From: van Weenen

Equivalent of Top Gun which to this date still exists:
• Research Instructor Fighter School based in Lipetsk West. The following Russian training and research bases were known in early 1990 (these bases still exist but can someone please confirm if the schools are still operational today?)
• HMASP Higher Militairy Aviation School for Pilots based in Chernigov.
• Best Russian Pilots who were based in former East Germany were trained in Millerovo NW.
• Fighter bomber units were to be trained one in the three years on base in Luninets.
• Operations Conversion Training base for Su-27 Flanker Pilots based in Murom.
• Advanced Weapons and Research Complex (VAWARC) for Su-27 based in Vladimnovka.

From: Alexei Gretchikhine (agretch@aeroweb.lucia.it)

Here is a story about Soviet Aggressor Squadron similar to 64 and 65 sqrns of USAF.

In the early 70 in one of the fighter regiment based in Turkmenistan (365 days of good weather in Kara-Kum) Staff Training Center was established. First the regiment was equipped with MiG-21PFM, SM and UM(UA). The training was carried out according to the program code named "Kavkaz" (so called 500th exercise). The dogfight, aerobatics, tactics for one vs one and one vs many were included. The Middle East experience was valuable for whole air force and it was decided to create an Aggressor Squadrons based on Staff Training Center in 1974. By that time MiG-21bis was a primary aircraft of the center. Pilots who experienced Middle East, Vietnam and graduated "Kavkaz" were among ones to be selected for squadrons. All fighter pilots visiting the Turkmenia's air base were faced a great challenge from staff of the Aggressor sqrns. By the fall of 1975 MiG-23M and MiG-23UB were introduced to the Center. In 1979, MiG-23 were painted in sand, desert pink colors (haki) with some green spots. In 1984 MiG-23MLD replaced MiG-23M and they were painted in similar fashion. The bort numbers were light-blue with white border. First sqrn of MiG-29 came in 1987. They kept factory paint schemes and in order to distinguish between bogeys and your own side. To solve this problem Fulcrums got a shark mouth and stripes on the top of the wings and fuselage and MiG-23 got them on ventral fins. The bort numbers were also blown to a great extent. Unofficial marking consisted of big number "1" with a wing (yellow) with a red arrow in the background painted on the tail and a leopard in the jump next to the cockpit for the first sqr. Second sqrn got a Viking on the air intake. It was planned to introduced the Su-27 in the fall of 1991, but this never realized due to collapse of the USSR and the fact that Aggressor's base was now located in the foreign country. The base remained under the jurisdiction of the Russia, but nobody concerned with Aggressor sqn at present moment.

Mir Aviatsii January 94 p 49.