The classic dogfighting axiom held
that speed is life, an acknowledgement in a conflict pitting speed against
maneuverability that the former had the option of bugging out, whereas the
latter remained a target until the contest came to a conclusion. Of course,
speed was of little combat value for a fighter plane if all it meant was that it
got you home for dinner. The real measure was “kills.” While not totally
discounted, it is no longer the absolute it was back in the days when the Flying
Tigers with their clumsier Warhawks were able to maintain a positive kill ratio
against the far more maneuverable Japanese Zero.
Beginning with the Vietnam War and
coming to fruition today with the formidable array of air-to-air and
ground-to-air weaponry lurking behind every hill and cloud, the rules have
changed. While speed still has its place—particularly in close-in engagements—it
is no longer the be-all–end-all of air combat it once was. Instead, stealthy
aircraft and systems along with precise navigation and maneuvering techniques
have come to the fore, but even these are set pieces in a world ruled by those
whose knowledge, skills, cunning, and desire to win combine in a state of
synergy we call situational awareness.
Is it any different for you? If you
think back a decade to the way you went about your business and tick off the
factors that have necessitated change, you’ll see that same progression up until
today when no single superiority—not your equipment; not productivity
enhancements; not frontline software and the knowledge of how to use it—will
guarantee your survivability. That’s where situational awareness—the gut-level
kill-or-be-killed response to your competition—comes into play. Better check now
to make sure your missiles are armed, your guns charged, and your head’s on a
swivel…there may not be time later.