# Basic Combat Maneuvers Basic combat maneuvers (BCMs) are essential elements for successful multi-aircraft operations. Team maneuvering flight relies on standardized maneuvers and terminology to defend against deliberate or chance encounters with enemy forces occurring throughout the battlefield. Each team member must be able to communicate and understand each maneuver to enhance mutual support within the team and flight while performing various missions. These missions include attack, reconnaissance, assault, and lift conducted by one or more teams or during missions involving dissimilar aircraft such as rescue escort, casualty evacuation, and personnel recovery. *** ## Maneuvering Flight Communications It is essential that every crewmember understand the maneuver to be performed. Communication is an integral part of training for lead and wing. It provides a basis and the control measures required to practice maneuvering team flight. As a team gains proficiency, the communication between lead and wing may evolve to a more abbreviated form but the basics should remain. The more abbreviated form of communication does not constrain the use of these maneuvers in application. During training, each pilot should acknowledge the maneuver and respond with the command of execution (for example, Lead: team one, break left, ready; Wing: team one, break left, go). Several maneuvers have standard turn changes. This may be modified in the communication prior to executing the turn (for example, Lead: team one, break left 270, ready; Wing: team one, break left 270, go). Engagement criteria and target identification may also be added for clarity (for example, Lead: team one, cross turn and cover high engage; Wing: team one, cross turn and cover low, tally target). *** ## Basic Combat Maneuvers BCMs provide the team with a “toolbox” of maneuvers to choose from when encountering threats during tactical flight (see figure 6-18). These maneuvers facilitate the suppression of enemy fire destruction of targets, command and control, and the reorganization of the flight following the encounter. Maneuvers are divided into two categories to include maneuvers required to engage— * Close in threats, less than 1.5 kilometers inside area weapons system (AWS) ranges. * And/or bypass threats outside weapons ranges, 1.5 to 5 kilometers outside area weapons ranges
{% hint style="info" %} Unless an engagement forces the tactical lead to change from one aircraft to another, flight lead does not change during any of these maneuvers. Rather, the wingman should delay initiating the turn or vary the angle of bank or airspeed to assume an appropriate position once the maneuver is completed. For example, a split turn initiated while a team is in combat cruise formation requires the wingman to delay initiating the turn or vary the angle of bank so not to roll out of the turn in front of the tactical lead. {% endhint %} ### Tactical Turns The tactical turn is used to maneuver the flight, maintain observation sectors, and allow mutual support. These maneuvers are used to change the direction of the formation (usually approximately 60 to 120 degrees) and change wingman side. Tactical turns also enable aircrews to turn the formation in a smaller area by eliminating the need for the wingman to fly the outside arc of lead’s turn. All tactical turns follow three basic principles— * The aircraft on the outside of the turn always turns first. * The wingman always changes sides in the formation. * The wingman is always responsible for separation. A turn of 90 degrees is understood, if not stated. If a smaller or larger heading change is desired, lead may specify a magnitude of heading change (for example, Team 1, tactical left to heading 270). ### **Tactical Turn (Away from Wingman)** From combat cruise or combat spread, lead maintains heading, and wing turns immediately to the new heading. When wing passes the 5 or 7 o’clock position, lead turns to the new heading and formation change is understood. A vertical component (cover) may be added by stating “cover high” or “cover low”. Figure 6-19 depicts a tactical turn away.
### Tactical Turn (Toward the Wingman) From combat cruise or combat spread, on acknowledgement, lead immediately turns to the new heading and passes in front of the wingman. The wingman maintains heading (or alters slightly to lead’s tail) until lead passes 2 o’clock. Wing then turns to the new heading. If separation is not adequate for lead to cross the wing position, wing may initiate a turn in the opposite direction to facilitate lead’s turn. Maneuver reverses each aircraft’s relative position (combat cruise right is now combat cruise left). Formation change is understood. A vertical component (cover) may be added by stating “Cover high” or “Cover low”. Figure 6-20, page 6-24, shows a tactical turn to wingman.
### Dig, Resume, and Pinch Dig and pinch may be used in combination or separately to react to a threat or hazard in the forward quadrant. These maneuvers allow for rapid dispersion and incremental control of the formation with short, precise commands from lead. If a threat is discovered in the forward quadrant, little or no time may be available to engage the target. In formation, a dig splits the lead team to enable a follow-on team to engage a forward quadrant threat. From combat cruise or combat spread, aircraft simultaneously turn 30 to 45 degrees away from each other. When desired lateral separation is attained, the tactical leader calls “resume”. To decrease lateral separation, the tactical leader calls “pinch”. Both aircraft simultaneously turn 30 to 45 degrees toward the inside. Aircraft decrease lateral separation until they return to the previous formation and separation or until a “resume” call is made. Resume is defined as a “return to mission heading and maintain current separation”. Figure 6-21 illustrates the dig and pinch maneuvers.
