Have the dogfights changed since the installation of missiles?
First, lets define “dogfight”. A dogfight is a low to medium speed, close-in, turning fight, usually not involving missiles as the range will often be too short to employ them. This makes the primary weapon of the dogfight the gun. If missiles are used, they’ll typically be short-range missiles like the AIM-9 sidewinder. In such short-range missile shots, the maneuvering techniques don’t change much. In close in fighting, the absolute goal is to get behind your oponent, which gives you the best chance for successful attack. Snap shots made fom off angles are rarely successful. In such a fight, the tactics are aften very similiar to those developed in the early days of military aviation. The largest difference is simply that the speeds are higher, so the combatants will cross more sky in the process and reaction times are lower. Even in Vietnam, when our F-4s only employed missiles, an actual anchored, turning “dogfight” wasn’t common. In fact, such a ight would put the F-4 at a disadva
