Overview: The Art and Science of Fighter Controlling

The stellar role of radars during World War II and the subsequent wars is fascinating for readers of military history, and fighter controllers in particular. Radars are an integral part of the daily functioning of the fighter controllers/weapon controllers/Air Battle Managers (ABMs). The radar and radio are the weapons of the fighter controllers, through which they fight their silent battle behind the scenes. They are the invisible warriors in that sense. The radar was a dark secret throughout World War II, and many countries were secretly working on this invention to gain the upper hand in war. Most of them succeeded, but the UK made the best use of it. One of the best books written on the radar is Radar: A Wartime Miracle , by Colin Latham and Anne Stobbs. The radar was not talked about much even after the war, despite many countries and armed services having benefitted enormously from this wonderful invention. The Royal Air Force (RAF) in particular benefitted the most. In 1940, radars played a crucial role in the defence of Britain from the marauding Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain, which was the defining moment of that war. 1 The fascinating tale of fighter controllers, radar operators, radar mechanics, observers and plotters in these wars is the motivation behind writing this book since very little has been written on this wonderful art of warfighting known as ‘Fighter Controlling’ .