I could go on to type a rather interesting article in AW&ST title “Rogue Elephants” about B-52 bombers being hunted down by F-16s and F-15s..the article stated that once the B-52 bomber pilots were allowed to actually start flying the way they had trained, which was essentially 200 feet AGL, and not 2000 ft. as being simulated in the exercise, the entire exercise results were changed..the B-52s were not tracked for a long time, and by the time they were, they were already almost on the target. an F-16 that got behind them was actually made to overshoot by simply “braking hard”..the F-16 pilot said it was like a huge building suddenly coming up in front of him after hectic turning ! imagine an F-16 finding it difficult to stay behind a B-52 ! the B-52 managed to hit the target and only after that was it “shot down” by a Falcon..the fighter jocks were outraged at the bomber pilots changing rules of engagement, that did’nt allow them to simply take potshots at helpless bombers..and the bomber pilots said it was perfectly legitimate to fly low becoz Soviet bomber pilots using the Backfires would do that too..previously used tactics of shooting down straight flying bombers at convenient heights was just rubbish according to the US bomber pilots who were humiliated earlier by fighter pilots. just goes to show that innovative tactics would put off “highly trained” American fighter pilots.
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