Men_in_Boxes
Snake Oil Salesman
What the #@$% is an OODA loop?
The OODA (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) loop is a framework created by airforce fighter pilot, and military strategist, John Richard Boyd. His theory was that pilots who work through OODA loops faster tend to hose (eliminate) pilots who work through their OODA loop slower.
Who the #@$% is John Boyd?
John Boyd was a US Airforce pilot who made 3 noteworthy contributions. First, he wrote the Aerial Attack Study which helped turn dogfighting from an art into a science. For example, if a pilot found himself in X position and the enemy in Y position, there are a handful of maneuvers one can do to turn the engagement in one's favor. He essentially codified these maneuvers.
Two, he advocated specific design characteristics in Americas fighter jets. He believed fighters should excell at dogfighting as opposed to being jack of all trades units. He contributed heavily to the designs of the F15, F16, and F18.
Three, he created the OODA loop which spread to all branches of the military and even non military disciplines. Interestingly, he found one of Russian MIGs weaknesses (considered at the time to be the best jet on the planet) in the 1950s, was that it's pilots were not able to see 360 degrees from the cockpit. Therefore they had a more difficult time with the first O in the OODA loop.
Notice: Visor and windshield. Not a MIG.
Interestingly, he found Blitzkrieg to be an effective attack strategy because it disrupted opponents OODA loop on a massive scale. German pilots also popularized attacking from the sun because it's difficult to OBSERVE fighters when the sun is glaring behind them.
Are there any other $#@%ing facts about John Boyd?
He never shot down an enemy pilot. However, he had a reputation as being one of, if not the best pilots in the US airforce. He would bet other pilots $40 dollars that he could get on their six in 40 seconds or less after they started on his six in training exercises. According to his biography, he allegedly never lost this bet.
He also hated bureaucy and frequently ran the risk of getting court marshalled throughout his career. He earned just enough respect and admiration from a handful of superiors to recieve protection from his enemies. His personality was that of an obsessive asshole with no filter.
He tried to get the YF17 (below) made by the US government but it never left the prototype phase. It was to be super lightweight, agile, and cheap to manufacture.
He despised the F14 (Tom Cruises Top Gun jet) and all swing wing type planes. Too heavy, retractable wings created pressure points that would quickly lead to wear.
Is this thread a $#@%ing John Boyd thread or a $#@%ing OODA loop thread?
I guess it turned into a John Boyd thread.
Can you use the #@$%ing OODA loop to succeed in Ace Combat 7?
Last edited:
