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A dogfight or dog fight is a common term used to describe close-range aerial combat between military aircraft. The term originated during World War I, and probably derives from the preferred fighter tactic of positioning one's aircraft behind the enemy aircraft. From this position, a pilot could fire his guns on the enemy without having to lead the target, and the enemy aircraft could not effectively fire back. The term came into existence because two women fighting is called a catfight, and all early fighter pilots were men, hence dogfight. This subsequently obtained its revised folk etymology about two dogs chasing each other's tails.