4477th Test and Evaluation Squadron: Difference between revisions
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==History== |
==History== |
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The longest continuing United States classified airplane program is the testing and evaluation of Foreign Aircraft Technology. During the Cold War, secret test flying of MiGs and other Soviet aircraft was an ongoing mission dating back to the acquisition of the first Soviet-built [[Yakovlev Yak-23]] in 1953. This effort has continued to the present day. Unlike the other Black airplane programs, such as the Have Blue, F-117A,or SR-71, Foreign Aircraft Technology operations still remain classified. Despite the declassification of the Constant Peg program in the early 2000s, the evaluation of Foreign aircraft likely continues. |
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It is not known exactly the actual number or types of aircraft involved, where they came from, or the complete history of the program. It is known that the activities of the 4477th Test and Evaluation Squadron brought about a fundamental change in United States Air Force and Navy air-combat tactics. They revitalized the art of dogfighting at a time when, seemingly, it had nearly been forgotten. The knowledge gained from testing the aircraft the squadron flew was reflected in the success of United States air operations during the Vietnam War, as well as the founding of the Air Force Red Flag program and the United States Navy Top Gun school. |
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===Origins=== |
===Origins=== |
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In the late 1950s, a new generation of United States fighters was being developed. As a result of the development of air-to-air missiles, fighter aircraft, such as the Navy F4H Phantom II, was developed. The F-4 was the first fighter designed from the start with only air-to-air missiles. The radar-guided Sparrow and the shorter-range Sidewinder infra-red-guided missile. With the new missiles came the new attitude that dog-fighting was obsolete. The air-to-air training given to new Navy F-4 crews was extremely limited. It involved about ten flights and provided little useful information. By 1964, few in the Navy were left to carry on the tradition of classic dogfighting. |
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Then came the Vietnam War. The early years of the air war over North Vietnam showed the faith placed in missiles was terribly in error. Between 1965 and the bombing halt in 1968, the USAF had a 2.15 to 1 kill ratio. The Navy was doing slightly better with a 2.75 to 1 rate. For roughly every two North Vietnamese MiG-17 Frescos or MiG-21 Fishbeds shot down, an American F-4, F-105, or F-8 would be lost. This was far worse than the 10-plus to 1 kill rate in Korea. More serious, the percentage of United States fighters being lost in air-to-air combat was growing. During 1966, only 3 percent of U.S. aircraft losses were due to MiGs. This rose to 8 percent in 1967, then climbed to 22 percent forthe first three months of 1968. |
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The emphasis on air-to-air missile interception meant the fighter combat crews had only the sketchiest knowledge of dogfighting. The design of the F-4 made it Ill-suited for a tight-turning dogfight. In contrast to the MiG-17, the F-4 waslarge and heavy. When a tight turn was made, the F-4 would lose speed. The MiG-17's superior turning capability then allowed it to close to gun range. All too often, hits from the MiG-17's "outmoded" cannons would then destroy the F-4 |
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The idea of a more realistic training program was devised by [[USAF]] [[Colonel]] [[Gail Peck]], a [[Vietnam War|Vietnam]] veteran [[F-4 Phantom|F-4]] pilot, who was dissatisfied with his service's fighter pilot training. After the war, he worked at the [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]], where he heard about the HAVE DRILL and HAVE DOUGHNUT programs. He won the support of USAF [[General]] [[Hoyt S. Vandenberg, Jr.]] and launched "Constant Peg," named after Vandenberg's callsign, "Constant," and Peck's wife, Peg.<ref name="Red Eagles" /> |
