Ground-to-air defense

Learning objectives

1. Defend against SAMs

Learning files

• Missile Defense Course Notes and Slides
• Missile Defense Notes

SAM defense

1. Break turn to put missile on beam, preferably nose down, dump chaff. (If you have a jammer, this technique alone will often break locks on systems like the SA-2 in my experience)
2. Visually acquire missile
3. Once on beam, out of plane turns while maintaining beam until threat is defeated (Pete Bonnani calls for a vertical yo-yo to force missile to change point of aim and use energy)
4. If you cannot defeat the threat, execute a max-g turn into the missile.

Now, point 4 is pretty complicated:

1. You have to be as close to 450 knots as you can get, you need to be at least between 370-450 knots (corner airspeed), and yank on the stick as hard as you can. If you're not hitting 9 Gs in your final break turn, you're not working hard enough.
2. You have to practice on SAMs in order to find the right time to make a break turn. When I'm watching an SA-2 launch, I take note of the time when the booster stops (i.e. you see no more contrail but the missile is still coming), and that's when I start thinking about my break turn and am constantly tracking the missile. If all you're seeing is missile nose, you waited too long. If you break too early, the missile will not need to use much energy to correct and get back on target, and you'll have used up a lot of yours.
3. To keep the turn on at corner speed, you will likely need to apply afterburner - prepare for it and know if you'll need it (i.e. flat or rising turn you will definitely need it, possibly in a descending turn)
4. If you see missile getting close and you haven't hit emergency jettison you should. No point in having your bombs and fuel if you're dead. You cannot execute a 9G turn in Condition 3 without inducing a FLCS fault, however that can still be flyable. Full honesty moment - I often give the max-g turn a go with full stores in the hope of continuing mission - it's a fair gamble, and I'd rather gamble with dying than have to RTB because I have munitions to hit my target.
5. A missile needs between 4-5 times the G of its target to make the turn against its lead pursuit and close with you, i.e. 36-45 Gs when you're pulling 9. For this reason, a proper maximum-g turn that does not allow the missile to close to effective range will defeat it every time. SAMs simply don't have that much energy in the terminal phase, if you execute properly you are far superior to them.

SA-10’s

SA-10's are deadly. If one spikes you and then turns off, assume it has fired at you. If it turns on again, it is likely terminally guiding its missile in on you. Destroy this sucker fast and get out of Dodge!

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