Combat Air Patrols Explained | Defensive Counterair | Air Supremacy | Part 4

We hear the phrase "Combat Air Patrol" used to describe just about any fighter mission. But what does it really mean? And how does a real CAP work? This video is for anyone who has ever asked those questions.
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Sources:
Allied Force CAP map comes from here: www.doctrine.a...
AFMAN 11-202 volume 3: static.e-publi...
Obligatory disclaimers:
The presence of DOD Visual Information in this video does not constitute endorsement by the DOD or any of its departments. Any views expressed by the presenter are those of the presenter and do not represent the views of the DOD or any of its components.

[@BogeyDope]

Thanks Mike! Once again. Great information for combat flight simmers!

[@aarnoman1088]

Superb video. Looking forward to the continuation of this series, it is high quality work!

[@yappydawg8985]

I am probably going too fast and too deep into the weeds here but I had some questions about flying the CAP station. Are the flights holding at their most fuel efficient speed or best reaction speed? Are the elements operating in something like tactical line abreast and peforming hook turns in the pattern or more like a route formation and standard rate turns? Should I get off the couch and read the manual or just keep typing all my questions into the KZbin comments section?...

[@TheOpsCenterByMikeSolyom]

Hah. You won't find these answers in an Air Force wide manual because they depend on the situation. A flight lead will determine altitude, speed, and formation to best match the situation. As I mentioned in the video the flight lead has to balance fuel efficiency with radar optimization when determining altitude. If you don't mind hitting the tanker more frequently and really don't want to miss an incoming threat then you would go low. But if all you're looking for is Cessnas straying into a TFR around the Super Bowl, then maybe high alt is better.

[@BruceZu-p9k]

​@@TheOpsCenterByMikeSolyom AFAIK fighter jets can hardly fly 3 hours long, even for heavy jets like the F-15s, they probably won't have enough fuel to commit at the end of the vul, what if bandits show up when they are hitting the tanker?

[@SDsc0rch]

@@BruceZu-p9k --- the flight lead sends an element to the tanker as required flight lead has to manage that

[@BruceZu-p9k]

​@@SDsc0rch It still sounds high risk if you have to cut half of your number tough, there may be an over 30min window in which you can't deal with a large number of bandits

[@davidjames7382]

Great video. Been flying DCS for over a year and a half. Had my complete gaming system and perifals stolen in early March. Building my own system and ordered parts and Foxxmounts. My first DCS jet I flew is the Viper.

[@roter_milan]

Thanks Mike, you're one of the best if not THE BEST source of information for DCS players who wanna push to another level. Greetings Milan

[@AIRWARFAREGROUP]

Beautiful Thumbnail Solly...you take that or swipe it from someone on the internet? I was a Panton at Kunsan for a year in 92-93...PUSH IT UP. Takes me back 30 years...thanks.

[@TheOpsCenterByMikeSolyom]

It's a public domain photo. Hope you had a good time in Korea!

[@S3NTRY]

Awesome series, thanks again, Mike!

[@NiklasAndersson7]

My favorite series at the moment. I learn a lot! Thank you!

[@marlan__]

At least for the US, they are referred to as ABM (air battle managers) -- USAF Controller inside of a E-3 Sentry, or an AIC (air intercept controller) -- USN Controller inside of a E-2 Hawkeye and are not considered a GCI.

[@yugen4720]

Absolutely amazing. I am so happy you're making this, it's simply wonderful. Thank you!

[@simonliin]

Always a pleasure to watch and learn from your videos, Sir! Thanks.

[@lorenzobosi8650]

Super informative, very well explained and structured videos. Thank you Mike!

[@colinterry7261]

Looking forward to the next video!

[@Pricklyhedgehog72]

Great explanation!

[@FD1CE]

Wow. Superb series! Such a great effort to express them so coherently like this.

[@rakamora2266]

Love the chanel. But please can you do some BMS content. This level of tactics would better suit the BMS simulation with dynamic campaign, ATO, fragging flights etcetera.

[@ricardostorck]

DCS in another level!!! Thx.

[@johnchristian664]

Thank you for this.

[@olereidar]

Beautiful. Been wondering how they estimate distance when flying. Like when the DCS ATC says to fly x heading for y nautical miles.

[@TheOpsCenterByMikeSolyom]

One day (after I get through a lot of other things on the list) I plan on doing a series on navigation. This will go into more detail on Dead Reckoning which is the name of the technique you describe.

[@olereidar]

@@TheOpsCenterByMikeSolyom Looking forward to it! 😊

[@justinmarsh4095]

The term fighter sweep was used a lot in ww2 related missions. I don’t hear it much these days. Has there been a changer in terminology or that type of tactical operation is just not used in modern scenarios?

[@SDsc0rch]

good gouge

[@Detr0y]

Are you going to dedicate any videos to air brevity and commands, for example, proper communication with JTAC?

[@IQAFAFP]

I want books that talk about planning and matters related to DCA and others

[@RichardBejtlich]

These are so great. I wish I had these videos 30 years ago when I was a cadet. 😆👏

[@maddog7989]

Great info. Thank you for sharing all this!

[@chikokishi7030]

this is perfectly what i needed. do you/will you also cover other mission types? (SEAD, DEAD, CAS,... etc?)

[@TheOpsCenterByMikeSolyom]

Yep. That's the plan.

[@valuedhumanoid6574]

I was ships company on the USS Theodore Roosevelt from 86 to 90. As an Aviation Ordnanceman I was in the Weapons Dept. and we handled all the weapons and arms onboard. G1 Division was moving/loading/unloading of weapons. G2 was the Armory, G3 Division was the magazines (Mag Rats), G4 was the weapon elevators connecting the magazines, hangar bays and flight deck. G5 was command/control/ops. We had Strike Ops that planned the missions. Once a mission was planned, a build sheet was issued and that went to G3 first and then down the line. But we had a talker that would communicate via our own sound powered phones to each component of the process. I was in that position many times. I would hear them plan the CAP for the day, just as far as the weapons were needed. For a normal at sea peacetime CAP it would be a Tomcat with 2 Phoenix's, 2 Sparrows and 2 Sidewinders. There was always a Tomcat on Alert 5 and another at +15. They were 12 hour loadout sheets. So for a 12 hour CAP, with each Tomcat pulling 3 hour patrols, it was just simple math to arm all the birds for the shift. For example, we would have to have 6 Sparrows per patrol cycle, x4 for the whole shift, so 24 Sparrows in circulation at once. When one bird landed it depended on how much maintenance was needed whether or not it would have to be de-armed or simply left loaded for another patrol. But we would have 30 Sparrows on their custom rack carts broke out and in use. Either on the aircraft, kept in the Bomb Farm behind the island or in the magazines. All the missile S/N's were tracked and each had an inspection after so much time had passed. I know this is a little long winded, but I thought you may like knowing how we did things on a carrier in regards to CAP and the weapons. Now? Nothing I said may still be relevant. But this is how it was from 86 to 90.