Head-on engagement
Encyclopedia
A Head-on engagement is one where a surface-to-air missile
system or jet aircraft
engages another aircraft while the target aircraft is flying towards the attacker. This makes engagement with infra-red homing missiles more difficult because the hot engine exhaust nozzle(s) of the target are pointing away from the attacker. Typically only all-aspect
infra-red homing missile
s are able perform head-on engagements. Radar-guided missiles are typically able, however head-on many aircraft have a much smaller radar cross-section so the radar may not be able to track/lock onto the target at maximum range in this type of engagement.
Missiles typically have a lower chance of hitting a target in a head-on engagement because of the very fast closure rate. If the missile is travelling at Mach
2.5 and the aircraft at Mach 1, the combined rate of Mach 3.5 doesn't give the missile very much time to respond to violent evasive maneuvers the aircraft might perform or to recover from being fooled by countermeasures, etc. In addition, the aircraft can turn away from the missile and then toward it again just before impact, forcing the missile to turn in a much tighter circle than the aircraft needs to in order to follow it through this maneuver. Although missiles can turn faster than aircraft, this advantage is often enough to cause the missile to fly past the aircraft without coming within lethal range.
It has the advantage, however, of greatly increasing the effective range at which missiles or cannon
s can be used. Many missiles have an effective range in a head-on engagement on the order of three or four times of that in a tail-chase engagement
. The target aircraft effectively flies right into the weapon(s) fired at it.
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
system or jet aircraft
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
engages another aircraft while the target aircraft is flying towards the attacker. This makes engagement with infra-red homing missiles more difficult because the hot engine exhaust nozzle(s) of the target are pointing away from the attacker. Typically only all-aspect
All-aspect
An all-aspect missile is one which is able to track a target no matter which way the target faces relative to the missile. In other words, an all-aspect missile can be launched against a target in a tail-chase engagement, in a head-on engagement, in a side-on engagement, from above, from below,...
infra-red homing missile
Missile
Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...
s are able perform head-on engagements. Radar-guided missiles are typically able, however head-on many aircraft have a much smaller radar cross-section so the radar may not be able to track/lock onto the target at maximum range in this type of engagement.
Missiles typically have a lower chance of hitting a target in a head-on engagement because of the very fast closure rate. If the missile is travelling at Mach
Mach number
Mach number is the speed of an object moving through air, or any other fluid substance, divided by the speed of sound as it is in that substance for its particular physical conditions, including those of temperature and pressure...
2.5 and the aircraft at Mach 1, the combined rate of Mach 3.5 doesn't give the missile very much time to respond to violent evasive maneuvers the aircraft might perform or to recover from being fooled by countermeasures, etc. In addition, the aircraft can turn away from the missile and then toward it again just before impact, forcing the missile to turn in a much tighter circle than the aircraft needs to in order to follow it through this maneuver. Although missiles can turn faster than aircraft, this advantage is often enough to cause the missile to fly past the aircraft without coming within lethal range.
It has the advantage, however, of greatly increasing the effective range at which missiles or cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
s can be used. Many missiles have an effective range in a head-on engagement on the order of three or four times of that in a tail-chase engagement
Tail-chase engagement
A tail-chase engagement is one where a surface-to-air missile system or jet aircraft engages another aircraft while the target aircraft is flying away from the attacker...
. The target aircraft effectively flies right into the weapon(s) fired at it.