F-22 LIGHTNING 3 Tactics Manual Table of Contents BFM (Basic Flight Maneuvers)......................................................................................................2 Break Turn....................................................................................................................................2 Immelmann..................................................................................................................................2 Split S..........................................................................................................................................3 ACM (Air Combat Maneuvers).......................................................................................................3 Lead Pursuit..................................................................................................................................3 Line (or Pure) Pursuit......................................................................................................................4 Lag Pursuit...................................................................................................................................4 Early Turn.....................................................................................................................................4 One Circle Fight.............................................................................................................................4 Two Circle Fight.............................................................................................................................5 Co-Operative Bracket.....................................................................................................................5 Scissors.......................................................................................................................................6 Offensive Tactics...........................................................................................................................6 Missile Combat..............................................................................................................................6 Guns Combat................................................................................................................................7 Bomb Delivery...............................................................................................................................8 Defensive Tactics..........................................................................................................................9 Stealth Considerations...................................................................................................................9 Electronic Counter-Measures (ECM).................................................................................................9 Missile Avoidance........................................................................................................................10 GLOSSARY OF FLIGHT TERMS...................................................................................................11 1 TACTICS BFM (BASIC FLIGHT MANEUVERS) There are a few basic flight maneuvers (BFMs) that you should be aware of before you enter combat. Your opponent will be well versed in these tactics so it is recommended that you take the time to practice them yourself. BREAK TURN The Break turn (or maximum rate turn), should rightfully be considered an emergency maneuver and should never be used if a less severe bank attitude will suffice. Break turns are a means of cutting inside the turn radius of an incoming missile. They can be used equally Break Turn well to throw off an opponent who is moving in for a guns-only kill. They are most effective when they are performed suddenly and unexpectedly. Abrupt changes in direction may cause an attacker to overshoot and be forced out in front of you. A Break turn is performed by rolling 90° so that your wings are perpendicular to the ground. At the same time, pull the stick back hard. Hold this attitude for as long as necessary but watch out, your airspeed will bleed off rapidly. Never maintain a Break turn for so long that you are unable to maneuver after the turn is completed. The high G force created by this maneuver is another danger. Blackouts (if the option is turned on) can result from Break turns performed at too high a speed. If you feel this beginning to happen, relax the stick to reduce the G forces or extend your speed brake. IMMELMANN Another basic fighter maneuver is the Immelmann. It's named after Max Immelmann, the German pilot who perfected this maneuver in WW I,. Basically, the Immelmann is nothing more than a climbing half loop as shown in the diagram. Enter the Immelmann from level flight or preferably a shallow dive. Begin by building up a little excess speed then start pulling back gradually on the stick. Keep back pressure on the stick until you reach a sheer vertical climb. (You can judge your aircraft attitude by keeping an eye on the HUD pitch ladder or by switching to a Virtual Cockpit view.) Half Loop Half Roll At this point, you can complete the Immelmann at any time by pulling back on the stick. Notice however that you will be flying inverted. A 90° half roll is required to return you to a normal flight attitude. The Immelmann is not just a reversal maneuver. Once you get really good at it, you'll be able to roll while climbing so that you can pull out in any compass heading you desire. 