TOPGUN’s Next Challenge
By Captain Thomas “Jethro†Bodine, U.S. Navy
September 2019
Proceedings
Since its inception, the Navy Fighter Weapons School—or TOPGUN—has had a singular purpose: create the best air-to-air combat aircrew in the world. For half a century, TOPGUN has achieved this goal through a rigorous training program built on intensive classroom instruction, detailed flight briefs, and meticulous mission debriefs. As this elite organization charges head-long into its sixth decade of operations, a TOPGUN-style introspective is warranted to uncover the enduring “goods†while highlighting a mounting challenge for naval aviation.
https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2019/september/topguns-next-challenge
