SW-fighter tactics

[FTeik]

What fighter tactics are used in SW aside from the A-Wing-slash or the Atom/Nucleus (Darklighter-Comic)?

Do they have an equivalent of the four-finger-swarm and how would it look under the conditions of space?

What modern day fighter-tactics are there and how would they have to be converted for space?

How would those tactics look at the squadron and wing-level?

Thanks.

[GySgt. Hartman]

Bombers are too small to be shot down effectively by cap ships in large numbers, but they carry loads that can damage a cap ship. Thus, one reason to deploy fighters is to protect cap ships from other fighters/bombers. They simply form a screen around the ships.
I can't remember an instance where air superiority was contested in SW, but tactics would be probably be similiar to todays's.

[Techno_Union]

Well we have constinatley seen TIEs flying in groups of 6, or what not, straight towards an enemy (Darksaber at the battle of Yavin IV). This caauses the enemy ship to move or get hit by the TIEs (assuming the TIEs would actually be crazy enough to comikazi, but afterall they do fly TIE fighters so some screws have to be lose)

Also TIE bombers go in groups of 2 or 3 and bombard a city so the effects of the concussion missles can be felt even more so.

[Jim Raynor]

Tallon Roll
This is a maneuver used when an attacking starfighter overshoots its opponent. It levels out, then turns its nose upwards in a tight spiral. This causes the defending starfighter to overshoot itself, so that the attacker is once again on back of it.

Tallon Split
Two fighters fly extremely close to each other while attacking a capital ship, so that they register as a single target. At close range, the two of them split apart, with one of them drawing the fire while the other gets a clear strafing run on the capship.

Corellian Slip
There's not much information about this maneuver, which is only mentioned on a single card in the CCG. It's supposedly a risky counterattack that can be dangerous to attempt for novice pilots. The picture on the card is Wedge's X-wing at the Battle of Yavin, where he blasts the TIE fighter chasing Luke. Maybe someone who has ANH on tape or DVD can closely examine this part of the movie to find some more details about it.

[Lord Pounder]

There is the Tie Swarm manuver. Basically a wall of Ties shooting like mad at on-comming rebel fighters.

Another fighter tactic i've seen is the Ketch Drill. One Tie Interceptor goes full throttle shooting like mad while the other Interceptors follow behinf cleaning up.

[nightmare]

What modern day fighter-tactics are there and how would they have to be converted for space?

Immelman. Used as is. One would expect loops, barrel rolls and such too.

[Alyeska]

Trench Run Disease (TRD): Before Alliance torpedoes were using the more advanced tracking software and long range fire capabilities TRD was the primary tactic used to defeat capitalships such as ISDs and VSDs. This involved getting to point blank range on the capitalship. While dangerous to get into this range, once there the fighter was much more difficult to hit and was capable of delivering its torpedo payload on target.

[Sarevok]

The nature of SW fighter combat means that WW2 fighter plane tactics like Immelmans, Scissaors etc should be appliable in SW.

[nightmare]

Corellian Slip
There's not much information about this maneuver, which is only mentioned on a single card in the CCG. It's supposedly a risky counterattack that can be dangerous to attempt for novice pilots. The picture on the card is Wedge's X-wing at the Battle of Yavin, where he blasts the TIE fighter chasing Luke. Maybe someone who has ANH on tape or DVD can closely examine this part of the movie to find some more details about it.

I barely remember this one. IIRC, it is a head-on attack by two fighters, where the first one targets, then slips away while the second one comes in and blasts it.

[Crazedwraith]

Another fighter tactic i've seen is the Ketch Drill. One Tie Interceptor goes full throttle shooting like mad while the other Interceptors follow behinf cleaning up.

That is not the Kettch drill.
The ketch drill is basically where you don't turn back to engage fighters as seen in Iron Fist it means enemy fighters have to turn 180 on to your tail to kill you. This stops the forward momentum of an incomicng fighter swarm towards you cap ships. Used when you have multiple waves of fighters in bound to your cap fleet.

[2000AD]

There's the Cracken Twist or something which i think is mentioned in one of the Thrawn trilogy.
I think Jaina and Han made up a tactic that was used a few times in the NJO.

[SWPIGWANG]

The nature of SW fighter combat means that WW2 fighter plane tactics like Immelmans, Scissaors etc should be appliable in SW.

Vertical based manevours like immelman, split S, yo-yos would be useless as they all rely on converting speed into potential energy or vice versa. Manevours like scissors, early turn and such would work.

However, I suspect that most of fight combat is based on Boom and Zoom, because if that was not the case one would certainly see alot of "sliding" to fire off axis which would determine a turn fight. Without attitude to excape to but only raw extention, the determining factor in combat would be team based fighting, probably with formations if possible. Things like the Thach weave (http://yarchive.net/mil/thach_weave.html) would be vital for slower fighters to survive, other than the most vital sistuation awareness that is.

