TOPGUN: The US Navy Fighter Weapons School: Fifty Years of Excellence (Legends of Warfare: Aviation, 35) by Brad Elward


TOPGUN: The US Navy Fighter Weapons School: Fifty Years of Excellence (Legends of Warfare: Aviation, 35)
Title : TOPGUN: The US Navy Fighter Weapons School: Fifty Years of Excellence (Legends of Warfare: Aviation, 35)
Author :
Rating :
ISBN : 0764360140
ISBN-10 : 9780764360145
Language : English
Format Type : Hardcover
Number of Pages : 144
Publication : Published July 28, 2020

A unique, illustrated history of the US Navy Fighter Weapons School's 50-year history.

This book provides a unique, illustrated history of the US Navy Fighter Weapons School’s 50-year history. Currently located at Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada, TOPGUN was formed in late 1968 at Naval Air Station Miramar, California, to create a graduate-level course in fighter tactics for Navy pilots deploying to Vietnam. Before TOPGUN, Navy F-4 Phantom II fighter crews in Vietnam managed only a 2.5:1 kill ratio versus Soviet-built MiG-17 and MiG-21 after TOPGUN formed, the community tallied a 12.5:1 kill ratio. Since then, TOPGUN has become the standard-bearer of Navy fighter and strike fighter tactics and training and is recognized worldwide as a center of excellence. Brad Elward has written on military aviation topics since 1997. He has authored articles on TOPGUN for The Hook and Combat Aircraft magazines and has published 11 aviation books and over 50 aviation articles.


TOPGUN: The US Navy Fighter Weapons School: Fifty Years of Excellence (Legends of Warfare: Aviation, 35) Reviews


  • Joe

    Really happy I got this book about TOPGUN by Brad Elward from Amazon. I'm familiar with Brad's writing for Combat Aircraft Journal and AIR International, so felt this book had potential.

    Well the day I got this book in the mail, I headed outside into the sun to start reading. This book was an easy read, but then again lots of pictures with concise writing about the history of TOPGUN printed very well. No, not the movie - the US Navy fighter pilot graduate school to learn dogfighting and later on surface strike. Really good value for money with this high quality book.