Loss exchange ratio
Encyclopedia
Loss exchange ratio is a figure of merit
in attrition warfare
. It is usually relevant to a condition or state of war where one side depletes the resources of another through attrition. Specifically and most often used as a comparator in aerial combat, where it is known as a "kill-ratio." For example, during the Korean War
, American combat jets had a kill-ratio of 12-1 and often higher (stated as twelve to one). This means for every twelve aircraft shot down by an American aircraft, one American plane was shot down by an enemy fighter. It was a rather good ratio for the Americans, especially when compared to some loss rates of 1-1.1 encountered by American fighter aircraft during much of the air war over southeast Asia. This loss rate of nearly one to one was a further setback for the American forces when considering the more sophisticated American aircraft were many times more expensive than their Soviet built counterparts. This Loss exchange ratio was the impetus for American forces to resurvey and retrain their pilots in programs such as TOPGUN
.
Figure of merit
A figure of merit is a quantity used to characterize the performance of a device, system or method, relative to its alternatives. In engineering, figures of merit are often defined for particular materials or devices in order to determine their relative utility for an application...
in attrition warfare
Attrition warfare
Attrition warfare is a military strategy in which a belligerent side attempts to win a war by wearing down its enemy to the point of collapse through continuous losses in personnel and matériel....
. It is usually relevant to a condition or state of war where one side depletes the resources of another through attrition. Specifically and most often used as a comparator in aerial combat, where it is known as a "kill-ratio." For example, during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, American combat jets had a kill-ratio of 12-1 and often higher (stated as twelve to one). This means for every twelve aircraft shot down by an American aircraft, one American plane was shot down by an enemy fighter. It was a rather good ratio for the Americans, especially when compared to some loss rates of 1-1.1 encountered by American fighter aircraft during much of the air war over southeast Asia. This loss rate of nearly one to one was a further setback for the American forces when considering the more sophisticated American aircraft were many times more expensive than their Soviet built counterparts. This Loss exchange ratio was the impetus for American forces to resurvey and retrain their pilots in programs such as TOPGUN
United States Navy Fighter Weapons School
The United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program , more popularly known as TOPGUN, is the modern-day evolution of the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School which was originally established on March 3, 1969 at the former Naval Air Station Miramar in California...
.