The concept was pushed by a group of pilots from the Fighter Weapons School at Nellis AFB, Nevada. Constant Peg improved upon this method of instruction-Red Eagles pilots not only used Soviet fighter tactics but also flew the same MiG aircraft that their students could one day face in combat.Įstablishing a secret squadron of Soviet aircraft from scratch was no simple task. These squadrons flew USAF aircraft but employed Soviet tactics and flying techniques to simulate realistic adversaries.
These losses sharply illustrated training shortfalls and a loss of skill in the art of the “dogfight.” Between 19, the USAF and USN started a number of specialized training programs to reinvigorate the fighter force, including establishing the first Aggressor squadrons. Over North Vietnam, the USAF and USN had faced high losses to enemy aircraft, air-to-air missiles, and surface-to-air missiles. The Red Eagles gave American aircrews the skills and confidence to defeat these threats in aerial combat.Įstablished in 1977, Constant Peg applied lessons learned earlier in Southeast Asia. The USAF’s 4477th Test and Evaluation Squadron (TES), nicknamed the “Red Eagles,” flew MiG-17 “Fresco,” MiG-21 “Fishbed,” and later MiG-23 “Flogger” aircraft. Project Constant Peg was a secret program to train US Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps fighter aircrews to fly against Soviet-designed aircraft.
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