Clandestino
Yes, combat pilots of last thirtysomething years usually do have a little gizmo making their life easier during approach and landing, it's either doughnut & chevrons type AoA indexer or AoA bracket on HUD.
and a gauge with an indicator where the needle points to the appropriate number, or on the hud an equivalent readout. Aditionally an aural tone in the headset, modulated in relation to the AOA.
Use during approach and landing is a side effect though, the primary task being ab le to maneuver at high AOA´s in a fast changing altitude and speed environment, where the speed indication tape as an performance instrument would be of less value.
Clandestino
It is there to make their already complicated life easier by reducing the need to accurately calculate their approach speed for actual weight plus any effect from external stores.
See above, true at least in the forces i served (german air force, USAF). If a fighter pilot would need relieve in calculating approach and landing speed, he better would be off flying as SLF. But it is useful in double-checking computed speed against AOA, and helps, that things are going right.
Clandestino
No, it is not 100% reliable as AoA vanes do get stuck or birdstricken then it's reversion to monsieur Pitot again.
It is susceptible to errors and failures like any system we use in our world, and nobody would get the idea to replace any of the existing gauges or systems. See it as an Add-on.
Clandestino
Of course, one has to be proficient in its use, which can only be achieved through practice. It is of utmost importance to know that yellow light means stick back, red stick forward, not the other way around.
Same as any system, with the difference, that a pilot can learn the use of an AOA gauge within 1 hour academic session (no more time was spent with us), and an ape could learn it in some days. It´s no magic and it doesn´t need permanent training. The availability and observability would be enough.
As the discussion about AOA (not the AOA gauge) from the beginning of this thread shows, it seems difficult to understand the physics and effects of AOA from those pilots, who have never seen an AOA indicator. On the other hand we can find in former and updated present procedures about UAS and upsets a lot of references to AOA without having that information readily available in the cockpit.