"There are very few operational instances of Manoeuvre being a factor in air combat".
Yikes! mon brave fighters are not heavy-weight boxers or battleships. It takes one hit to endex the game.
F16,15 = record speaks for its self. (Discount the slaughter of the inept by the well trained).
All the other stuff is important but still fundamentally icing on the cake. A manoeuvrable weapons platform, with good weapons, providing high SA is everything. Its no good having good toys if you can't bring em to the party or leg it when the other kids get too rough. Fighters must have the ability to out-manoeuvre the opposition. Even if you know where I am but can't follow me = you can't get me = happy me!
If I know where you are and can out manoeuvre you = happy tea&medals me.
Give me all the thrust to weight ratio, whooshbangs, fuel, air-picture and training you can but, in an inherantly stable (bathtub), I ain't gonna boogy at the merge, which is a shame cos I luv to boogy.