[Sarevok]

Vertical based manevours like immelman, split S, yo-yos would be useless as they all rely on converting speed into potential energy or vice versa. Manevours like scissors, early turn and such would work.

If fighter combat is taking place in planetary orbit the planets gravity can be used to boost acceleration and perform this manevers.

[Kazuaki Shimazaki]

Vertical based manevours like immelman, split S, yo-yos would be useless as they all rely on converting speed into potential energy or vice versa. Manevours like scissors, early turn and such would work.

If fighter combat is taking place in planetary orbit the planets gravity can be used to boost acceleration and perform this manevers.

Not significant versus thousands of Gs of acceleration available in SW craft.

[Sarevok]

Vertical based manevours like immelman, split S, yo-yos would be useless as they all rely on converting speed into potential energy or vice versa. Manevours like scissors, early turn and such would work.

If fighter combat is taking place in planetary orbit the planets gravity can be used to boost acceleration and perform this manevers.

Not significant versus thousands of Gs of acceleration available in SW craft.

True but by using repulsors against a planets gravity fighters could boost their acceleration greatly.

[Lord of the Farce]

I barely remember this one. IIRC, it is a head-on attack by two fighters, where the first one targets, then slips away while the second one comes in and blasts it.

My take on the Correllian Slip: While the enemy fighter is preoccupied with trying to nail your ass, you and a friendly fighter fly towards each other so the friendly fighter can line up a clear head-to-head shot on the enemy fighter. Probably dangerous because if the move isn't pulled off properly, with any luck the enemy fighter might be able to nail you both.

[FTeik]

Can somebody link me to some good pages about fighter-tactics. Because whenever i search i get links to books about WWII.

[PainRack]

The Correlian slip just appears to be Wedge turning up on the scene and latching onto the enemy TIE front.

[SWPIGWANG]

I just realized that scissors wouldn't work in space, at least in its most simple form.

Against spacecraft that is symmetrically all the way around (eg. Tie Defender) it is utterly useless and would only get you creamed easy.

Against spacecraft that is symmetrical on two axis (eg. Y-wing) the scissors manevours would have to be modified into 90 degree turns, which would draw a box or something like that when viewed from behind. (maybe I should name this trick if no one has done so yet)

Against spacecraft that is symmetrical on one axis (eg. B-wing) the box manevours works, and traditional scissors might work. (if the fastest rotation vector is no symmetrical in the opposite direction) Of course, if a more symmetrical fighter is on the defensive against such an craft, one can simply turn in the vector that the opponent is slowest and achieve seperation easily.

Against asymmetric craft, the correct method of evading would craft dependent.

Given the inefficiency of rolling, space fightors omnidirection turning speed is much more important than single vector turning, while rolling is unimporant if the above is achieved. The only time that asymmetical craft might be better would only be when it gives a large performance boost or that the strikecraft is not used as an fighter. (like B-Wings)

True but by using repulsors against a planets gravity fighters could boost their acceleration greatly.

Probably a nice trick to pull off sometimes, but given that there is no limit in space, the opponent can simply "dive" in the same vector and evade for a long time without worrying about hitting the ground. Given the scale of planetory gravity fields, the opponent "futher" from the grav. well is not at an significant disadvantage unless engraging at speeds far faster than any canon source have shown.

Though in unique sistuations like MAW and such a good pilot might use the blackholes for much much fun.

[Wicked Pilot]

What modern day fighter-tactics are there and how would they have to be converted for space?

Immelman. Used as is. One would expect loops, barrel rolls and such too.

What good would these maneuvers do in space when one can simple pivot around one's axis? Do you people even know what an Immelmann is?

[SWPIGWANG]

Starwars fighters don't pivot, duh

http://www.onewest.net/~rcclub/maneuvers/select.html

[Illuminatus Primus]

Trench Run Disease (TRD): Before Alliance torpedoes were using the more advanced tracking software and long range fire capabilities TRD was the primary tactic used to defeat capitalships such as ISDs and VSDs. This involved getting to point blank range on the capitalship. While dangerous to get into this range, once there the fighter was much more difficult to hit and was capable of delivering its torpedo payload on target.

TRD would also allow warheads with little to no propulsion to be used, and thusly more explosive mass per missile.

[Rogue 9]

And TRD is fuuuuun.

[nightmare]

What modern day fighter-tactics are there and how would they have to be converted for space?

Immelman. Used as is. One would expect loops, barrel rolls and such too.

What good would these maneuvers do in space when one can simple pivot around one's axis? Do you people even know what an Immelmann is?

Half a loop and half a roll to gain altitude and change to opposite flight direction simultaneously. It's stated that the immelmann is still in use, and we see SW fighters behave similarly to airplanes while in space (banking while turning), possibly as a result from thrust vectoring and/or gyro. Nevermind that it was never stated that the maneuver is used in space.

[Sarevok]

Pitching and rolling seems to be faster than turning in Star Wars. So to turn they roll in the desired direction and then pitch up that way.