2 TACTICS SPLIT S As the diagram indicates, the Split S is really nothing more than an Immelmann in reverse, instead of climbing you are performing a dive. In fact if you combined an Immelmann with a Split S you would wind up flying in a complete loop. Like the Immelmann, the Split S can be used to effect a sudden reversal of direction but it is most effective as a means of instantly increasing your speed. Half Loop Half Roll The first step in performing a Split S is to roll 90° so that your aircraft is now inverted. This is done so that you are pulling back on the stick to enter the dive rather than pushing it forward. (Your body can withstand positive Gs better than it can negative.) Rolling inverted from level flight telegraphs your intentions so wait until you are ready to dive before starting your roll. Pull the nose of your aircraft down to enter the dive and keep back pressure on the stick until you are vertical. (Again, use the Virtual Cockpit view or HUD pitch ladder to judge your aircraft's attitude.) Reduce your speed to stay near your corner velocity and avoid losing too much altitude. Either cut the throttle before you enter the dive or slow the aircraft by opening your speed brakes (the B key). To complete this maneuver, pull back sharply on the stick, bringing the nose of the aircraft up to a level flight attitude. Like the Immelmann, you can wind up heading in any direction you desire by rolling slowly as you dive. The Split S is a great maneuver but you must use caution. Be careful not to engage this maneuver at too low an alititude, you may not be able to pull out of it in time. ACM (AIR COMBAT MANEUVERS) PURSUIT ANGLES Immediately after identifying an enemy target, you enter a phase of air combat known as the closure phase. This stage of combat is where you figure out how to get close enough to the enemy to shoot him down. It sounds fairly straightforward but it is actually a period of significant tactical decision making. If you are tasked with intercepting an enemy aircraft, there are three basic closure angles referred to as Pursuit Angles. These are Lead pursuit, Line (or Pure) pursuit, and Lag pursuit. MiG-29 Lag Pursuit Pure Pursuit Lead Pursuit LEAD PURSUIT A Lead Pursuit is one in which you keep the nose of your aircraft pointed ahead of your intended MiG-29 F-22 target. This pursuit angle demands the highest level of energy from your aircraft because you are forced into an ever-increasing turn rate as the pursuit continues. Of the three angles, it is the most dangerous. Not only do you need to be concerned about getting into an overshoot situation, the risk of reversal is great as well. Even so, it is easier to switch from a lead to a lag pursuit then vice versa. Though the risk of miscalculation is high, lead pursuits allow you to keep 3 TACTICS your tactical options open. LINE (OR PURE) PURSUIT A Line (or Pure) pursuit is one in which you keep the nose of your aircraft pointed directly at (in line with) your intended target. This pursuit angle is really a transitional approach that holds your attack options open as you close in. Essentially, a line pursuit extends the amount of time you have before committing yourself. As long as you can keep the nose of your aircraft in line with the bandit, you have the upper hand. LAG PURSUIT A Lag pursuit is one in which you keep the nose of your aircraft pointed slightly behind your intended target. Every intercept should start out as a lag pursuit because it generates the least amount of G forces and allows you to preserve your available energy for closure. This type of closure also affords you the best opportunity to remain hidden. It keeps your approach outside of your opponent's radar and visual detection envelopes. The lag pursuit allows you the most time to assess the situation as the pursuit continues. Should the intercept go wrong, it is the best of the three angles if you have to start thinking in terms of disengagement. A simple roll is all it takes to make your escape. F-22 EARLY TURN The Early turn is a conversion maneuver designed to put you on your opponent's tail from an initial head-on aspect. It is an extremely tricky maneuver to execute. It requires a keen sense of timing and a high degree of spatial orientation. The secret is being able to anticipate your opponent's actions at the merge. As shown in the diagram, an F-22 and EF-2000 are on a collision course. The F-22 pilot anticipates that the EF-2000 is going to turn into him and begins a hard right turn of his own. The affect of this early turn is that the F-22 has gotten the jump on its opponent. Its nose is already swinging around as the enemy aircraft passes by it. In several more seconds, the F-22 will be neatly situated in the EF-2000's "six o'clock" ready to execute a guns or IR missile attack at close range. The EF-2000's pilot has only a couple options. If his airspeed is high, he can opt for a vertical disengagement, but that comes with problems of it's own. He could also continue his right turn and hope to cut inside the F-22's turn radius. But the most likely response open to him is to reverse himself and attempt a horizontal break to the left. Should he in fact choose this option, he will be initiating what's called a One Circle Fight. Early Turn EF-2000 ONE CIRCLE FIGHT A One Circle Fight is a very common situation that occurs after two opposing, non-advantaged aircraft meet at the merge. As shown in the diagram, if one pilot decides to break left and the other pilot decides to break right they are in effect creating a large circle in sky. One good thing about these fights is that both aircraft are banked canopy to canopy so that both can keep an eye on the other. Whatever happens, they can see it coming and neither will be surprised. Another thing in your favor is the F-22, with its vectored thrust, does very well in these fights. 4 TACTICS MiG-29 F-22 F-22 MiG-29 The bad thing about this type of engagement is that it soon becomes a series of smaller and smaller turns. Both pilots will be trying to turn inside the other in an attempt to be the first to get off a shot. If you enter one of these engagements flying above or below your corner velocity, quit this fight immediately. These are affairs of angles, not speed. Being able to turn sharply is more valuable to you than being able to turn fast. TWO CIRCLE FIGHT A Two Circle Fight is very different from the preceding engagement. Participants are presented with an entirely new set of tactical problems. Like One Circle Fights, these battles occur when two opposing non-advantaged fighters meet at the merge but here is where any similarities end. As shown in the diagram, Two Circle Fights result when the pilots involved meet at the merge and decide to turn in the same direction (i.e. they both break to the right for example.) MiG-29 MiG-29 F-22 F-22 One Circle Fight Although the object is to convert a head-on pass into a tail chase situation, Two Circle Fights take place at much higher speeds than One Circle Fights. This is because both pilots are attempting to be the first to bring the nose of their aircraft to bear on their opponent. The physical size of a Two Circle Fight is twice that of the former so missile combat is a viable option. Look for an opportunity to fire a sidewinder across the figure eight. Visibility will be a problem because you are not turning canopy to canopy with the enemy. Y ...