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From: eachus@aries.mitre.org (Robert I. Eachus)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: 33 TO 0 : Air-to-Air Combat
Message-ID: <1991Feb13.221236.5621@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 13 Feb 91 22:12:36 GMT
References: <1991Feb9.030115.636@cbnews.att.com>
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From: eachus@aries.mitre.org (Robert I. Eachus)

     The main problem faced by the Iraqi pilots is probably that they
were trained in the Soviet style of air-to-air fighting, which is
primarily ground controlled.  I am sure that the highest priority
targets during the initial attack were these ground control
facilities, so any pilots that did get up were immediately cut off
from supervision.

     Since the initial attacks were at night, any Iraqi pilots who
wished to engage allied pilots had no way of knowing if they were
attempting an "own goal," so my guess is that only the less prudent
and inexperienced pilots attempted to engage allied planes the first
night, the rest fleeing to northern Iraq.

     Having said all that, the 33-0, or whatever it is now, ratio
should have the Soviets very worried.  Even if the main advantage we
enjoy is due to a more effective strategy, it is far easier to fix a
hardware problem than to design a new strategy and retrain all of your
personnel--even if the new strategy requires no new equipment.
Remember the story from the Top Gun school where instructors getting
waxed in F-5's added Fuzzbusters to give themselves a radar warning
capability?  Since the pilots knew HOW to use radar warnings, the
hardware fix could be used the next day.

     Note that a lot of the equipment flying in the Gulf was designed
and built specifically to implement the American battle plan.  The
F-117A, for example, would be of little use to the Soviets under their
current doctrine, but was a key part of the American plan.


					Robert I. Eachus
     Our troops will have the best possible support in the entire
world.  And they will not be asked to fight with one hand tied behind
their back.  President George Bush, January 16, 1991