### Split Turn This maneuver rapidly reverses team direction to engage or bypass an enemy located at 5 and 7 o’clock, outside weapons range. When aircraft within the formation are in combat cruise and rapid dispersion of the team is desired, a split turn is the preferred method. This maneuver forces the threat to either bypass or commit earlier to the lead or wingman. A split turn changes a formation’s heading from 120 to 240 degrees. Both aircraft execute a left and right turn to the new heading. If no heading is given, a turn of 180 degrees is understood. Angle of bank and power must be maintained so the aircraft should be tail to tail at the apex of the turn. When the maneuver is complete, lead and wingman have reversed relative positions. Figure 6-22 depicts a split turn.
### In-Place Turn An in-place turn (reversal) rapidly reverses team direction to engage or bypass an enemy located at 5 and 7 o’clock, outside weapons range. This maneuver allows the wingman to keep the lead aircraft in sight at all times. An in-place turn may also be used to egress a static BP. On acknowledgement, both aircraft execute a left or right turn to new heading. An in-place turn may be used for both small (30 degrees or less) and large heading changes (120 to 240 degrees). If a specific heading is not given, a heading change of 180 degrees is understood. To initiate small heading changes, both aircraft turn to the new heading and relative position is maintained. To initiate large heading changes both aircraft turn in the specified direction. Angle of bank and power must be maintained so aircraft are in trail at the apex of the turn. As the team continues its turn to the new heading, the wingman switches relative position (combat cruise right is now combat cruise left).
### Cross Turn A cross turn is used to rapidly orient the team on an engaging threat from the rear quadrant. This turn may also be used to reverse the flight’s heading in channelized terrain. Cross turns change a formation’s heading approximately 120 to 240 degrees. If a specific heading is not given, a heading change of 180 degrees is understood. Cross turns may be performed from either combat cruise or combat spread. Unless specified, lead should fly the outside turn allowing wing to turn inside. The aircrew initiating the turn may specify whether they are flying the outside turn or the inside turn by stating “cross turn inside” or “cross turn outside”, especially during execution from a combat spread formation. Initial separation determines the angle of bank needed. Angle of bank must be adjusted to maintain position in the flight. The cross turn should not be used in situations where an enemy might deliver ordnance at the apex of the turn, since both helicopters are closely aligned at this point.
### Cross Turn and Cover The cross turn and cover maneuver provides for vertical separation as well as lateral separation between lead and wing. It is also a variation of the cross turn. This maneuver is initially used as a defensive maneuver to orient the team on the enemy while confusing the enemy. Once oriented, the team then engages targets within weapons range. This maneuver reverses the flight’s direction and provides split-phase, split-plane engagement of targets. It may be initiated from combat cruise or combat spread. The aircrew sighting the enemy first initiates the maneuver, calls “cross turn cover high” or “cross turn cover low”, and executes the “high” or “low” altitude. The high aircraft maneuvers to a lookdown position on the enemy. The low aircraft turns to face the enemy and maneuvers to provide mutual support.
### Break Turn Break turns are maximum aircraft performance maneuvers that may be used to orient the flight toward an enemy aircraft that has penetrated within weapons engagement parameters, break away from hostile ground fire, or bring weapons to bear immediately on a target. Break turns are used as an initial formation response when a member of the formation has spotted a threat outside the AWS range. Flight lead further develops the situation into a drill once the flight is properly oriented to/from the threat. On acknowledgment, both aircraft execute a left or right turn to the new heading (figure 6-26). If a specific heading is not given, a heading change of 90 degrees is understood. To maintain the same relative position, an adjustment of speed may be required to compensate for steeper turns. Break turns may be executed to the left or right.
### Break Turn and Cover The break turn and cover provides an immediate break with vertical separation of aircraft to engage a target. This is an immediate action maneuver used when the enemy is spotted abeam (2 to 4 o’clock or 8 to 10 o’clock) within weapons range. Described simply, it is a break turn with vertical separation to engage a common threat. After the execution call and acknowledgment, the aircraft closest to the enemy initiates the maneuver. The aircraft closest to the enemy begins an immediate climb while simultaneously turning to confront the enemy. As the aircraft closest to the enemy begins to climb, the wingman turns to an angle-off flight path and maneuvers to provide mutual support. This maneuver achieves maximum vertical separation and should force the enemy to choose between two possible targets maneuvering to engage. Figure 6-27 depicts a break turn and cover.
### Shackle Turn This maneuver allows aircraft to thoroughly observe the 6 o’clock position of the flight. If the section consists of three aircraft, only the last two aircraft should perform the maneuver. If a flight consists of two or more sections, the same applies. Only the last two aircraft check rear security for the flight. Shackle turns (figure 6-28) can be executed from both combat cruise and combat spread. The command for the shackle turn is “shackle turn” followed by the execution command “go” and acknowledgment. Lead maintains the current heading, while the wingman initiates a 30-degree turn toward the lead. Lead verifies that the wingman has initiated a turn. Lead then initiates a 30-degree turn in the opposite direction. As the wing passes the 6 o’clock position, lead returns to the original heading. If performed at night, a greater off-angle may be required based on sensor limits. The off-angle continues until lead calls “resume”. At the completion of this maneuver, lead and wing have changed relative position.
--- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://229.gitbook.io/229-hub/knowledge/army-aviation-fundamentals/multi-aircraft-operations/basic-combat-maneuvers.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.