TOPGUN is the popular name of the United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor (SFTI) program. SFTI is the modern-day evolution of the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School and carries out the same specialized fighter training as NFWS had from 1969 until 1996, when it was merged into the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center at NAS Fallon, Nevada. Independent music label & publisher founded in 1992. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... For the Stargate SG-1 episode, see 1969 (Stargate SG-1). ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... The Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center (NSAWC, pronounced EN-SOCK) at Naval Air Station Fallon is the center of excellence for naval aviation training and tactics development. ... Naval Air Station Fallon (NAS Fallon) is the United States Navys premier air-to-air and air-to-ground training facility. ...

History

The first aircraft operated by TOPGUN was the A-4 Skyhawk which remained a favorite among instructors for decades.

TOPGUN Stairwell at the original NAS Miramar location featured silhouettes of all Navy and Marine Corps MiG kills.

TOPGUN F-16 flies formation with a fleet F-14 Tomcat after an ACM engagement in 1990.

The United States Navy Fighter Weapons School was established on March 3, 1969 at NAS Miramar, California after a United States Navy study (sometimes referred to as the "Ault Report") directed by the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) at less than desired performance of fighter aircraft, aircrews and weapons. The head of the study group, CAPT Frank Ault recommended that a graduate-level school be established to train fleet fighter pilots in air combat tactics to improve the relatively poor air combat performance of Navy aircrews over Vietnam. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... is the 62nd day of the year (63rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Stargate SG-1 episode, see 1969 (Stargate SG-1). ... Marine Corps Air Station Miramar is about 10 miles (16 km) north of downtown San Diego, California, USA. The United States Marine Corps installation is home to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Aircraft Group 11, and Marine Aircraft Group 16. ... // The Ault Report or more formally Air-to-Air Missile System Capability Review was a sweeping study of US Navy air-to-air missile performance during the period of 1965 to 1968. ... Although his biography as a US Naval officer is quite impressive, Captain Frank Ault, USN (Ret) is best remembered for the classified study he led in 1968 that led to the creation of the Navy Fighter Weapons School, or TOPGUN. Disturbed over less than expected performance of Navy fighters against...

The school was initially formed and placed under the control of Miramar-based fighter squadron VF-121 "Pacemakers", an F-4 Phantom Replacement Air Group (RAG) unit responsible for providing type-qualified air and maintenance crews to first-line units of the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet. It received relatively scant funding and resources and built its syllabus from scratch, while borrowing aircraft from its parent unit as well as other units to support the practical aspects of their operations. The F-4 Phantom II (simply F-4 Phantom after 1990) is a two-place (tandem), supersonic, long-range, all-weather fighter-bomber built by McDonnell Douglas Corporation. ... The United States Pacific Fleet (USPACFLT) is part of the US Navy. ...

Its objective was to develop, refine and teach Air Combat Maneuvering tactics and techniques to selected fleet air crews, using stand-in aircraft that could realistically replicate the nimble Russian-designed fighters that they were most likely to oppose in combat. At that time the threat aircraft were in the form of the transonic MiG-17 'Fresco' and the supersonic MiG-21 'Fishbed'. This teaching concept is known in military aviation parlance as DACT, or Dissimilar Air Combat Training, and presently is widely used in air arms the world over. A dogfight or dog fight is a common term used to describe close-range aerial combat between military aircraft. ... MiG-17 at the Central Texas Airshow, USA, May 2003. ... The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (Russian: ) (NATO reporting name Fishbed) is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft, designed and built by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. ... Dissimilar air combat training was introduced into air combat training after Vietnam combat experience. ...

Air crews selected to attend the TOP GUN course were usually considered to be the best that their units could offer. Upon graduating they would then return to their parent fleet units to relay what they have learned to their fellow squadron mates, in essence becoming instructors themselves. Such personel are known as Subject Matter Experts (SME's).

TOP GUN initially operated the A-4 Skyhawk and borrowed USAF T-38 Talons to simulate the flying characteristics of the MiG-17 and MiG-21 respectively. The school also made use of Marine-crewed A-6 Intruders and nearby USAF F-106 assets when available. Later, the T-38 was replaced by the F-5E Tiger. The A-4 Skyhawk was an attack aircraft originally designed to operate from United States Navy aircraft carriers. ... The Northrop T-38 Talon is a widely used US-built supersonic jet trainer. ... The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States military responsible for providing power projection from the sea,[1] utilizing the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. ... The A-6 Intruder is a twin-engine, mid-wing attack aircraft built by Grumman Aerospace. ... The Convair F-106A Delta Dart was the primary all-weather interceptor aircraft for the United States Air Force from the 1960s through the 1980s. ... The F-5 Freedom Fighter (or Tiger II) is a low cost entry level supersonic fighter aircraft, designed and built by Northrop in the United States, beginning in 1962. ...

