This is an incredibly interesting topic in the world of combat aviation.
The stressing situation when hearing the typical computerized female voice with the "Missile Alarm!" words is not something easy to deal with.
In any case, for pilots who have iron nerves, following properly the instructions and avoiding to think in what could happen if the plane is hit, will make the results extremely satisfactory.
In any case, and as a first step, this article focuses in the case that a missile is fired to a fighter, but I must emphasize that a proper strategy in the use of the radar to avoid compromising the stealth will nearly always avoid the need to deal with this extreme situation.
First thing to do when the alarm is on, is to check the adequate screen in order to know the distance between the inbound missile and your plane, and from which point it is coming.
If the missile has not been shot from a very short range, the first thing to do is to face the missile.
Turn the plane until it heads directly to the weapon in a head to head collision course.
Why this is used? Well, any missile has a determined maneuverability, and this will depend on the relative speed between it and the plane target.
If the plane target flies directly to it, the both speeds will be summed up and the missile will find it more difficult to react on time to the planes movements when time to impact comes.
While the missile is still more than 10 miles away, a good way to try to confuse is by climbing and going down as fast as the aircraft is designed to do so.
This will create a balancing effect to the weapon that can end up confusing it.
Normally, anyway, the missile will keep focused on the plane.
When it goes under the 10 miles line, it is the time to take the decision to switch on the ECM or not.
Electronic Counter Measures are set to send false radar signals to the air, pretending to show the plane in a different position at every time.
Some missiles will get confused with this phantom signals.
In any case, if this situation is happening in a highly patrolled zone, switching on the ECM will send radar signals everywhere and this will compromise the plane's position in a way that other planes will be able to head to your position.
Just before the missile crosses the 5 miles line, turn the plane 90 degrees on its longitudinal axis in order to prepare to change direction.
When the mark of 5 miles has been crossed, it begins the delicate moment.
Pull the controls in order to begin to turn, but starting with a very slow rate and progressively increasing the turning speed.
This can be helped by reducing the engine's power.
If the missile is infrared guided, reduce it to the minimum.
The idea, if we look from above, is to draw the shape of a spiral, where the plane travels to the interior of it.
At 3 seconds for the impact, it is the time to release the chaff or the flares, depending on the kind of guidance that the missile has.
For radar guidance release 3 units of chaff, and for infrared guidance release 3 flares.
At tone second for impact, the turning angle must be the maximum the plane can put up with.
In case you plan to draw the spiral to the left, it is good that before doing it you change the direction of the plane a bit to the right.
In this way, when the final moment approaches, the direction between the missile and your plane should differ in 90 degrees or a bit less to make it the most effective.
Providing that the missile fails to hit the plane, turn off immediately the ECM in case it was switched on, and change direction, altitude and speed to avoid being detected again.
Check out for any damages if the explosion has been produced next to your plane.
The stressing situation when hearing the typical computerized female voice with the "Missile Alarm!" words is not something easy to deal with.
In any case, for pilots who have iron nerves, following properly the instructions and avoiding to think in what could happen if the plane is hit, will make the results extremely satisfactory.
In any case, and as a first step, this article focuses in the case that a missile is fired to a fighter, but I must emphasize that a proper strategy in the use of the radar to avoid compromising the stealth will nearly always avoid the need to deal with this extreme situation.
First thing to do when the alarm is on, is to check the adequate screen in order to know the distance between the inbound missile and your plane, and from which point it is coming.
If the missile has not been shot from a very short range, the first thing to do is to face the missile.
Turn the plane until it heads directly to the weapon in a head to head collision course.
Why this is used? Well, any missile has a determined maneuverability, and this will depend on the relative speed between it and the plane target.
If the plane target flies directly to it, the both speeds will be summed up and the missile will find it more difficult to react on time to the planes movements when time to impact comes.
While the missile is still more than 10 miles away, a good way to try to confuse is by climbing and going down as fast as the aircraft is designed to do so.
This will create a balancing effect to the weapon that can end up confusing it.
Normally, anyway, the missile will keep focused on the plane.
When it goes under the 10 miles line, it is the time to take the decision to switch on the ECM or not.
Electronic Counter Measures are set to send false radar signals to the air, pretending to show the plane in a different position at every time.
Some missiles will get confused with this phantom signals.
In any case, if this situation is happening in a highly patrolled zone, switching on the ECM will send radar signals everywhere and this will compromise the plane's position in a way that other planes will be able to head to your position.
Just before the missile crosses the 5 miles line, turn the plane 90 degrees on its longitudinal axis in order to prepare to change direction.
When the mark of 5 miles has been crossed, it begins the delicate moment.
Pull the controls in order to begin to turn, but starting with a very slow rate and progressively increasing the turning speed.
This can be helped by reducing the engine's power.
If the missile is infrared guided, reduce it to the minimum.
The idea, if we look from above, is to draw the shape of a spiral, where the plane travels to the interior of it.
At 3 seconds for the impact, it is the time to release the chaff or the flares, depending on the kind of guidance that the missile has.
For radar guidance release 3 units of chaff, and for infrared guidance release 3 flares.
At tone second for impact, the turning angle must be the maximum the plane can put up with.
In case you plan to draw the spiral to the left, it is good that before doing it you change the direction of the plane a bit to the right.
In this way, when the final moment approaches, the direction between the missile and your plane should differ in 90 degrees or a bit less to make it the most effective.
Providing that the missile fails to hit the plane, turn off immediately the ECM in case it was switched on, and change direction, altitude and speed to avoid being detected again.
Check out for any damages if the explosion has been produced next to your plane.