How do todays air-combat tactics differ than those of previous wars?
Tactics have evolved with capabilities. Technology advances have driven tactics. World War II and Korean War air-to-air fighting was a very close-in, phone-booth type activity. Combatants were getting up close and personal. When friend and foe saw each other, they knew one of them was not going home. In Vietnam, close-in combat ultimately gave way to the air-to-air missile age. Today’s technology offers pilots an opportunity to set up a hundred miles away and work their way in, hopefully making a kill without ever having visual contact. Q: How do today’s fighter pilots differ from their predecessors? A: Technology and tactics have certainly evolved, but the warrior ethos has not changed. That’s something the Air Force has made a very conscious effort to preserve throughout our history. It doesn’t matter if you are flying an F-22 or you’re back flying a P-51, the one thing that, cannot change is the fighter pilot warrior mentality. The Air Force is very aware of that and we start groomi
