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I am a flight student at Elizabeth City State University; doing a presentation on this.
The USN NEVER operated the F-15 in any capacity, that's not to say that the navy had USAF pilots participate in dissimilar aircraft trainingAs I recall the Navy did acquire a few F-15's for dissimilar air combat training at Top Gun. They were based in Florida and painted like Navy agressors. But tghey were not modified in any meaningful way ... they were there for dissimilar combat trainiing only (along wiht a few F-16's, too). The Navy and Air Force also had a few Soviet-block aircraft inclusding a few MiG-29's that were not modified at all either. Again, they were studied a bit and then used for dissimilar air caombat training.
CorrectWasn't the F-16N the USN designation for their aggressor squadron Falcons/Vipers? (Though these were non-navalized)
We've had a few Navy fliers at the museum say they had fought against F-15's in dissimilair air combat training, and that they were crewed by Navy personnel. I didin't ask about designations, I listened.
Perhaps they were mistaken and they were crewed by USAF personnel, I don't know. Not saying they did or didn't, I am saying I have heard it said by then-current Navy jet fighter pilots. I have no idea whether or not these guys are still in the Navy as I haven't seen them again since about 2009 when they flew at one of our airshows with a pairs of F-18's.
I've met Hoot as well...I also had supper with Hoot Gibson once. He is a former Navy fighter pilot and astronaut. He had flown covering flights in an F-14 for the last withdrawl from Viet Nam and he mentioned he had flown against F-16's is dissimilair air combat training, too. He didn't mention the F-15.