IP-20: Advanced Intercepts

INTERCEPT PROCEDURES TEXTBOOK

IP-20: ADVANCED INTERCEPTS

PART I

Introduction

To this point in the syllabus, the bogey has been relatively cooperative with only minor

changes in heading. A real world intercept is very dynamic with rapid changes in heading,

altitude and airspeed occurring throughout the intercept. All aircraft will attempt some evasive

maneuvering if threatened, and many employ a variety of maneuvers to deceive enemy fighters.

The role of the weapons officer is to successfully counter the maneuvering of an uncooperative,

aggressive bogey, and then bring weapons to bear. It is necessary to react quickly and accurately

to changing intercept geometry.

Techniques for conducting successful intercepts depend heavily upon skills acquired

throughout the syllabus, especially in IP-18 and IP-19. During the initial phase of an advanced

intercept, you will use the skills you acquired in Unknowns to estimate target aspect and those

you learned in Conversions to change it for a possible long or medium range missile shot.

Reasons for a Bogey Jink

From this stage of training forward, it can be assumed that bogeys will always change at least

one of the intercept parameters. There are numerous tactical reasons for a bogey to jink. A

partial listing of reasons why a bogey might jink are:

1. The bogey observes a missile or missile smoke trail approaching his aircraft and elects to

break turn into or away from the threat.

2. The bogey is conducting an intercept of his own against the fighter and, responding to

radar information, maneuvers to position himself into missile firing parameters.

3. The bogey has detected the fighter visually, from threat GCI information, or from on-

board RHAW gear and elects to evade or reposition itself.

4. A bogey turns to position the fighter in his HUD or to an area of his canopy to enhance

his visibility.

5. The bogey turns to bait the fighter into a tail chase to draw the fighter into a SAM trap or

so his wingmen can maneuver for the kill.

6. The bogey maneuvers prior to the missile shot to improve his own probability of kill.

7. The bogey maneuvers simply because it wants to.

Learning Objectives

The purpose of the Advanced Phase is to bring together all four of the SF Stage terminal

objectives as expressed in the Master Curriculum Guide. In support of these objectives, the

underlying learning objective is proper interpretation of the information provided by the weapons

officer's resources (radar, comms, instruments, visual cues, etc). The terminal objectives are

finally accomplished by the development of students' abilities to interpret their resources (with

147