During the halt in the bombing campaign against North Vietnam (in force from 1968 until the early 1970's), TOP GUN established itself as a center of excellence in fighter doctrine, tactics and training. By the time aerial activity over the North was resumed, every Navy squadron had its share of TOPGUN graduates. According to the US, the results were dramatic as the Navy kill-to-loss ratio or exchange rate against the North Vietnamese Air Force (NVAF) MiGs soared to over 20:1 before ultimately settling at 12.5:1,^{[citation needed]}. Vietnamese Air force or Khong Quan Nhan Dan Viet Nam is the air force of Vietnam. ...

The success of the U.S. Navy fighter crews vindicated the fledging DACT school's existence and led to TOP GUN becoming a separate, fully funded command in itself, with its own permanently assigned aviation, staffing and infrastructural assets. Successful TOP GUN graduates who scored air-to-air kills over North Vietnam and returned to instruct included "Mugs" McKeown and Jack Ensch, and the first U.S. aces of the Vietnam War, Randy "Duke" Cunningham and Willie Driscoll. The Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen, perhaps the most famous ace of all. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... Randall Harold Cunningham (born December 8, 1941), usually known as Randy or Duke, was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Californias 50th Congressional District from 1991 to 2005. ... William Irish Driscoll served as a Navy Radar Intercept Officer who together with pilot Randall Duke Cunningham, were the US Navys only two aces during the Vietnam War flying F-4 Phantom II jets off the USS Constellation in Squadron VF-96, The Fighting Falcons. ...

Meanwhile the USAF did not see much dramatic improvement from its fighter crews over Vietnam. It was after that war's end that they adopted a similar type dissimilar training program of their own using dedicated Aggressor squadrons. This program would later become known as Red Flag. Historically, and most generally, the red flag is an international symbol for the blood of angry workers. ...

The 1970s and 1980s brought the introduction of the F-14 Tomcat and the F/A-18 Hornet as the primary Fleet fighter aircraft flown by students, while TOP GUN instructors retained their A-4s and F-5s, but also added the F-16 Fighting Falcon to better simulate the threat presented by the Soviet Union's new 4th generation MiG-29 'Fulcrum' and Su-27 'Flanker' fighters. However, hard flying of the specially built F-16N aircraft led to discovery of cracks in the airframe which led to the subsequent retirement of this asset. The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable geometry wing aircraft. ... The Boeing (formerly McDonnell Douglas) F/A-18 Hornet is a modern all-weather carrier-capable strike fighter jet, designed to attack both ground and aerial targets. ... The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft developed by General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin for the United States Air Force. ... The Mikoyan MiG-29 (Russian: ) (NATO reporting name Fulcrum) is a fighter aircraft designed for the air superiority role in the Soviet Union. ... The Sukhoi Su-27 (Су-27 in the Cyrillic alphabet) (NATO reporting name Flanker) is originally a Soviet fighter aircraft designed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau (SDB). ...

During the 1990s, the TOPGUN syllabus was modified to include more emphasis on the air-to-ground strike mission as a result of the expanding multi-mission taskings of the F-14 and F/A-18. In addition, TOPGUN retired their A-4s and F-5s in favor of F-14s and F/A-18s. In 1996, the transfer of NAS Miramar to the Marine Corps was coupled with the incorporation of TOPGUN into the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center (NSAWC) at NAS Fallon, Nevada. TOPGUN instructors currently fly the F/A-18A/B/C Hornet and the F-16A/B Falcon (former Pakistani aircraft never delivered due to embargo) that are assigned to NSAWC. For the band, see 1990s (band). ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Marine Corps Air Station Miramar is about 10 miles (16 km) north of downtown San Diego, California, USA. The United States Marine Corps installation is home to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Aircraft Group 11, and Marine Aircraft Group 16. ... The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States military responsible for providing power projection from the sea,[1] utilizing the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. ... The Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center (NSAWC, pronounced EN-SOCK) at Naval Air Station Fallon is the center of excellence for naval aviation training and tactics development. ... Naval Air Station Fallon (NAS Fallon) is the United States Navys premier air-to-air and air-to-ground training facility. ...

TOPGUN course

TOPGUN conducts five “Power Projection” classes a year, each one lasts for six weeks with twelve Fleet fighter and strike fighter aircrews. The TOPGUN course is designed to train already experienced Navy and US Marine Corp aircrews at the graduate level in all aspects of fighter aircraft employment, which includes tactics, hardware, technique and the current world threat. The course includes eighty hours of lectures and a flight syllabus that pits students against TOPGUN instructors. When each aircrew have ended their TOPGUN course they will return as a Training Officer carrying the latest tactical doctrine back to his/her operational squadron, or go directly to a FRS squadron to teach new aircrews. SFTI’s can also become instructors them selves at TOPGUN at one point in their career.

