Stage III: (Fox-1 to Fox-2)

INTERCEPT PROCEDURES TEXTBOOK

Stage III: (Fox-1 to Fox-2)

Counterturns during the advanced intercepts will be executed in the same manner as before

with only a few exceptions discussed below. Proper drift curves and control of hot and cold

situations will still be required. Additionally, the fighter must recognize and properly react to

some unique situations:

Fast or Slow bogey: Just because a bogey was fast or slow at range does not mean the

airspeed will be the same post F-1. With data block on, bogey airspeed is obviously known at all

times. However, with a degraded radar (due to jamming or failures in the system), which is

simulated by data block off, once the bogey is taken off of CH, such as upon displacement after

F-1 range, reliable SA of bogey airspeed is virtually impossible. This is the case because of the

possibility of ROC masking with combinations of heading and airspeed jinks. With data block

on, for a bogey recognized to have a speed advantage, the fighter may set the buster immediately

after employing the Fox-1 to match airspeed. Once set, the fighter will be in a standard co-speed

counterturn and the drift curve will remain the same. ROC and RROC, however, will obviously

be higher throughout. However, if airspeed is matched and the bogey jinks into the fighter, the

fighter must still recognize and aggressively attempt to cool off the situation to create turning

room and try to make the CT happen. Because of the higher closure rates, now there is less time

to assess turning room. Additionally, if turning room is denied by subsequent jinks, there is less

time to bring the bogey to the nose for a forward quarter F-2 opportunity. By remaining at base

airspeed, more opportunity exists to react to an initial jink into and properly assess turning room.

Once sufficient turning room is recognized, the buster should immediately be applied for a fast

or suspected fast bogey. Without sufficient turning room, remaining at base airspeed provides a

little more time to achieve parameters for the forward quarter F-2 and the fighter will be at a

better turning ("corner") airspeed for maximum turn performance at the merge. In the case of a

fast or suspected fast bogey jinking away in the counterturn, the fighter should match airspeed

immediately upon recognition of the jink while simultaneously bringing the bogey towards the

nose to pull lead as required.

In the case of a bogey recognized to be slow, the fighter should retain the speed advantage

until headwork dictates otherwise. Heading jinks aside, ROC will be lower than usual but

differences in the drift curve will not be significant until late in the counterturn.

High/Fast bogey: If the bogey is both fast and has at least 3K ft of an altitude advantage, the

fighter must be cognizant of both the vertical separation (turning room) and the T-39's tendency

to bleed airspeed in a climb. The fighter will compensate by, once sufficient turning room is

assessed, ensuring the buster is set as soon as possible and by bringing the bogey to the nose 1-2

nm earlier than the ideal drift curve. Underdisplacing the bogey by 10 degrees for TAs of 20 and

higher will also help establish enough LS, but the student is required to decide exactly how they

will heat up or cool off the counterturn for each type of contact.

Low/Slow bogey: In this case, the fighter has a speed advantage and, since it is more

difficult to throttle back in a steep descent, this situation has a high probability of becoming hot.

Therefore, once sufficient turning room is determined, the fighter will compensate by running

the drift curve about 5-10 degrees cooler than "ideal." The student may also overdisplace the

154