Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!bionet!agate!ucbvax!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!att!cbnews!fiddler@Sun.COM
From: fiddler@Sun.COM (Steve Hix)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Sparrow miss rate off Libya (tit for tat)
Message-ID: <5892@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 25 Apr 89 03:21:08 GMT
References: <5735@cbnews.ATT.COM> <5797@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM
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From: fiddler@Sun.COM (Steve Hix)

In article <5797@cbnews.ATT.COM>, eos!eugene@eos.arc.nasa.gov (Eugene Miya) writes:
> 
> It totally amazes me that sci.military dwells so long on such a minor point.
> You should discuss means of evasion of Atolls, or other Soviet missiles
> to understand why Sparrows miss so often.  It will being like being a Soviet
> (or maybe Libyan) pilot wondering about your chances.

This is not the typical fighter-pilot mindset.

They're worried about how come they missed hitting the target, not
thinking about what happens when *they* are the target.

This is called "target fixation", resulting in higher rates of
shootdowns, flying into the ground, getting plastered by the
guy you never saw who got behind you...

'sides, your wingman's supposed to watch out for you to avoid these
sorts of problems.  :}