Vietnam SAM Avoidance Tactic

[Skyviper 1,101]

I remember reading about something called a method used by US Pilots in Vietnam where they dove to the ground and then pulled up sharply while the SAM with poor maneuvering crashed to the ground. What was that technique called?

[tiopilotos 2,532]

I don't remember the name of that techniqe byt it was effective mostly against the earlier SA-2B. The SA-2F which was also delievered to North Vietnam had an additional gyidance type which prevented the missile from hitting the groynd. 

Sorry for ysing ''y'' instead of ''u'' byt my keyboard is not so fynctional.

[+Nyghtfall 2,154]

2 hours ago, tiopilotos said:

Sorry for ysing ''y'' instead of ''u'' byt my keyboard is not so fynctional.

[+Gepard 11,358]

In eastgerman military slang this defence move was called: "Steil Hochziehen" what you could translate with "Sharp Pull Up".

[+Nightshade/PR 7,997]

"If SAMs were launched at a Wild Weasel, it was the backseater’s job to track them on a tiny, two-square-inch cathode-ray tube and call out maneuvering measures to the pilot. The usual SAM-avoidance maneuver was to wait until the missile was danger close—about a mile—and then perform a 4G pitchout that broke its radar lock".   https://www.historynet.com/why-pilots-loved-the-f-105-thud-despite-its-vulnerability.htm

Having used this maneuver in-game WITH an F-105, my personal name for it is the "This Sh*t Better Work" move.

[KJakker 910]

The tactic lead to a modified guidance mode being added to the SA-2 in order to prevent such an evasion.  

[tangouniform 2]

On 10/18/2021 at 10:09 PM, Nightshade/PR said:

"If SAMs were launched at a Wild Weasel, it was the backseater’s job to track them on a tiny, two-square-inch cathode-ray tube and call out maneuvering measures to the pilot. The usual SAM-avoidance maneuver was to wait until the missile was danger close—about a mile—and then perform a 4G pitchout that broke its radar lock".   https://www.historynet.com/why-pilots-loved-the-f-105-thud-despite-its-vulnerability.htm

Having used this maneuver in-game WITH an F-105, my personal name for it is the "This Sh*t Better Work" move.

With a SA-2 works, difficult with SA-6 or something more modern

[+Nightshade/PR 7,997]

But there are times you get lucky...this was an SA-6 miss over the Korea(V3) Terrain as I was trying to egress the target area. When the missile started to climb after me, I let it get danger close, rolled inverted into a dive, ran underneath it, and hightailed it for home