Page 8 - Maritime Services and the Kill Web

The Maritime Services, the Allies and Shaping the Kill Web

With that knowledge and practice and being competently flown, a fighter pilot would have a significant
advantage in engaging.

Understanding relative platform energy maneuverability, especially in F-15, F-16 and F/A -18 improvements
in airframe/wing design and engine performance, would give a fighter pilot a significant advantage in a 1 V
1 “Knife fight ” up to to “fur ball,” which is colloquial term for a swirling engagement with many bogies and
friendlies.

Using P sub s charts the pilot would know where to optimize the fight to gain an advantage.

To Boyd, visual lookout was essential and he was totally correct.

Finally, Section (USN/USMC ) or two ship USAF and Division (USN/USMC) or four ship (USAF terminology)
pairing tactics become a huge consideration.

Boyd again got it correct -- a “Bubble” canopy would make a huge difference in keeping mutual support and
look-out doctrine in any air-to-air engagement.

Essentially his OODA (Observe, Orient, Decide and Act) began with looking out see the enemy, orient the
fighter, decide if an advantage exists, OR not, and then act employing knowledge of the human/machine
capability.
The remarkable combat success of the F-15 Eagle Fighter Pilots of over 100 to zero kill ratio owes a debt of
gratitude to the late Col John Boyd USAF (ret).

The Mobilization/Modernization Dynamic

In the design era of Boyd’s OODA formulation another technological imperative was just beginning to be seen
-- advanced weapon designs.

Perhaps the best combat example is the successful laser-guided bomb attack on the Paul Doumer Bridge in
the later days of the Vietnam War.

John Boyd was very concerned with Observe, Orient, Decide, Act and his Payload was essentially the squeeze
trigger of his platform the gun.

From the history of Korea and MIG Ally:

THE F-86 ENTERED SERVICE WITH THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE IN 1949, JOINING THE 1ST FIGHTER WING‘S 94TH FIGHTER
SQUADRON AND BECAME THE PRIMARY AIR-TO-AIR JET FIGHTER USED BY THE AMERICANS IN THE KOREAN WAR.
Second Line of Defense

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