4477th Test and Evaluation Squadron - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The 4477th Test and Evaluation Squadron (4477th TES) was a squadron in the United States Air Force

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

under the command of the Tactical Air Command

Tactical Air Command

Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...

. The product of Project Constant Peg, the unit was created to train USAF pilot

Aviator

An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...

s and weapon systems officer

Weapon systems officer

A Weapon Systems Officer is an air Flight Officer directly involved in all air operations and weapon systems of the fighter in the United States Navy. A Weapon Systems Officer ("WSO", pronounced "wizzo") is an air Flight Officer directly involved in all air operations and weapon systems of the...

s, and USN and USMC naval aviator

Naval Aviator

A United States Naval Aviator is a qualified pilot in the United States Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard.-Naming Conventions:Most Naval Aviators are Unrestricted Line Officers; however, a small number of Limited Duty Officers and Chief Warrant Officers are also trained as Naval Aviators.Until 1981...

s to better fight the aircraft of the Soviet Union. Some 69 pilots, nicknamed Bandits, served in the squadron between 1979 and 1988, flying MiG-17s, MiG-21s and MiG-23s.

History

The longest continuing United States classified airplane program is the testing and evaluation of Foreign Aircraft Technology. During the Cold War

Cold War

The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...

, secret test flying of Mikoyan-and-Gurevich Design Bureau (MiG) and other Soviet aircraft was an ongoing mission dating back to the acquisition of the first Soviet-built Yakovlev Yak-23

Yakovlev Yak-23

|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gordon, Yefim. "Early Soviet Jet Fighters". Hinkley: Midland. 2002. ISBN 1-85780-139-3* Green, William & Swanborough, Gordon. "The Complete Book of Fighters". London: Salamander Books. 1994. ISBN 1-85833-777-1...

in 1953. This effort has continued to the present day. Unlike the other Black airplane programs, such as the Have Blue, Lockheed U-2

Lockheed U-2

The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed "Dragon Lady", is a single-engine, very high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force and previously flown by the Central Intelligence Agency . It provides day and night, very high-altitude , all-weather intelligence gathering...

, or SR-71 Blackbird

SR-71 Blackbird

The Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" was an advanced, long-range, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft. It was developed as a black project from the Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance aircraft in the 1960s by the Lockheed Skunk Works. Clarence "Kelly" Johnson was responsible for many of the...

, 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 Aviation 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

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...

, 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

Vietnam War

. The early years of the air war over North Vietnam

North Vietnam

The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...

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 Phantom II

F-4 Phantom II

The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...

, F-105 Thunderchief

F-105 Thunderchief

The Republic F-105 Thunderchief, was a supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. The Mach 2 capable F-105 conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Vietnam War; it has the dubious distinction of being the only US aircraft to have been...

, or F-8 Crusader

F-8 Crusader

The Vought F-8 Crusader was a single-engine, supersonic, carrier-based air superiority jet aircraft built by Vought for the United States Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps, replacing the Vought F7U Cutlass...

would be lost. This was far worse than the 10-plus to 1 kill rate during the Korean War

Korean War

The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

. 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 for the 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 was large 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.

Under the HAVE DOUGHNUT and HAVE DRILL programs, the first MiGs flown in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, were used to evaluate the aircraft

Aircraft

An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...

in performance and technical capabilities, as well as in operational capability, pitting the types against U.S. fighters.

The data from the Have Doughnut and Have Drill tests were provided to the newly formed Top Gun school at NAS Miramar. During the remainder of the Vietnam War, the Navy kill ratio climbed to 8.33 to 1. In contrast, the Air Force rate improved only slightly to 2.83 to 1. The reason for this difference was Top Gun. The navy had revitalized its air combat training, while the Air Force had stayed stagnant. Most of the Navy MiG kills were by Top Gun graduates.

By 1970, the Have Drill program was expanded; a few selected fleet F-4 crews were given the chance to fight the MiGs. The most important result of Project Have Drill is that no Navy pilot who flew in the project defeated the MiG-17 Fresco in the first engagement The Have Drill dogfights were by invitation only. The other pilots based at Nellis Air Force Base

Nellis Air Force Base

Nellis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is under the jurisdiction of Air Combat Command .-Overview:...

were not to know about the U.S.-operated MiGs. To prevent any sightings, the airspace above the Groom Lake range was closed. On aeronautical maps, the exercise area was marked in red ink. The forbidden zone became known as "Red Square".

The idea of a more realistic training program for the Air Force was devised by USAF Colonel

Colonel

Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...

Gail Peck

Colonel Gaillard R. Peck Jr. was a career officer in the United States Air Force. He is best known as creator of the Constant Peg training program that trained United States airmen against a collection of MiG fighter jets.-Decorations:* Silver Star* Legion of Merit...

, a Vietnam

Vietnam War

veteran F-4 pilot, who was dissatisfied with his service's fighter pilot training. After the war, he worked at the Department of Defense

United States Department of Defense

The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...

