Air Combat Manoeuvring

ACM

Air Combat Manoeuvring (ACM) refers to the tactical manoeuvres used by fighter aircraft during visual-range air combat. It is commonly associated with dogfighting, but ACM involves more than simply turning against an opponent.

The primary objective is to achieve a position from which weapons can be employed while denying the opponent the same opportunity.

Effective ACM depends on:

Aircraft positioning
Energy management
Visual awareness
Communication
Mutual support
Correct identification of engaged and supporting roles

In a two-aircraft flight, ACM should not become two independent one-versus-one fights. Both fighters must work together, maintain awareness of each other, and change roles as the engagement develops.

The pilot primarily controls and manoeuvres the aircraft. In the F-14, the Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) supports the fight by maintaining the wider tactical picture.

The Bracket

The bracket is the preferred method of approaching a single hostile aircraft. Its purpose is to force the bandit to commit to one fighter while allowing the second fighter to gain a positional advantage.

At approximately 10 nautical miles, the flight separates. Lead and Wingman turn away from each other until each is approximately 35 degrees from the bearing to the target, while maintaining contact.

This separation forces the hostile pilot to choose which fighter to engage.

A typical call from Lead is:

Lead: “Bracket right, Two.”

Wingman acknowledges:

Wingman: “Two.”

As the range decreases, both crews observe the bandit's behaviour. The objective is to determine which fighter the bandit is targeting.

Signs of a commit include:

The bandit's nose remains consistently pointed towards one fighter.
The bandit's turn follows one side of the bracket.
The bandit begins reducing aspect against one fighter.

Once identified, the targeted fighter becomes the engaged fighter.

Example:

Lead: “One, engaged.”

The supporting fighter responds:

Wingman: “Two, press.”

The engaged fighter's job is to survive, manoeuvre against the bandit, and retain the bandit's attention.

The supporting fighter's job is to gain a position from which the bandit can be attacked.

When the engaged fighter is offensive, the supporting fighter should allow him to fight without unnecessarily entering the same engagement. If both fighters enter the same fight, neither may be able to provide effective support.

Role Changes

Roles in ACM can change very quickly.

If the bandit shifts attention from one fighter to the other, responsibilities change immediately.

Example:

Wingman: “Two, engaged.”

Lead responds with:

Lead: “One, press.”

The flight should not wait for approval before changing roles. Each fighter announces the change and continues fighting.

The sooner a role change is recognised, the sooner both fighters can resume coordinated action.

The Merge

The merge begins when visual-range manoeuvring becomes unavoidable.

Before reaching the merge, both fighters should know:

Who is engaged
Who is supporting
Where their wingman is
Whether additional threats are present

Radio communication should remain short and concise.

Common visual calls include:

Tally: The enemy aircraft is in sight.
No Joy: The enemy aircraft is not in sight.

The first seconds after the merge are often chaotic. Both crews must continue scanning.

Important considerations include:

Bandit position
Wingman position
Aircraft energy state
Additional threats

Winning the first turn means little if visual contact is lost immediately afterwards.

Offensive ACM

When offensive, the objective is not simply to out-turn the bandit. The objective is to reach a position from which weapons can be employed.

The engaged fighter should focus on defeating the bandit's manoeuvring and creating a valid weapons solution.

The supporting fighter should remain above and outside the immediate fight, ideally maintaining approximately 5,000 to 6,000 feet of altitude separation.

From this position, the supporting fighter can:

Observe the engagement
Identify additional threats
Preserve energy
Look for weapons opportunities
Assist if the engaged fighter becomes defensive

The supporting fighter should not enter the fight unless:

The engaged fighter becomes defensive.
A clear firing opportunity appears.
A role change occurs.

Throughout the engagement, each fighter should continually ask:

Do I still see the bandit?
Do I know where my wingman is?
Am I preserving energy?

If the answer to any question is no, that problem should be corrected before continuing the attack.

The F-14 can generate very high angles of attack, but unnecessary manoeuvring rapidly consumes airspeed. Every knot lost must later be regained.

Patience and positioning are generally more valuable than aggressive pulling.

Once weapons are employed, the fighter should announce the launch or firing.

Examples:

“Fox Two”

or

“Guns”

After a kill, both crews should immediately search for additional threats.

Defensive ACM

The moment the engaged fighter becomes defensive, or the fight becomes neutral, the change should be communicated.

Example:

“One, defensive.”

This should immediately shift the supporting fighter's attention towards assisting the defensive fighter.

The defensive fighter should continue providing updates.

A useful defensive call includes:

Aircraft identity
Current situation
Bandit position

Example:

“One, defensive, in front low. Bandit six o'clock high.”

The objective is to provide enough information for the supporting fighter to distinguish the friendly aircraft from the bandit.

While defensive, the priorities are:

Stay alive.
Maintain visual contact.
Force an overshoot.
Give the supporting fighter time to assist.

In a two-circle fight, this may involve flying near the aircraft's best sustained turn-rate speed. For the F-14, this is approximately 450 knots, although the exact value depends on configuration, altitude, weight, and environmental conditions.

Overshoots

An overshoot occurs when the attacking aircraft passes in front of the defending aircraft and loses its positional advantage.

If the bandit overshoots while you are offensive, exploit the opportunity and take the shot if one is available.

If the bandit overshoots while you are defensive, reverse the fight when appropriate and attempt to transition back to an offensive position.

Losing Visual Contact

The moment visual contact with the bandit is lost, announce it.

Example:

“Two, no joy.”

If the pilot loses visual contact during an engagement, the RIO becomes the primary source of positional information.

The pilot's focus shifts from attacking to safely manoeuvring the aircraft while the RIO attempts to reacquire the bandit.

RIO instructions should be direct and unambiguous.

Examples include:

“Keep the turn coming.”

“Keep pulling.”

“Level wings.”

“Bandit twelve o'clock.”

During these moments, the RIO effectively guides the engagement while the pilot attempts to regain visual contact.

Once visual contact is restored, announce it.

Example:

“Two, tally.”

Mutual Support

Every fighter should always know:

Where the wingman is
Which fighter the bandit is targeting
Whether the fighter is engaged or supporting

If the wingman becomes defensive, the supporting fighter's previous attack is no longer the priority. The immediate objective becomes helping the defensive fighter survive and regain an advantage.

Supporting fighters should continually look for:

Missile opportunities
Overshoots
Additional bandits
Changes in the engagement
Opportunities for a role change

The supporting fighter is often the most dangerous aircraft in the engagement because it has the greatest freedom to observe the wider tactical situation.

State Calls

Any flight member may request or provide a state call when situational awareness begins to break down.

Example:

“One, two-circle, defensive. One south low, bandit east high.”

A good state call should contain:

Who is speaking
The type of fight
The speaker's status
Friendly position
Bandit position

State calls help rebuild the shared tactical picture and reduce the risk of losing situational awareness.

The Role of the RIO

Throughout ACM, the RIO is responsible for maintaining awareness beyond the pilot's immediate field of view.

The RIO should continuously monitor:

Wingman position
Additional contacts
Threats entering the engagement
Fuel state
Bandit position
Changes in engaged and supporting roles
The aircraft's overall tactical situation

The pilot concentrates on manoeuvring the aircraft and solving the immediate fight.

The RIO maintains the wider battle picture.

The pilot fights the aircraft. The RIO fights the battle.