1.
AERIAL VIEWS: United States Air Force jet fighters in mock 'dog-fight' manoeuvres over Nevada Desert, U.S.A. (5 shots)
0.13

2.
GV AND AERIAL VIEWS: 'Soviet Aggressors' enemy aircraft U.S. F.5's - taking off and 'attacking' U.S. aircraft. (3 shots)
0.22

3.
CU INTERIOR: Soviet flag on wall PULL BACK TO instructor lecturing and 'Soviet' pilots listening. (4 shots)
0.38

4.
SV INTERIOR: 'Soviet' pilot preparing for flight AND GVs AND CU EXTERIOR climbing into aircraft and putting on helmet. (3 shots)
1.02

5.
SV INTERIOR: 'Aggressors' and other pilots in de-briefing exercise.
1.05

6.
SV: pilots discussing exercise.
1.17


REPORTER: "Dog-fights over Nevada - the best American fighter 'planes against other Americans trained to fight like Russians. The 'bad guys' are flying F-5's - the closest we have to Russian MIG 21's. Their mission - to show other American pilots what they would be up against in combat. The Aggressor pilots are special. There are fewer than a hundred of them in the Air Force. They only fly air-to-air combat, and they fly a lot. But they know more about how the Russian pilot flies and fights and thinks than any other Americans. At Dallas Air Force Base in Nevada, the aggressors fly simulated combat missions against all types of U.S. 'planes, from the most modern F-14 fighters to the B-52 bombers. They're well-prepared. Not only do they understand basic Soviet flying tactics; they have studied Russian aeroplanes. They read translated Russian newspapers and other documents, and they get weekly intelligence briefings."



"After each flying mission, the aggressors and the Americans de-brief each other."



PILOT: "There's no doubt in my mind. You must have shot both of us. You were all over me, and he had some under....within thirty seconds, all over him...."




Initials RH/2207


TELERECORDING
REPORTER: CHARLES QUINN

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: The United States Air Force has a special 'Soviet' unit - pilots trained to think, act and fly like Soviet Union fighter-pilots in air to air combat. Their mission - to teach fellow-American pilots how to fight against Soviet fliers. A report on the Soviet Union versus the United States in mid-air combat.