Clearly, this is practically the same as dealing with F-15C/D previously, just with positions swapped.
Back then, 60 F-16C/Ds had already dispersed, ready to encircle and annihilate the rapidly advancing "War-11B" Plane Group, with only 12 ahead, facing the E-3B head-on.
This arrangement was related to the AIM-7F "Sparrow" missile.
To put it bluntly, the "Sparrow" missile's performance was too poor, with a very low hit rate, so F-16C/D pilots were more willing to use AIM-9L "Sidewinder" Combat Missile, requiring maneuvering for advantageous positioning, such as the enemy aircraft's rear hemisphere.
AIM-9L was the Newland Air Force's first Combat Missile capable of omnidirectional attack, theoretically able to attack head-on approaching enemy aircraft. However, in actual use, to improve the hit rate, it still needed to be fired from the rear of the enemy plane, where infrared radiation was strongest.
For this, they could only go around from the sides.
