Snodgrass said one element of the TOPGUN training was studying 'adversarial' aircraft made by countries that the US might have a greater chance of going up against in the future - like Russia or China. 'Once you get inside that visual arena, then you're in a position where your skills, your dedication, your hard work, staying in the fight - all those things become outsized factors that can really turn the tide of the conflict.' And that's not the case,' said Snodgrass, a former TOPGUN instructor. 'Having a better piece of equipment can lull you into a false sense of security that your equipment is going to take care of the engagement for you.

It's not always possible to change the equipment that the US has in its arsenal, but military institutions can help shape training and readiness levels. Guy Snodgrass, a career Navy fighter pilot and former US defense official, told Insider that Williams' engagement 'justifies' the role of institutions like the US Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program - also known as TOPGUN. Two US Grumman F9F Panther jet fighters refueling after having been armed with rockets under their wings in 1951. But as the US and Soviet Union were not engaged in open conflict, his exploits were kept secret.Īccording to Williams' Navy Cross citation, his plane was 'severely damaged' by a direct hit from one of the Soviet MiG-15s, but he continued to engage the Soviets until he managed to escape through the clouds and land a 'nearly uncontrollable' plane back on the USS Oriskany. According to Pacific Fleet, during the 35-minute battle, he shot down four MiG-15s in a single fight, something no American pilot had ever done. Williams was outgunned and outnumbered as he took on the Soviet jets in what became the longest dogfight in US military history, but he held his own. Then when Williams shot down one of the enemy planes, his wingman pursued it, and Williams was left to take on the six remaining Soviet aircraft on his own. An unexpected fuel-pump issue forced the team's flight leader to return to the aircraft carrier Oriskany, leaving just the young lieutenant and his wingman. The Soviet jets engaged the American team, and it wasn't long before Williams found himself fighting alone. This swept-wing Soviet aircraft was considered to be superior to the straight-wing American Panther in terms of overall performance. On November 18, 1952, the day of the battle, Williams was flying an F9F Panther, a Navy carrier-based jet fighter, as part of a team of three planes from the fighter squadron VF-781 during a combat-patrol mission over the Sea of Japan when they encountered seven Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 jet fighters. They said it was his training and readiness that saw him through that. Insider asked naval-aviation experts how he pulled off a win with the odds stacked against him. Williams was outmatched that day, fighting in an inferior plane with the numbers clearly on the enemy's side. The Korean War air battle is no longer a secret, and the pilot, Royce Williams, was recently awarded the Navy Cross for his display of 'extraordinary heroism.'

More than 70 years ago, a US Navy pilot took on seven Soviet aircraft - then among the world's best interceptor fighters - and shot down four of them in a legendary dogfight that was classified for decades. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders.

Airplane dogfight coloring pages