TOPGUN also conducts an Adversary Training Course, flying with adversary aircrew from each Navy and Marine Corps adversary squadron. These pilots receive individual instruction in threat simulation, effective threat presentation and adversary tactics. With each class, TOPGUN also trains four Air Intercept Controllers in effective communication, coordination and display interpretation skills. Prior to each deployment, Navy fighter aircrews participate in Fleet Air Superiority Training (FAST) and Hornet Fleet Air Superiority Training (HFAST), these are coordinated programs of academics, simulator and flight training designed to provide current threat updates to achieve Maritime Air Superiority in the carrier group arena. TOPGUN also provides academics and flight training to each Carrier Air Wing during their Integrated and Advanced Training Phases (ITP/ATP) at NAS Fallon which are large scale exercises which can involve as many as fifty aircraft. These large scale exercises serve as “dress rehearsals” for future combat scenarios. In addition to training aircrews, TOPGUN also conducts ground school courses six times a year. The Training Officer Ground School (TOGS) offers graduate level academics to Fleet aviators, adversary instructors and other officers and enlisted personnel.

Before the retirement of the F-14, TOPGUN participated in Fighter ACM Readiness Programs (FFARP) for the F-14. Now a days only Strike Fighter ACM Readiness Programs (SFARP) for the F/A.18 is conducted, which are formally controlled by adversary squadrons on each coast. In early October 2003 the final Tomcat TOPGUN class graduated and not long after that TOPGUN bid farewell to the F-14s.

TOPGUN was made famous in popular culture by the 1986 release of the motion picture Top Gun. Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... For other uses see film (disambiguation) Film refers to the celluliod media on which movies are printed Film — also called movies, the cinema, the silver screen, moving pictures, photoplays, picture shows, flicks, or motion pictures, — is a field that encompasses motion pictures as an art form or as... Top Gun is a 1986 American film directed by Tony Scott and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer in association with Paramount Pictures. ...

Similar Schools

The Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center at NAS Fallon is the Navy center of excellence for Naval strike and air warfare and is commanded by an Admiral. TOPGUN is a department (N7) under NSAWC as are several other formerly independent weapons schools for AEW (TOP DOME), JTAC (run by SEALs), "Strike U" (N5), Airborne Electronic Attack and Maritime Weapons Schools. Additional schools are resident at the Master Jet bases and designated as Type Wing Weapons Schools such as the Strike Fighter Weapons Schools at NAS Lemoore and NAS Oceana. Instructors and curriculum at these schools support the locally based squadrons and conduct unit level training. NSAWC conducts training for both individuals in the case of TOPGUN and provides Air Wing level training. As a designated center of excellence, NSAWC provides standardization for the entire Weapon School community sets standards/criteria for individual qualification. The Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center (NSAWC, pronounced EN-SOCK) at Naval Air Station Fallon is the center of excellence for naval aviation training and tactics development. ...

The United States Air Force operates a similar training program, called the United States Air Force Fighter Weapons School, and conducts large-scale tactical training exercises (see Red Flag) at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerial warfare branch of the United States armed forces and one of the seven uniformed services. ... The mission of the USAF Weapons School or United States Air Force Weapons School, is to teach graduate-level instructor courses, which provide the worlds most advanced training in weapons and tactics employment to officers of the combat air forces. ... An Australian F-111 bomber approaching a USAF KC-135 tanker during exercise Red Flag 06-1. ... Map showing the locations of Nellis AFB and the NTTR Nellis Air Force Base (IATA: LSV, ICAO: KLSV) is a United States Air Force base, in Clark County, Nevada, on the northeast side of Las Vegas. ... there is a jungle in nevada by the park This article is about the U. S. state of Nevada. ...

The Marine Corps operates Marine Aviation & Weapons Tactics Squadron - One (MAWTS-1) at MCAS Yuma with an Adversay squadron (VMFT-401) colocated at the base. MAWTS provideds training for qualification of individual Weapons & Tactics Instructors (WTI) that return to their squadrons as experts in employment of the aircraft and its weapons systems. MAWTS conducts large scale exercises several times a year called "WTI" evolutions that are similar to Red Flag or NSAWC Air Wing training and involve all aircraft operated by the Marine Corps.

The Royal Air Force also has a similar course specific to each aircraft type, known as the QWI (Qualified Weapons Instructor, pronounced Que-Why) Course. The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the air force branch of the British Armed Forces. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...

The Indian Air Force also operates a school on similar lines called the Tactics and Combat Development and Training Establishment (TACDE) [1] based at the Gwalior air force base in Madhya Pradesh, India. The Indian Air Force (भारतीय वायु सेना : Bharatiya Vayu Sena) is the air-arm of the Armed Forces of India and has the prime responsibility of conducting aerial warfare and securing the Indian airspace. ...

References

• Dave Parsons and Derek Nelson (1993) Bandits - History of American Adversarial Aircraft, Motorbooks International.
• George Hall (1986). TOPGUN - The Navy's Fighter Weapons School, Presidio Press.
• Robert Wilcox (2005-reissue)Scream of Eagles, Pocketstar
• Lou Drendel (revised 1984) ...And Kill MiGs!, Squadron/Signal Publications
• NFWS & NSAWC