Procedures/78th/A2A/ACM
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INTRODUCTION TO ACM
Air Combat Maneuvering or ACM describes the szenario that comes in place after a flight merges with an enemy or hostile flight or after an BVR engagement failed. It comes, that it refers to close combat engagements, so called Dogfights. ACM knows two roles to be assigned to the participating aircrafts. The engaged fighter and the supporting fighter. Each role comes with either standard or specific prebriefed tasks. The focus lays on all friendly fighter to survive the situation. At this point all involved enemy aircrafts are declared hostile as shooting in that case is an act of self defense. ACM also requires special rules for IFF and communications. With that come Mutual Support.
Mutual Support
In an ACM environment Support is not only an act of airmenship other than vital. All members of a flight should support the others with vital informations at all time. Therefore its crucial, that the Flight establishes a tactical formation (usally already in place through past BFM environement). So all members can have a good look on each others 12 and 6 following the usual scanning flow.
Mutual Sensor Support
Mutual Snesor Support includes all informations that can be collected via the onboard sensors such as RWR, Radar or IFF contacts. They should be called out as soon as they appear. Following abraviations are to be used:
- Nails: An enemy fighters radar in search mode appears on RWR
- Spiked: An enemy fighter radar locks you
- Red Dorito: A red datalink contact appeared
Mutual Visual Support
Mutual Visual Support means all informations to be collected visually. Following abraviations are to be used:
- Tally: An enemy fighter is in sight
- No Joy: An enemy fighter is not in sight
- Smoke in the air: Enemy ordnance has been fired and is visual usually follewed by a brake direction for the involved member
Mutual Weapons support
Is all about knowing your own ordnance, WEZ and flying accordingly to gain shots of oppurtunity. Following abraviations are to be used:
- FOX 1: When launching a semi active radar homing missile
- FOX 2: When launching an infra red homing missile
- FOX 3: When launching an active radar homing missile
Bracket Maneuver and Call
The bracket can be understood as a formation split to opposite directions to force the enemy to choose one aircraft to engage.
The FL will call Bracket and the direction the wingman is supposed to turn. The Lead will do the opposite for the hostile to decide whom to engange. If not as prebriefed or not prebriefed, this is where the roles are beeing assigned.
The Tactical formation is broken by the Bracket call.
Example:
Bracket right 2
Wingmen acknowledge: 2
Roles and their tasks
The ACM knows two different roles crucial to survive the situation. If they are not prebriefed, FL will assign but they can change dynamically, depending on the enemy´s actions. Depending on the assigned role, the wingmen follows different standard, contract or assigned rules and orders. The FL will advise the Wingmen of the start of the attack and role act by the push call.
Engaged Fighter Role
Is the Flightmemember which the enemy decided to attack.
Tasks:
- Maneuver to kill the hostile or negate the hostile´s attack in the minimum time. Fly your best defensive/offensive BFM
- Maintain situational awareness on the hostile
- Keep the supporting fighters informed of intention capabilities and future tactical plans.
Supporting Fighter Role
Are all Flightmembers who are not engaged.
Tasks:
- Maintain visual and strive for tally
- Deconflict from the engaged fighter
- Sanatize the area around the fight visually and electronically
- Maneuver to avoid the fight and gain or maintain entry parameters on the hostile
- Employ ordnance if the hostile is in WEZ, without compromising the engaged fighter´s seafty
- Engage other fighters that are a factor to the element and keep engaged fighter informed
- Maintain overall situational awareness to include area orientation, fuel and exit avenues.
- Direct the egress
If engaged fighter has no joy
If the engaged fighter looses tally on the hostile, the highest priority of the supporting fighters is to regain the engaged fighters SA by calling out the hostiles position or to change roles as fast as possible.
Role Change
Role changes can be very dynamic and depend on the hostiles actions and are allways to be called out. If A flightmember was assigned to be a supporting fighter by the flightlead or by briefing and the hostile takes him under attack, he becomes the engaged fighter and his responsebilities change. The Wingeman will state that by for example: 2 engaged. Followed by the previous engaged aircraft calling for example: 1 supported
Differ friend from foe
In an ACM environment identifying friend or foe (IFF) is one of the most important challenges. Holding on the awareness about IFF is the key factor to avoid blue on blue situation aswell as to keep general and overall SA of the fight. First of all, ofcourse all sensors and options are to be used to IFF. But there is two more things.
State Calls
A state call can be requested and done by any member of the flight whenever needed. It gives information about the interrogatet´s role, fight type and status, direction, own and bandits position. It is a situation update to help the flightmembers to IFF.
Example:
2 Status.
2 is engaged, one circle, neutral, north bound bandits low, 2 is high.
Flash Calls
Flash calls are all possible ways to IFF visually. They are bad for almost all situations because they require the asked fighter to perform an action, effecting the fight. For Example
- Flash Flares
- Flash AB
- Flash Wings
Try to not use them unless absolutely necessary!
Radio Priority
Radio priority belongs to the engaged fighter. Other flight members subordinate their transmissions to avoid stepping on critical engaged fighter calls. The controller minimizes transmissions entirely and provides only THREAT calls, SA updates, and responses to direct requests.
| Role | Authority | Radio Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Flight Lead | Full authority over the engagement at all times | Secondary — subordinates to engaged fighter |
| Engaged Fighter | Manages own engagement IAW FL direction | Primary — holds radio priority |
| Supporting Fighter | Executes IAW engaged fighter and FL direction | Tertiary — transmits only when necessary |
| Controller | Provides SA only | Minimal — THREAT calls and direct requests only |
Bug Out contract
The Bug out contract tells all roles what to do in case of an early bugout or after the ACM engagement is over. It is mostly prebriefed.
During an early bugout the supporting fighters are supposed to sanatize the airspace and help the engaged fighter to bug out by, if possible giving him a direction.
For a bugout after the engagement, the FL will call the Flights name, and bugout direction. Wingmen are to be given rejoin orders, otherwise they assume to return to last given formation setting.