Flying and Fighting:Agile Aircraft – Agile TeamBruce KeightleyAssurity

Flying and Fighting

Agile aircraft or Agile Team?

3

What’s the Plan?

• Decision making• Rolling Wave Planning• How Radar Works• Developing New Tactics• Continuous Improvement • Winning Against the Odds

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Welcome to the Military

Perception• Disciplined• Regimented• Obedient• Trained to act/react

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Initial Training

Reinforces the perception• Lots of yelling and shouting• Pointless activities• Arbitrary punishment

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Why?

What happens when life threatened?• Freeze• Flight• FightSurvive the first seconds/minutes of real combat• Don’t freeze• Don’t runAct/React

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Advanced Training

Focus on Reacting • Taking the initiative• Winning

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Wartime Reality

“No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy”Helmuth von Moltke (the elder)

1800-1891Chief of Staff, Prussian Army

• Extensive preparation for all conceivable events• Agility of action

“Everyone has a plan, until they’re punched in the face” Mike Tyson

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John Boyd’s OODA LoopDecision making processRecurring cycle

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Winning Using the OODA LoopYour OODA loop must run faster than your opponent’sGet your opponent reacting to something you’re not doing anymoreActs inappropriately / becomes predictableCan be beaten

Commercial use:LitigationBusinessStrategy

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Rolling Wave Planning in the Air Force

Operational Planning process• Annual plan• Monthly plan• Daily Plan• Actual missions

“Planning is everything.” - Dwight D. Eisenhower

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Annual PlanBroken up into monthly activities

Exercises / deployments Resource allocation

WeaponsFlying hours

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Aust F-18 FCP IADS

FlaresFlares Flares

220 350 185 225 200 120 340 370190 210 180110

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Monthly Plan Daily flying rate

Activity

June

1 Weekend

2 "

3 12 x 1v1 ACM 9.6

4 12 x 1v1 ACM 9.6

5 12 x 1v1 ACM 9.6

6 12 x 2v2 ACM 9.6

7 12 x 2v2 ACM 9.6

8 Weekend

9 "

10 12 x 2v2 ACM 9.6

11 12 x 2v2 ACM 9.6

12 12 x 2v2 ACM 9.6

13 12 x 4v2 ACM 12.0

14 12 x 4v2 ACM 12.0

15 Weekend

16 "

17 12 x 4v2 ACM 12.0

18 12 x 1v1 DACM 9.6

19 12 x 1v1 DACM 9.6

20 12 x 2v2 DACM 9.6

21 12 x 2v2 DACM 9.6

22 Weekend

23 "

24 12 x 2v2 DACM 9.6

25 12 x 4v2 DACM 9.6

26 12 x 4v2 DACM 9.6

27 12 x 6v4 DACM 9.6

28 12 x 6v4 DACM 9.6

29 Weekend

30 "

199.2

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Daily Flying ProgrammeMorning briefing

SpecificPeopleAircraft

WeaponsArea

ActivityTiming

13 Jun

Serial A/C Crew Callsign Ex/Area Fuel Wpns Take-off Land

1 01 Keightley Red 4v2 Alpha 5200 AIM 9 0900 0950

2 11 Read " " " " " "

3 05 Barlow " " " " " "

4 03 Jackson " " " " " "

5 02 Fellowes Amber 2v4 Bravo " " 0905 0955

6 04 Barnes " " " " " "

7 01 Taylor Red 4v2 Alpha 5200 " 1300 1350

8 11 Compain " " " " " "

9 05 Lauder " " " " " "

10 03 Keith " " " " " "

11 02 Easthope Amber 2v4 Bravo " " 1305 1355

12 04 Styles " " " " " "

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Mission

PlannedBriefedFlownDebriefed

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Planning – 2 Week Exercise

F-18 Hornet vs A-4K SkyhawkSWOT analysis• Strengths - ours/theirs• Weaknesses – ours/theirs• Opportunities• What are the threats

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Our Strengths

Small aircraft• Hard to see on radar and with the Mk. 1 eyeballRadar warning capabilityWe are world-class pilotsThere are only 12 of us – we are a very tight TeamWe’re very sneakyWe hate to lose• Specially to the Aussies

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Our WeaknessesOld aircraftSkyhawk has• Limited radar performance• Short range weapons• Poor sustained turn performance• Low top speed

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Opportunities

We’re very very cunning … so let’s surprise themThey are predictable:• In the way they fly their aircraft• In the way they employ their missilesThey are a larger air force, so they can’t adapt quickly – we aren’t and we can

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ThreatsF-18 has:• Better radar• Better sustained turn capability• Better and longer range weapons• Supersonic

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The Analysis?Sometimes it sucks to be us

• They can see us on radar before we can see them• They can launch their missiles before we can launch

ours• They can turn more tightly than us• We might as well go home because they are going to

wipe the floor with us

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Or Are They?

• Their radar has limitations• Their missiles have weaknesses• Their Rules of Engagement are strict• Their operating procedures are not flexible

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Radar 101

6°

-60°

+60°

60°

60°

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Radar 101

40

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Radar 101

40

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Semi-active (has no radar)Needs aircraft to ‘illuminate’ targetHomes on reflected radar energyTarget must be tracked until missile hitsLose radar lock – missile misses

Missiles 101

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Tactics 101

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Radar Intercept

80 80

60 nm

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Radar Intercept

80 80

30 nm

30

Radar Intercept

40 40

30 nm

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Radar Intercept

40 40

20 nm

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Radar Intercept

40 40

15 nm

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Radar Intercept

40 40

15 nm

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Time to Get Cunning

Designated pairs• No ego, no rankTry out tactics against each otherPractice the ones that workRefine/adjust/dropWhat ifs?

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What We Came Up With

Hand grenadeDrag and bag

What the … ?Do I feel lucky?

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Exercise Hot Wash-up

Review of the planReview of the conductWhat workedWhat didn’tWhat didn’t helpWhat do we do now/next?

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Reality Check

• There will always be better aircraft, weapons and equipment

• If it ain’t broke … doing the same thing makes us predictable

• Doing things differently and adapting quickly gives us an edge

• Better people are the difference• Results against F18?

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OODA Loop – So What?

• Reminiscing is fine but what does the OODA Loop have to do with you?• Tactical level – developing new features• Operational level – developing new products• Strategic level – heading in a new direction

• How quick is you decision making process?• How quick does it need to be?

Questions?

Interactive discussions designed to test knowledge

Thanks for listening…Bruce KeightleyAssurity

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