List of Vietnam War flying aces

The known flying aces of the Vietnam War, pilots who shot down five or more enemy aircraft, include 19 North Vietnamese pilots (6 MiG-17 and 13 MiG-21 pilots),[1] five Americans, and one Soviet aviator.

A MiG-21 of the VPAF which became the primary fighter-interceptor against USAF and USN aircraft.

The American aces flew as members of two-man crews on F-4 Phantoms, reflecting the emergence of air-to-air missiles as the primary weapons of aerial combat. Two were pilots, two Air Force weapon systems officers, and two Navy radar intercept officer; both awarded an aerial-kill claim for each enemy aircraft shot-down.

NameCountryServiceVictories Aircraft
Nguyễn Văn Cốc[2] North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 9 MiG-21
Mai Văn Cường[2] North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 8 MiG-21
Nguyễn Hồng Nhị[2] North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 8 MiG-21
Phạm Thanh Ngân[2] North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 8 MiG-21
Đặng Ngọc Ngự †[2] North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 7 MiG-21
Nguyễn Văn Bảy[2] North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 7 MiG-17
Lê Hải[2] North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 6 MiG-17
Lê Thanh Đạo[2] North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 6 MiG-21
Lưu Huy Chao[2] North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 6 MiG-17
Nguyễn Đức Soát[2] North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 6 MiG-21
Nguyễn Đăng Kỉnh[2] North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 6 MiG-21
Nguyễn Ngọc Độ[2] North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 6 MiG-21
Nguyễn Nhật Chiêu[2] North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 6 MiG-17, MiG-21
Nguyễn Tiến Sâm[3] North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 6 MiG-21
Vũ Ngọc Đỉnh[2] North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 6 MiG-21
Capt. Charles B. "Chuck" DeBellevue[4] United States US Air Force 6 F-4 Phantom II D/E
Le Quang Trung †[5] North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 5 MiG-17, MiG-19
Nguyễn Văn Nghĩa North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 5 MiG-21
Nguyễn Phi Hung †]][6] North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 5 MiG-17
Võ Văn Man †[7] North Vietnam VN People's Air Force 5 MiG-17
Lt Randall "Duke" Cunningham[8] United States US Navy1 5 F-4 Phantom II
Lt j.g. William P. Driscoll United States US Navy 5 F-4 Phantom II J
Capt. Steve Ritchie[9] United States US Air Force1 5 F-4 Phantom II
Capt. Jeff Feinstein[10] United States US Air Force 5 F-4 Phantom II


U.S. officials say they lost 245 aircraft in air-to-air combat during the war.[11] More air-to-air losses were allegedly attributed to surface-to-air missiles, as it was considered "less embarrassing".[12] Estimates of North Vietnamese losses range from 131, as documented in known Soviet, North Vietnamese, and allied records; to 195, as claimed by U.S. officials.[13]

Robin Olds had 4 kills in Vietnam, making him a lifetime triple-ace with 16 kills, including the 12 he registered in World War II.[14]

See also

References
  1. Toperczer, 2015, pp. 228.
  2. Zampini, Diego (2012-03-23). "North Vietnamese Aces". acepilots.com. Retrieved 2019-01-19.
  3. Toperczer, István (2017-09-21). MiG-21 Aces of the Vietnam War. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 95. ISBN 9781472823540.
  4. Futrell, R. Frank (1976). United States Air Force in Southeast Asia 1965-1973: Aces and Aerial Victories. Air University, Headquarters USAF. pp. 93–105.
  5. Toperczer, István (2016-10-20). MiG-17/19 Aces of the Vietnam War. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 52. ISBN 9781472812568.
  6. Toperczer, 2015, pp. 131.
  7. Toperczer, 2015, pp. 51.
  8. Sherman, Stephan (2012-03-22). "Randy Cunningham". acepilots.com. Retrieved 2019-01-19.
  9. Boyce, Ward. "Brig. Gen. Steve Ritchie". tripod.com. Retrieved 2019-01-19.
  10. "Jeffrey S. Feinstein". Air Force Times. Archived from the original on 17 October 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  11. Lednicer, David; Camp, Adrian (2002-06-09). "US Air-to-Air Losses in the Vietnam War". myplace.frontier.com. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  12. E., Gordon (2008). Mikoyan MiG-21. Dexter, Keith., Komissarov, Dmitriĭ (Dmitriĭ Sergeevich). Hinckley: Midland. ISBN 9781857802573. OCLC 245555578.
  13. Air warfare: an international encyclopedia. Boyne, Walter J., 1929-. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. 2002. p. 679. ISBN 978-1576073452. OCLC 49225204.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  14. Martin, Douglas (2007-06-20). "Robin Olds, 84, Fighter Ace and Hero of Big Vietnam Battle, Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved 2019-01-18.

Bibliography
  • Toperczer, Istvan (2015). MiG Aces of the Vietnam War. USA: Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7643-4895-2.
  • Toperczer, Istvan, MiG-21 Units of the Vietnam War, Osprey Combat Aircraft #29, 2008; ISBN 978-1-84176-263-0
  • Michel III, Marshall L, Clashes, Air Combat over North Vietnam 1965-1972, Naval Institute Press, 1997; ISBN 978-1-59114-519-6
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