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By: - 15th January 2001 at 11:55 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
RE: Red Hat squadron
For an excellent review of this unit and how they operated together with F-15 units to teach the pilots how to face Soviet aircraft, buy Wings of Fury by Robert Wilcox. It is also the best book on Desert Storm aircombat.
By: - 15th January 2001 at 13:15 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
RE: Red Hat squadron
Red Hat squadrons are those that run on Linux. This is a special version of Linux operating system popularised by the Finish Software programmer Linus Torvald. Famously represneted by the penguin logo.
For more info pls visit www.redhat.com
By: - 15th January 2001 at 13:50 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
RE: Red Hat squadron
There were - supposedly - two such units, Ference, both of which seem to have worked closely together with the "Foreign Technologies" department of Pentagon.
The "Red Hats" Squadron, should've been a unit tasked with aerodynamic testing of Soviet-built aircraft. The "Red Eagles" Squadron was supposedly another unit which flew Soviet-built aircraft (MiG-21MF, MiG-23MS, MiG-23BN and Su-20) in mock-combats against USAF aircraft.
On my list of the USAF TAC unit structure for 1989, however, I have the 4477th TES - which is most widely described as being the actual "Red Hats", or, it was at least brought in connection with them - as a unit stationed at Nelis AFB, and flying T-38As, while there is no other "unknown" or similar unit (except if one was working under the command ot the 4450th TG (which operated F-117As), which would come in question for being "Red Eagles". Nonetheless, I also had the 4450th TG as unit equipped with A-7Es and based at Nellis AFB on my list of the TAC structure for 1988.... ;-)
Whatever the name/s of any such assets was, they reached their highest point in 1989/90/91, when large numbers of Polish, Chinese and Iraqi MiG-15s, MiG-17s, MiG-21s and Mi-24s were acquired. Supposedly, all such units were subsequently disbanded.
By: - 15th January 2001 at 15:57 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
RE: Red Hat squadron
What happened to those 30 or so moldovian MiG29-s versions...Were they scrapped?(extremely doubtful),or are they hanger queens?Or better still,flown by units in exercises like Red Flag..?
By: - 15th January 2001 at 15:57 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
RE: Red Hat squadron
LAST EDITED ON 15-Jan-01 AT 04:00 PM (GMT)[p]Or are they the basis of a new Red Hat sq.?Taking the idea of a regular Red Flag etc. team further...
By: - 15th January 2001 at 16:46 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
RE: Red Hat squadron
LAST EDITED ON 15-Jan-01 AT 04:54 PM (GMT)[p]The 21 MiG-29s bought by the USAF in 1997 are never to fly again, they currently mostly serve as ground instructional airframes. The bulk is at Wright-Patterson AFB (from the Dayton agreement for the historians amongst us ;-) ), while some others have been dispersed to several other airbases.
In addition to Tom, the 4477TES both performed aerodynamic and operational testing, as did it perform some agressor training. The latter only happened rarely, because of the secrecy of those aircraft. Although the 4477th TES was officially based at Nellis, the aircraft flew from Groom Lake further North on the Nellis ranges. Although the 4450TG was colocated there, these units were not linked together. The 4450th flew a number of A-7D's (your brain was probably out at sea when you typed A-7E, Tom? ;-)) with tailcode 'LV' as chaseplanes in the F-117 program. The stealth attackers flew in the same unit, unit but were coded 'TR.' The 4477TES was disbanded somewhere in the early 1990s, when the USAF could easily access former WarPac equipment. Some aircraft have since gone to museums or other collections.
The Polish MiG-15 and -17s (actually, all of them were Polish-built Lims) were bought almost directly out of the Polih AF's storage facility at Katowice-Mierzecice. These were used by the USAF only once, during an exercise from Kirtland AFB, NM in 1990. Most of these 'MiGs' now are in private hands, quite a few of them in flying condition.
The only military unit in the US still flying Soviet/Russian built equipment is OPTEC in the Army, flying a small number of Mi-24/25 Hinds, Mi-8/17 Hips, An-2 Colts and one Mi-2 Hoplite and Ka-32 Helix each.
Regards,
Arthur
By: - 16th January 2001 at 08:13 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
RE: Red Hat squadron
Arthur,
thx.
By: - 16th January 2001 at 08:15 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
RE: Red Hat squadron
Does anybody have any pictures of those Russian aircraft in US service??
Ference.
By: - 16th January 2001 at 12:40 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
RE: Red Hat squadron
I know of a pic which has been published in some books of a USAF MiG-21F-13, taken somewhere in the late 1970s or early 1980s, but i can't seem to find it. I remember it to be silver with full color US roundels, and a small serial number on the tail.
