Due to its reputation for “no-guiding”, pilots would shoot an AIM-7 (Sparrow) to get the MIG to turn tail, then would launch an AIM-9 (Sidewinder) to get the kill.
I was cleaning out my garage a few months ago and found an old cargo box I built for my motorcycle gee... must be 30 years ago. Inside it I found a couple of Sidwinder PR Stickers. I stuck one on the back of my pickup - it still stuck!
I'd never heard that, but I find it completely plausible. Kinda the dogfighting equivalent of 'suppressing fire'. Kinda hurts the stats, though. If you're not maintaining the radar lock (because you have no expectation of success) then some missiles 'failed to track' for reasons other than the ones that the manufacturer was aware of.