Top Gun: Maverick

Over 30 years after graduating from Top Gun, United States Navy Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell is a test pilot. Despite Maverick's many distinguished achievements, repeated insubordination has kept him from flag rank. His friend and former Top Gun rival, Admiral Tom "Iceman" Kazansky, is commander of the U. S. Pacific Fleet and often protects Maverick from being grounded. Rear Admiral Chester "Hammer" Cain plans to shut down Maverick's "Darkstar" scramjet program in favor of funding drones. To save the program from cancellation, Maverick changes the flight plan in the upcoming test from Mach 9 to Mach 10 to meet the program's contract specification. The prototype is destroyed, however, when Maverick pushes beyond Mach 10. Iceman again saves Maverick's career by ordering him to NAS North Island for his next assignment, but Hammer warns Maverick that the era of crewed fighter aircraft will soon end. The Navy has been tasked with destroying an unsanctioned uranium enrichment plant, which sits in a deep depression at the end of a canyon. It is defended by SA-3 Goa surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), GPS jammers, and what appear to be fifth-generation Sukhoi Su-57 fighters. Maverick devises a plan to attack with two pairs of F/A-18E/F Super Hornets. He learns that he will not take part in the strike; instead, he is to train an elite group of Top Gun graduates assembled by Air Boss Vice Admiral Beau "Cyclone" Simpson. Maverick flies the lead F/A-18E in the strike package, accompanied by a buddy lazing F/A-18F flown by Lieutenant Natasha "Phoenix" Trace and WSO Lieutenant Robert "Bob" Floyd. Rooster leads the second strike pair, which includes Lieutenant Reuben "Payback" Fitch and WSO Lieutenant Mickey "Fanboy" Garcia. The four jets launch from an aircraft carrier, and Tomahawk cruise missiles destroy the nearby air base as they approach. The teams successfully destroy the plant but are engaged by SAMs during their escape. Rooster runs out of countermeasures, and Maverick sac