Ference, perhaps you're interested in knowing the Su-20 at Leeuwarden and the MiG-23BN in the Brussels museum are both ex-Egyptian AF and ex-ground instructional airframes with the USAF at Ramstein.
Regards,
Arthur
By: - 16th January 2001 at 13:32 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
RE: Red Hat squadron
Does Russia have any US/NATO planes in the same way ?
Thanks
By: - 16th January 2001 at 13:44 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
RE: Red Hat squadron
There's a very persistent rumour that Iran gave Russia one of their F-14 Tomcats. Other reports say that's not true at all. So who knows.
The Russian do have some equipment from Vietnam, like F-5s and F-4s. And a CH-47 Chinook. I don't know if these are in flyable condition. I know that other members of this group know more about this subject. They'll tell you more, I think.
Ference.
By: - 16th January 2001 at 21:04 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
RE: Red Hat squadron
Ference,
No F-4s! Not complete airframes anyway!
Soviet and Chinese wreck recovery teams were reported as being very active and in competition for the best bits.
At least two F-5Es and an A-37B were delivered to the USSR via Vietnam from the large numbers captured from the South Vietnamese Air Force. Two F-5Es were sent to Eastern-bloc nations for evaluation. One F-5E arrived in Poland in 1977, where it was disassembled and evaluated. It is now on display at Cracow. Another ex-Vietnamese F-5E (73-0878) made it to Czechoslovakia, and it now resides in the Kbely museum near Prague.
There is an F-111 escape module in the Moscow Aviation Institute. This is from an F-111A that was lost over SEA and crewed by Capt. Robert D. Sponeyberger and Lt. William W. Wilson (both POWs).
A T-33A, serial 51-4413, is now resident in the Gjirokastra Weapons Museum, Albania. The USAF aircraft was on a delivery flight from France to either the Yugoslav or Greek Air Force when it was forced down by Albanian fighters on the 23rd December 1957.
TJ
By: - 16th January 2001 at 23:19 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
RE: Red Hat squadron
That can't Sponeybarger and Wilson's capsule... They were both killed after flying into the ground after a TFR failiure. I am almost certain of this. Back to the Subject anyway!!!!!!!!!!!!
Paul
By: - 17th January 2001 at 00:58 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
RE: Red Hat squadron
What unit has the S-300 system for testing ? What other Russian SAM's are in the US ?
By: - 17th January 2001 at 01:08 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
RE: Red Hat squadron
Paul,
I don’t think that those guys would be too happy about you killing them off? :-)
Sponeyberger and Wilson were both repatriated in 1973 after being held as POWs.
North Vietnamese photographs of the capsule appeared in the book "Inside Hanoi's Secret Archives."
“F-111A 67-0068 Assigned to 429th TFS.
Destroyed 22 December 1972 in South East Asia. Sixth CONSTANT GUARD V aircraft lost. (Ron VanDerWarker). Target in vicinity of Hanoi. Shot down after an assumed lucky shot to an engine gearbox. After a valiant escape and evasion lasting a few days, including a near rescue by a CH-53 under heavy ground fire, the crew CAPT Bill Wilson and Bob Sponeybarger become P.O.Ws. (POW REF# 1966-0-01 / -02). They were repatriated on 29 March 1973”
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pow/powhome.html
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pow/w.html
“Name SPONEYBERGER, ROBERT D
Reference Number 1966-0-02
Date 721222
Rank O3
Status RR
Country VN/
Service F
Return Date 730329
Race C
Coordinates (Latitude/Longitude) 205700N1053000E
Aircraft/Vehicle Type F111A
Name WILSON, WILLIAM W
Reference Number 1966-0-01
Date 721222
Rank O2
Status RR
Country VN/
Service F
Return Date 730329
Race C
Coordinates (Latitude/Longitude) 205800N1052600E
Aircraft/Vehicle Type F111A”
TJ
By: - 17th January 2001 at 09:41 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
RE: Red Hat squadron
There is a full range of equipment which simulates almost any known Soviet/Russian SAM system and radars in production (by Northrop, for example) and use in the USA, since at least the late '70s. Some of it was even exported to Israel and Iran.
Posts: 885
By: Ference - 15th January 2001 at 11:25
Hi everybody,
I'd like to know more about the USAF squadron that used to fly Russian made equipment. I believe it was called the Red Hat squadron. I heard that it operated several MiG-21s, MiG-23s and maybe even Su-17 Fitters.
Now that the USAF has acquired some MiG-29s could this squadron be reactivated?
Can someone please tell me more?
Thanks.
Best regards,
Ference.