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

Brad Elward

ISBN 10: 0764362542 / ISBN 13: 9780764362545

Published by Schiffer Publishing Sep 2021, 2021

About this Item

Neuware - 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.

Seller Inventory # 9780764362545

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Topgun: The Legacy : The Complete History of Topgun and Its Impact on Tactical Aviation
• Publisher: Schiffer Publishing Sep 2021
• Publication Date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0764362542
• ISBN 13: 9780764362545
• Binding: Buch
• Condition: Neu
• Dimensions: 259W x 180H x 68D millimeters 259 millimeters width by 180 millimeters height by 68 millimeters depth
• Weight: 2306 grams

About this title

Synopsis

The exclusive and definitive look at the 50-year history of the Navy Fighter Weapons School.

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. Author Brad Elward constructed this history through the study of several thousand archival source documents. To go beyond the official history, Elward personally conducted more than 450 interviews with TOPGUN graduates, instructors, and commanding officers. 

This reprint edition includes text revisions and reinforced binding. 

About the Author

Brad Elward is a military aviation writer and a retired appellate attorney. He has written 14 books and dozens of articles for World Air Power Journal, Combat Aircraft, The Hook, and International Air Power Review. He was granted unprecedented access to TOPGUN for the research and writing of this book.