Top Gun: The Edge of Aviation

More than three decades ago, the movie Top Gun not only had everyone feeling "the need for speed," it also introduced the Navy's elite fighter weapons school to the world.

Taking off from a parking lot to soaring high above the clouds, TOPGUN has been synonymous with aviation excellence for more than 50 years. And the Navy's real "top guns" will tell you, they truly are "not in the business of good enough."

Evolution

The intrigue of TOPGUN isn't only about the students like it is in the movie, it's about the instructors who also train relentlessly, study hard and exude professionalism so the Navy can keep its edge.

History

It Started in a Parking Lot: TOPGUN's History Revealed

F-16

Serves in an aggressor-training role with simulation capability of current threat aircraft in fighter combat mode.

F/A-18

All-weather fighter and attack aircraft designed for traditional strike applications such as interdiction and close-air support without compromising fighter capabilities.

F-35

Designed with the entire battlespace in mind, a highly agile, supersonic aircraft that provides unprecedented situational awareness and unmatched lethality and survivability.

Navy Aircraft Past and Present

F-86 Sabre

Single seat all-weather/night interceptor

First Flight Oct. 1, 1947

The Air Force's first swept-wing fighter. It played a prominent role in the Korean War, shooting down 792 MiG fighters that belonged to Chinese, North Korean and Russian fighters, with a loss of only 76 Sabres.

A-4 Skyhawk

Single seat carrier-based attack-bomber

First Flight June 22, 1954

A-4s were lightweight and good for long-range missions. During Vietnam, they logged more combat missions than any other naval aircraft. More than 20 versions of the A-4 have been used by the U.S. military and foreign nations. The Navy retired its last A-4 in 2003.

F-8 Crusader

Single seat carrier-based fighter

First Flight March 25, 1955

Was the first aircraft to exceed the speed of sound (Mach 1). Went on to set the U.S. speed record in August 1956. Served primarily in Vietnam. Was exclusively used by the Navy and Marine Corps.

F-4 Phantom

Dual seat carrier-based fighter/strike aircraft

First Flight May 27, 1958

Dominant fighter of the 1960s and early 1970s. Considered the workhorse of Vietnam. Its early dominance in the Navy influenced the Air Force to adopt it as one of its fighters, too. It was extensively used by the Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration team.

A-6 Intruder

Dual seat carrier- or shore-based all-weather attack aircraft

First Flight April 19, 1960

Served the Navy in Vietnam, Libya and Desert Storm. Premier bomber during Vietnam. Star of the movie "Flight of the Intruder."

E-2C Hawkeye

Navy's only airborne early warning and control

First Flight Oct. 21, 1961

It's equipped with long-range radar capable of detecting targets anywhere within a 3M cubic mile-surveillance envelope while also monitoring maritime traffic. Can also maintain an-weather patrols, automatically track 600+ targets simultaneously, and control 40+ airborne intercepts. It has supported operations in Libya, Desert Storm, Desert Fox and Bosnia, and has been used to aid in drug interdiction efforts.

A-7 Corsair

Single seat carrier-based light attack bomber

First Flight Sept. 27, 1965

Served from the 1960s through 1990s as one of the Navy's premiere light attack bombers. It was based on the F-8 Crusader design to keep costs minimal. Served in Vietnam, Libya, Panama and in Desert Storm.

F-14 Tomcat

Dual seat carrier-based multi-role fighter

First Flight Dec. 21, 1970

Served in Libya, Desert Storm and Bosnia. In the 1990s, it was outfitted for a multi-mission role of fighter-bomber and was used as a bomber during Operation Desert Fox. Star of "Top Gun."

S-3 Viking

Four-seat twin-engine carrier-based anti-submarine aircraft

First Flight Jan. 21, 1972

Introduced in 1974 as an anti-submarine warfare aircraft, the Viking played a critical surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting role at sea for naval and joint forces. It went on to perform various other duties, such as organic tanking, electronic intelligence and carrier onboard delivery. Officially retired from Navy service in 2009.

F-16 Fighting Falcon

Single seat land-based multi-role fighter

First Flight Aug. 7, 1978

Flew more sorties during Desert Storm than any other aircraft. With a full load of internal fuel, the F-16 can withstand up to nine times the G-force. The Navy, including TOPGUN, uses it as an adversarial aircraft to train its best fighter pilots.

