Boyd and Hartmann
Two schemes associated with air combat are the Observe-Orient-Decide-Act (OODA) Loop of USAF Colonel John Boyd and the See-Decide-Attack/Break (SDA/B) method of Luftwaffe Colonel Erich Hartmann. Hartmann is the all-time air ace, credited with an astounding 352 victories.
The objective of OODA is to make decisions better and faster than the opponent, improving one’s relative position until the enemy is shot down. Generalized, OODA rationalizes any decision-making process, considers all relevant data while executing faster (and more pointedly) than the opponent to “get inside his loop.”
The objective of SDA/B is to strike safely while avoiding attack. Hartmann’s method has thus far only been applied to air combat.
The four steps are: ‘See – Decide – Attack or Coffee Break.’ That is, spot the enemy, decide if he can be surprise attacked, strike, then break away immediately; or if he spots you before you strike, take a ‘coffee break’ — wait for a better opportunity or look for a fresh target. Do not get into a dogfight with an alert foe. To do so surrenders the essential advantage of surprise. As Sun Tzu wrote, an opponent surprised is half beaten.
