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Comment by Animats

1 month ago

"Boyd" (2004) is a bio of John Boyd. Boyd was a USAF fighter jock and a very good one, and his OODA (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) cycle is a Marine icon. The USAF never really liked him, because he was loudly critical of some high level USAF aircraft decisions.

Boyd had a lot of influence on the design of the F-16, the fighter jock's dream airplane. He also pushed for, of all things, the A-10 Warthog, hated by fighter jocks, loved by ground troops who really needed close air support.

Reading up on the OODA loop is useful. Boyd himself barely wrote anything about it. Others have written volumes.