, where he heard about the HAVE DRILL and HAVE DOUGHNUT programs. He won the support of USAF General

General

A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....

Hoyt S. Vandenberg, Jr.

Hoyt Sanford Vandenberg, Jr. is a retired Major General in the United States Air Force.-Biography:Vandenberg was born in Riverside, California in 1928. His father of was General Hoyt Vandenberg and his great uncle was U.S. Senator Arthur H. Vandenberg. Vandenberg would obtain a M.S...

and launched "Constant Peg," named after Vandenberg's callsign, "Constant," and Peck's wife, Peg.

HAVE MiGs

In May 1973, Project Have Idea was formed which took over from the older Have Donut and Have Drill projects and the project was transferred from the Area 51

Area 51

Area 51 is a military base, and a remote detachment of Edwards Air Force Base. It is located in the southern portion of Nevada in the western United States, 83 miles north-northwest of downtown Las Vegas. Situated at its center, on the southern shore of Groom Lake, is a large military airfield...

facility to the Tonopah Test Range Airport

Tonopah Test Range Airport

Tonopah Test Range Airport , also Senior Trend project site PS-66, is located near the center of the Tonopah Test Range, southeast of Tonopah, Nevada and northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is a major airfield with a runway, instrument approach facilities, and nighttime illumination...

, Nevada. At Tonopah testing of foreign technology aircraft continued and expanded throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

By the late 1970s, United States MiG operations were undergoing another change. In the late 1960s, the MiG-17 and MiG-21F were still frontline aircraft. A decade later, they had been superseded by later-model MiG-21s and new aircraft, such as the MiG-23. Fortunately, a new source of supply of Soviet aircraft became available, Egypt. In the mid-1970s, relations between Egypt and the Soviet Union had become strained, and Soviet advisers were ordered out. The Soviets had provided the Egyptian air force with MiGs since the mid-1950s. Now, with their traditional source out of the picture, the Egyptians began looking west. They turned to United States companies for parts to support their late-model MiG-21s and MiG-23s. Very soon, a deal was made. According to one account, two MiG-23 fighter bombers were given to the United States by Egyptian president Anwar Sadat. The planes were disassembled and shipped from Egypt to Edwards Air Force Base. They were then transferred initially to Groom Lake for reassembly and study.

In 1987, the U.S. Air Force bought 12 new Shenyang F-7Bs from China for use in the Constant Peg program. At the same time, it retired the remaining MiG-21F-13 Fishbeds acquired from Indonesia.

The United States operated MiGs received special designations. There was the practical problem of what to call the aircraft. This was solved by giving them numbers in the century series. The MiG-21s and Shenyang F-7Bs were called the "YF-110" (the original designation for the air force F-4C), while the MiG-23s were called the "YF-113".

The focus of Air Force Systems Command

Air Force Systems Command

Air Force Systems Command is a former United States Air Force command. Its headquarters was located at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland...

limited the use of the fighter as a tool with which to train the front line

Front line

A front line is the farthest-most forward position of an armed force's personnel and equipment - generally in respect of maritime or land forces. Forward Line of Own Troops , or Forward Edge of Battle Area are technical terms used by all branches of the armed services...

tactical fighter pilots. Air Force Systems Command recruited its pilots from the Air Force Flight Test Center

Air Force Flight Test Center

The Air Force Flight Test Center conducts research, development, test, and evaluation of aerospace systems from concept to deployment. It has test flown every aircraft in the U.S. Air Force's inventory since World War II...

at Edwards Air Force Base

Edwards Air Force Base

Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County, California, in the Antelope Valley. It is southwest of the central business district of North Edwards, California and due east of Rosamond.It is named in...

, California, who were usually graduates from various test pilot schools. Tactical Air Command

Tactical Air Command

selected its pilots primarily from the ranks of the Weapons School graduates.

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 MiG

Mig

-Industry:*MiG, now Mikoyan, a Russian aircraft corporation, formerly the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau*Metal inert gas welding or MIG welding, a type of welding using an electric arc and a shielding gas-Business and finance:...

s: two MiG-17Fs, and a MiG-21, loaned by Israel

Israel

The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

, captured from the Syrian Air Force

Syrian Air Force

The Syrian Air Force is the Aviation branch of the Syrian Armed Forces. It was established in 1948.-History:The end of World War II led to a withdrawal of the United Kingdom and France from the Middle East, and this included a withdrawal from Syria...

and Iraqi Air Force

Iraqi Air Force

The Iraqi Air Force or IQAF is the military branch in Iraq responsible for the policing of international borders, surveillance of national assets and aerial operations...

. Later, it added MiG-21s from the Indonesian Air Force

Indonesian Air Force

The Indonesian Air Force is the air force branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces.The Indonesian Air Force has 34,930 personnel equipped with 110 combat aircraft including Su-27 and Su-30.-Before Indonesian independence :...

.

The aircraft were collected at the Department of Energy

United States Department of Energy

The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...