The idea of a more realistic training program was devised by [[USAF]] [[Colonel]] [[Gail Peck]], a [[Vietnam War|Vietnam]] veteran [[F-4 Phantom|F-4]] pilot, who was dissatisfied with his service's fighter pilot training. After the war, he worked at the [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]], where he heard about the HAVE DRILL and HAVE DOUGHNUT programs. He won the support of USAF [[General]] [[Hoyt S. Vandenberg, Jr.]] and launched "Constant Peg," named after Vandenberg's callsign, "Constant," and Peck's wife, Peg.<ref name="Red Eagles" /> |
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Revision as of 16:29, 7 September 2011
| 4477th Test & Evaluation Squadron | |
|---|---|
 Members of the 4477th Test & Evaluation Squadron in front of a MiG-21F-13 Fishbed C/E, "85 Red", USAF serial 014. This airframe is now at the Air Force Armament Museum, Eglin AFB, Florida. | |
| Founded | 1 May 1980–1990 |
| Disbanded | Last sorties on 4 March 1988. |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Type | Tactical evaluation squadron |
| Role | Testing of MiG fighters. |
| Garrison/HQ | Tonopah Test Range and Nellis AFB, Nevada |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Gaillard Peck, George Gennin |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Fighter | Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17, MiG-21 and MiG-23. |
| Trainer | Northrop T-38 Talon |
| Transport | Cessna 404, Mitsubishi MU-2 |
The 4477th Test and Evaluation Squadron (4477th TES) was a squadron in the United States Air Force under the command of the Tactical Air Command.[1] The product of Project Constant Peg, the unit was created to train USAF pilots and weapon systems officers, and USN and USMC naval aviators to better fight the aircraft of the Soviet Union.[1] Some 69 pilots, nicknamed Bandits, served in the squadron between 1979 and 1988, flying MiG-17s, MiG-21s and MiG-23s.[1]
History
The longest continuing United States classified airplane program is the testing and evaluation of Foreign Aircraft Technology. During the Cold War, secret test flying of MiGs and other Soviet aircraft was an ongoing mission dating back to the acquisition of the first Soviet-built Yakovlev Yak-23 in 1953. This effort has continued to the present day. Unlike the other Black airplane programs, such as the Have Blue, F-117A,or SR-71, Foreign Aircraft Technology operations still remain classified. Despite the declassification of the Constant Peg program in the early 2000s, the evaluation of Foreign aircraft likely continues.
It is not known exactly the actual number or types of aircraft involved, where they came from, or the complete history of the program. It is known that the activities of the 4477th Test and Evaluation Squadron brought about a fundamental change in United States Air Force and Navy air-combat tactics. They revitalized the art of dogfighting at a time when, seemingly, it had nearly been forgotten. The knowledge gained from testing the aircraft the squadron flew was reflected in the success of United States air operations during the Vietnam War, as well as the founding of the Air Force Red Flag program and the United States Navy Top Gun school.
Origins
In the late 1950s, a new generation of United States fighters was being developed. As a result of the development of air-to-air missiles, fighter aircraft, such as the Navy F4H Phantom II, was developed. The F-4 was the first fighter designed from the start with only air-to-air missiles. The radar-guided Sparrow and the shorter-range Sidewinder infra-red-guided missile. With the new missiles came the new attitude that dog-fighting was obsolete. The air-to-air training given to new Navy F-4 crews was extremely limited. It involved about ten flights and provided little useful information. By 1964, few in the Navy were left to carry on the tradition of classic dogfighting.
Then came the Vietnam War. The early years of the air war over North Vietnam showed the faith placed in missiles was terribly in error. Between 1965 and the bombing halt in 1968, the USAF had a 2.15 to 1 kill ratio. The Navy was doing slightly better with a 2.75 to 1 rate. For roughly every two North Vietnamese MiG-17 Frescos or MiG-21 Fishbeds shot down, an American F-4, F-105, or F-8 would be lost. This was far worse than the 10-plus to 1 kill rate in Korea. More serious, the percentage of United States fighters being lost in air-to-air combat was growing. During 1966, only 3 percent of U.S. aircraft losses were due to MiGs. This rose to 8 percent in 1967, then climbed to 22 percent forthe first three months of 1968.
