hnkst2@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Hanhwe N. Kim) (05/16/91)
From: Hanhwe N. Kim <hnkst2@unix.cis.pitt.edu> There have been postings about the performance of long range air-air missiles (radar guided or fire-n-forget) finally improving up to the point where the advantage is to the side that acquires and shoots first in air-to air combat. It seems that that was the argument made in the late 60's (sparrow) which was proved wrong over North Vietnam, and lead to the creation of red flag and top gun schools in the usaf and navy. Have tactics with modern long range aam's been tested in red flag or top gun... I can't imagine how you could actually fire a long range aam at an aggressor squadron... ? I remember reading somewhere that in a mock combat between a teen series fighter and an aggressor f-5 in the 70's, the teen acquired the aggressor on radar, but was not able to fire until the pilot could IFF the target properly, giving the f-5, armed with a much shorter range missile a shot as well. Have there been improvements in IFF that support the long range aam's? Are we getting close to the day when awacs planes will load up with super-phoenixes and try to shoot each other at ranges of +100 miles? and stealth fighters will try to sneak in to attack the flying missile bases as in tom clancey's 'red storm rising'? -Han Kim