Air combat maneuvering

Air combat maneuvering, in the professional military literature, describes the close-in fight between fighter aircraft, which was called the "dogfight" in earlier wars. While fighting dogs engage in tight turns, the metaphor for the aircraft dogfight, the reality is that the greatest number of fighters shot down never saw their enemy; they were shot down in a high-pass.

Missile engagements beyond visual range is usually not encompassed by the ACM term. Modern ACM, however, very much can involve missiles optimized for close range, now usually cued with head-mounted sights.