver
“Hard right”
Detection
“MIG”
Direction
“Right 3”
Elevation
“Slightly low”
Range
“1 mile”
Remarks
“Nose on”
If the threatened member does not have a visual sighting and responds with “No joy,” the update
transmission must verify the requested maneuver or modification. For example:
Response
“No joy”
Update
“Eagle, break right, missile in the air”
During an engagement, constant communications can make the difference. Remember these critical
elements about communications during an engagement: let your wingman know how the engage-
ment is progressing, and always call your intentions, any pertinent information, and the direction of
the fight. As an engaged fighter, your most important call identifies the bandit’s position. As a free
fighter, your most important calls identify your position, intentions, and any recommendations to the
engaged fighter.
Clear, concise transmissions using verbal shorthand communicates everything that is necessary
without wasting words. For instance, “Eagle’s engaged” translates into Eagle (the engaged fighter)
is forcing the enemy aircraft to maneuver against him while Ghost (Eagle’s free fighter) will be free to
maneuver to a cover or an attacking position. “Ghost’s free” means Ghost is repositioning based on
the tactical situation.
STRATEGIES/TACTICS
Before entering an ACM arena, you must evaluate all of the tactical considerations. One is force
mix—the number and type of friendly vs opponent aircraft. For training purposes, a 2 v 1 environ-
ment is the easiest force mix to learn and use as a building block for future, more difficult, force
mixes in the fleet.
You must also consider the bandit’s disposition. Constantly consider those tactical questions a
bandit might be asking himself—those things that might affect his follow-on moves: “What would be
an effective initial move by an attacking section?” “How much fuel do I have remaining?” “How far
am I from my base?” “What is my tactical situation if I lose ground control intercept (GCI) coverage
or my radar fails?” “If I have no tally, what will I do if I end up on an intercept and fly through?” You
should be asking these same questions for the same reason the bandit is.
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