dogfights

Dogfights are close-range aerial combats between fighter aircraft, typically occurring at high speeds and altitudes where pilots seek to gain a positional advantage through rapid turns and energy management. Engagements emphasize situational awareness, target discrimination, and timely weapon employment, often defined by the moment the two aircraft first enter visual range and attempt to force a vulnerability.

Dogfighting emerged with the development of dedicated fighter aircraft in World War I and reached a peak during the propeller era of World War II and the early postwar years. Tactics evolved from simple turning battles to energy-based maneuvers, combining speed, altitude, and angle of attack to gain advantage. With guided missiles becoming common in the second half of the 20th century, many conflicts relied less on close-in melee, though dogfighting training remains part of many air forces’ curricula for visual-range encounters.

In modern air combat, beyond-visual-range missiles can neutralize opponents before close range is reached, but pilots still train for within-visual-range engagement and for contingencies when missiles fail or are unavailable. Survival depends on aircraft performance, pilot decision-making, sensor fusion, and effective weapon employment under rapidly changing circumstances.

The term dogfight can also refer to illegal fighting between dogs, a separate topic not covered in this article.