The emphasis on air-to-air missile interception meant the fighter combat crews had only the sketchiest knowledge of dogfighting. The design of the F-4 made it Ill-suited for a tight-turning dogfight. In contrast to the MiG-17, the F-4 waslarge and heavy. When a tight turn was made, the F-4 would lose speed. The MiG-17's superior turning capability then allowed it to close to gun range. All too often, hits from the MiG-17's "outmoded" cannons would then destroy the F-4
The idea of a more realistic training program was devised by USAF Colonel Gail Peck, a Vietnam veteran F-4 pilot, who was dissatisfied with his service's fighter pilot training. After the war, he worked at the Department of Defense, where he heard about the HAVE DRILL and HAVE DOUGHNUT programs. He won the support of USAF General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, Jr. and launched "Constant Peg," named after Vandenberg's callsign, "Constant," and Peck's wife, Peg.[1]
The 4477th began as the 4477th TEF, which began 17 July 1979. The name was later changed to the 4477th TES in 1980.
The 4477th began with three MiGs: two MiG-17Fs, and a MiG-21, loaned by Israel, captured from the Syrian Air Force and Iraqi Air Force. Later, it added MiG-21s from the Indonesian Air Force.[1]
The aircraft were collected at the Department of Energy's Tonopah Test Range, where they were flown by the squadron. The squadron operated MiG-17s until 1982, but mostly MiG-21s and MiG-23s.[1]
HAVE MiGs
Under the HAVE DOUGHNUT, HAVE DRILL and HAVE FERRY programs, the first MiGs flown in the United States, were used to evaluate the aircraft in performance and technical capabilities, as well as in operational capability, pitting the types against U.S. fighters.[1] The focus of Air Force Systems Command limited the use of the fighter as a tool with which to train the front line tactical fighter pilots.[1] Air Force Systems Command recruited its pilots from the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California, who were usually graduates from various test pilot schools. Tactical Air Command selected its pilots primarily from the ranks of the Weapons School graduates.[1]
Accidents
Two pilots of the 4477th died flying the Soviet planes. The pilots had no manuals for the aircraft, although some tried to write one. Nor was there a consistent supply of spare parts, which had to be refurbished or manufactured at high cost.
On 23 August 1979, a pilot lost control of the squadron's MiG-17F, USAF serial 002. U.S. Navy Lieutenant M. Hugh Brown, 31, of the U.S. Navy's Test and Evaluation Squadron FOUR (VX-4), "Bandit 12", originally of Roanoke, Virginia, entered a spin while dogfighting a U.S. Navy F-5. Brown recovered, but entered a second irrecoverable spin too low to eject. The plane hit the ground at a steep angle near the Tonopah Test Range airfield boundary, killing the pilot instantly.[1]
On 21 October 1982, USAF Captain Mark Postai crashed with a MiG-23.[1]
On 26 April 1984, USAF Lieutenant General Robert M. "Bobby" Bond, then vice commander of Air Force Systems Command, died attempting to eject after losing control of his MiG-23 while supersonic. The death of a three-star general led the Air Force to reveal that it was flying Soviet aircraft.[2][3]
End of operations
Near the end of the Cold War the program was abandoned and the squadron was disbanded. Flight operations closed down in March 1988, although the 4477th was not inactivated until July 1990, according to one official Air Force history.[1]
Current operations
After the 4477th TES was inactivated, the remaining assets were reconstituted as a detachment of the 57th Fighter Wing at Nellis AFB, now known as Detachment 3, 53rd Test and Evaluation Group).
It is believed that Air Force Material Command operates MiG-29 Fulcrums and Su-27 Flanker aircraft somewhere in Nevada flying against Fighter Weapons School instructors, 422d Test and Evaluation Squadron aircrews and F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon "Aggressor" aircraft flying from Nellis AFB. [1]
Aircraft
As an OPSEC measure, the Soviet aircraft had their own US aircraft designations in order to avoid using the actual Soviet designations.[1]
See also
References
- Media Advisory: AF Declassifies Elite Aggressor Program, 13 November 2006