F-5N Tiger II

Initial operational capability: 2003

This single seat twin-engine tactical fighter and attack aircraft is used for simulated air-to-air combat training. The F-5F is the dual seat version commonly used for training and adversary combat tactics.

Three Mission Sets

Air-to-Air

Fighting other airplanes mid-air with air-to-air missiles. It has been the founding principle for TOPGUN for more than half a century.

Air-to-Surface

Dropping ordnance on land-based targets. The air-to-surface mission grew in importance during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Maritime Strike

Destroying enemy ships with ordnance. Currently, maritime strike has grown in focus and involves integration with other Navy and joint service assets.

Flight School

It's like two teams playing against each other. You don't know what that offense is going to do. You don't know what defense you're going to be presented with, either.

- Navy Cmdr. Dustin Peverill

The students are broken into three groups: Strike Fighter Tactics Instructors (SFTIs), Adversaries and Air Intercept Controllers. When students graduate from TOPGUN and go on to their follow-on tours or back to their fleet unit, they become teachers, passing what they learned at TOPGUN to others to raise the whole squadron or ship’s tactical performance.

SFTIs Adversaries Air Intercept Controllers

Perspective SFTIs are FA-18E/F Super Hornet and F-35C Lightning II aircrew from the fleet who learn the latest tactics over the span of 13 weeks. During training, these students practice what they've learned against the Adversary students and TOPGUN instructors.

Adversary students are primarily F-5 Tiger II pilots. Their course is condensed over nine weeks, and they learn to replicate the capability and tactics used by other countries in order to provide realistic training to the fleet.

AIC students come from the Navy’s E-2 Hawkeye community and the surface fleet. During training, these students practice what they've learned against the Adversary students and TOPGUN instructors. The AIC course teaches students via simulators how to operate their sensors and seamlessly integrate with the SFTIs to provide them with situational awareness to help guide their airborne tactical decision making. The AIC course is also about nine weeks.

Did You Know?

Fewer than 5% of Navy fighter pilots get to teach at TOPGUN.

90-95% of students who attend TOPGUN pass. "The staff's job is to graduate students, not to attrite them." - Navy Cmdr. Dustin Peverill

TOPGUN averages about 35 instructors on staff at any one time. That includes strike fighter aircrew, airborne intercept controllers and an intelligence officer. Most spend about three years on staff.

What's in the name?

As you might have noticed, the acronym TOPGUN doesn't match the school's name. In fact, TOPGUN doesn't stand for anything. It was a nickname created by the tactical department of Fighter Squadron 21 when the school was stood up. That department called itself TOPGUN – it even fashioned a TOPGUN sign for the parking lot trailer that served as the original schoolhouse – because it was simply easier to say than U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School. And the name stuck.

Its location: not in cali anymore

Yes, TOPGUN was once in California, but not anymore. The school was founded at Naval Air Station Miramar in San Diego and remained there for several years after the movie "Top Gun" came out. However, it was moved in 1996 during the Base Realignment and Closure Program to Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada, to be integrated into the newly created Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center (now known as the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center). As the F/A-18 Hornet's role grew, the aircraft required more airspace and air-to-surface range space for training, and the Fallon Range Training Complex provided that.

Most don't go on to fight the enemy.

In the movie "Top Gun," the school's graduates quickly were sent on a real-world mission. But that rarely happens in real life. As their mission is to "train the trainers," most TOPGUN graduates go on to weapons schools to provide training and support to the deployable fleet - but they won't deploy again themselves until follow-on tours. "Their job is to make sure that COs all the way down to the brand new aircrew are trained in the latest tactics developed by TOPGUN," Peverill said.

There's confidence, but not cockiness.

In the original "Top Gun" movie, arrogance was not lacking in any of the characters. But today's instructors say that's far from reality - in fact, it's frowned upon. The school looks for three personality traits in every student and instructor: Credibility, approachability and humility. "As I teach you, I'm trying to get better, too. So I have to have that humble demeanor in order to make everybody better," Peverill said. "A cocky demeanor just shuts everybody down, and it would be a huge disservice to the school." While the cockiness might be a myth, the competitiveness is not!

TopGun