Midweek Sortie 23: Red Eagles in the Desert—How Secret MiGs Trained America’s Fighter Pilots

After Vietnam exposed deadly gaps in fighter training, America built a secret MiG squadron in the Nevada desert to teach pilots how the enemy truly fought.

“Project Constant Peg was a secret program to train U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps fighter aircrews to fly against Soviet-designed aircraft.”

—U.S. Air Force

A Red Eagles MiG-23 in flight over the Tonopah Test Range. The Red Eagles acquired their first MiG-23 “Floggers,” similar to the aircraft on exhibit, in November 1980. (US Air Force)

The Nevada desert is still dark when the briefing room door closes.