Topgun: The Legacy: The Complete History of Topgun and Its Impact on Tactical Aviation

The Navy Fighter Weapons School, established in 1968, teaches Navy aircrews core air combat tactics, trains others, and ensures naval aviation never forgets its lessons learned. TOPGUN: The Legacy provides a unique, detailed, and never-before-told history of the school, with over 450 interviews, thousands of pages of archival documents, and coverage of its early history, founding, and progression.

Format: Hardback
Length: 720 pages
Publication date: 28 September 2021
Publisher: Schiffer Publishing Ltd

The history of air combat has seen one recurring theme—new tactics are learned in battle, forgotten or discarded when battle concludes, and relearned at great cost during the next war. This cycle continued into the 1960s, when America was drawn into the Vietnam War. Despite having a skill and equipment advantage, US Navy aircrews were faring poorly against North Vietnamese fighters. Air combat lessons learned during prior wars, and since forgotten or deemed inapplicable due to advances in technology, were once again relevant. TOPGUN, the Navy's Fighter Weapons School, was established in 1968 to teach Navy aircrews the core air combat tactics, to train others in those tactics, and to ensure that naval aviation never again forgot its lessons learned. TOPGUN: The Legacy provides a unique, detailed, and never-before-told history of the Navy Fighter Weapons School. Over 450 interviews with graduates, instructors, and commanding officers Thousands of pages of archival documents Covers the early history of air combat tactical development, the school's founding in 1968, and its progression throughout the decades to the present day. TOPGUN's programs, significant events that shaped the school, and its unique culture have made it a center of excellence and the leading fighter weapons school worldwide.

Weight: 2308g
Dimension: 188 x 261 x 67 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780764362545