NASP’s Forrest Sherman Field got another chance to serve as temporary home base for students and instructors from Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center (NSAWC-N7) “TOPGUN” Oct. 2-15. The group last visited NAS Pensacola in January 2013 for air-to-air fighter training, specifically basic fighter maneuvers (dogfighting). The Navy Fighter Weapon School (N7) teaches advanced methods of strike-fighter employment through the Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor (SFTI) course. The SFTI program evolved from the Navy Fighter Weapons School (NFWS) established in 1969 at the former Naval Air Station Miramar in California. In 1996, the specialized NFWS was merged into the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center at Naval Air Station (NAS) Fallon in Nevada. TOPGUN is a basically a graduate level course in tactics and employment. The students also are groomed to be teachers. The roughly 10-week course is taught four times a year and approximately 32 aircrews go through the program each year. Photos by Janet Thomas