's Tonopah Test Range

Tonopah Test Range

Tonopah Test Range , also known as Area 52, is a restricted military installation located about southeast of Tonopah, Nevada. It is part of the northern fringe of the Nellis Range, measuring . Tonopah Test Range is located about northwest of Groom Dry Lake, home of the Area 51 facility...

, where they were flown by the squadron. The squadron operated MiG-17s until 1982, but mostly MiG-21s and MiG-23s.

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

VX-4

VX-4, Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Four, , commonly referred to by its nickname, The Evaluators) was a United States Navy air test and evaluation squadron based at Naval Air Station Point Mugu, California...

), "Bandit 12", originally of Roanoke

Roanoke, Virginia

Roanoke is an independent city in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. state of Virginia and is the tenth-largest city in the Commonwealth. It is located in the Roanoke Valley of the Roanoke Region of Virginia. The population within the city limits was 97,032 as of 2010...

, Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

, entered a spin while dogfighting a U.S. Navy F-5

F-5 Freedom Fighter

The Northrop F-5A/B Freedom Fighter and the F-5E/F Tiger II are part of a family of widely-used light supersonic fighter aircraft, designed and built by Northrop...

. 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

Tonopah Test Range

airfield boundary, killing the pilot instantly.

On 21 October 1982, USAF Captain Mark Postai crashed with a MiG-23.

On 26 April 1984, USAF Lieutenant General

Lieutenant General

Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....

Robert M. "Bobby" Bond, then vice commander of Air Force Systems Command

Air Force Systems Command

Air Force Systems Command is a former United States Air Force command. Its headquarters was located at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland...

, died attempting to eject after losing control of his MiG-23 while supersonic. A few hours after the crash, the Air Force Systems Command at Andrews Air Force issued a brief statement: "Lt. Gen. Robert M. Bond, vice commander, Air Force Systems Command, was killed today in an accident while flying in an Air Force specially modified test aircraft". Three-star generals do not generally fly test missions, so Bond's death attracted press interest. The fact that the air force also refused to identify the type of plane also raised questions. Early reports claimed he had been flying "a super-secret Stealth fighter prototype." The death of a three-star general led the Air Force to reveal that it was flying Soviet aircraft.

End of operations

Near the end of the Cold War

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.

Current operations

After the 4477th TES was inactivated, the remaining assets were reconstituted as a detachment of the 57th Fighter Wing

57th Wing

The 57th Wing is an operational unit of the United States Air Force Warfare Center, stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.The 57 WG's mission is to provide well trained and well equipped combat forces ready to deploy into a combat arena to conduct integrated combat operations.-Mission:The 57...

at Nellis AFB, now known as Detachment 3, 53rd Test and Evaluation Group).

In a March 1994 article on Groom Lake in Popular Science, a photo was published of an Su-22 Fitter

Sukhoi Su-17

The Sukhoi Su-17 is a Soviet attack aircraft developed from the Sukhoi Su-7 fighter-bomber. It enjoyed a long career in Soviet, later Russian, service and was widely exported to communist and Middle Eastern air forces, under names Su-20 and Su-22.-Development:Seeking to improve low-speed and...

in flight. The plane was painted in a green and tan finish. The Su-22 is a swing-wing,light-attack aircraft. It was in frontline Russian Air Force

Russian Air Force

The Russian Air Force is the air force of Russian Military. It is currently under the command of Colonel General Aleksandr Zelin. The Russian Navy has its own air arm, the Russian Naval Aviation, which is the former Soviet Aviatsiya Voyenno Morskogo Flota , or AV-MF).The Air Force was formed from...

service at the time and was exported widely to Eastern European and Third-World countries during the 1970s and 1980s.

Also in 1993, the United States and Germany trained with former East German MiG-23s and two Su-22s which were sent to the United States. With East and West Germany now unified, there was an ample supply of both Soviet-built planes and the spare parts needed to support them. In October 1994, Aerospace Daily reported that "reliable observers" had sighted an Su-27 Flanker on two occasions. The Su-27 is a Russian first-line advanced interceptor. It is in operation with both the Russian and Communist Chinese air forces.

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

Fighter Weapons School

Fighter Weapons School can mean the following:* United States Navy Fighter Weapons School* United States Air Force Fighter Weapons School now the United States Air Force Warfare Center* Fighter Weapons School - a RAF school...

instructors, 422d Test and Evaluation Squadron

422d Test and Evaluation Squadron

The 422d Test and Evaluation Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 53d Test and Evaluation Group, stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada....

aircrews and F-15 Eagle

F-15 Eagle

The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...

and F-16 Fighting Falcon

F-16 Fighting Falcon

The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...

"Aggressor" aircraft flying from Nellis AFB.

Aircraft

As an OPSEC measure, the Soviet aircraft had their own US aircraft designations

1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system

The 1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system is a unified designation system introduced by the United States Department of Defense on 18 September 1962 for all the U.S. military aircraft. Prior to this date, each armed service used their own nomenclature system...

in order to avoid using the actual Soviet designations.

YF-110: MiG-21
YF-113: MiG-17 and MiG-23
YF-114: MiG-17

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