Top gun Maverick
Over three decades after the events of the first film, Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell is serving as a U.S. Navy test pilot and has dodged promotion to continue flying after 33 years of service. As Rear Admiral Chester "Hammer" Cain plans to shut down the hypersonic "Darkstar" scramjet program and redirect the funds to drone programs, Maverick decides to take the prototype to its Mach 10 speed objective before Cain can arrive. Maverick reaches Mach 10 but decides to push further into high-hypersonic speed, resulting in the prototype's destruction. Although Cain wants to ground Maverick, he instead transfers him to NAS North Island to train an elite group of Top Gun graduates for a specialized mission at the orders of Maverick's friend and former rival, Admiral Tom "Iceman" Kazansky, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Among them is Lieutenant Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, the son of Maverick's late best friend and RIO Nick "Goose" Bradshaw
The elite group of F/A-18E/F Super Hornet pilots are assembled for a special mission by Vice Admiral Beau "Cyclone" Simpson and Rear Admiral Solomon "Warlock" Bates to destroy a uranium enrichment facility of a rogue nation (unnamed in the film). The facility is located within a steep depression at the end of a mountainous canyon and highly defended by surface-to-air missile (SAM) batteries and an airbase with Su-57 fifth-generation fighters; this requires a risky high-speed nap-of-earth approach in the canyon beneath hostile radar coverage to reach the facility and pushing the F/A-18E/F beyond its NATOPS limits. With the new F-35C unavailable, Maverick recommends a strike package of four F/A-18E/Fs in two pairs to destroy the facility's entrance first and then the facility itself. Maverick is initially rebuffed by the pilots, particularly by the highly self-confident Lieutenant Jake "Hangman" Seresin as well as Rooster who resents Maverick for allegedly pulling his application to the Naval Academy and setting back his career
The training prepares the pilots in all mission aspects, including basic fighter maneuvers, precision-guided munitions employment, nap-of-earth flying, as well as the importance of teamwork. As the training progresses, the pilots also become aware of the history between Rooster's father and Maverick, leading to animosity between Hangman and Rooster due to the former's cavalier attitude towards supporting his wingmen and the latter's cautious flying approach that Hangman attributes to his father's death. As the pilots observe Maverick's skill, they begin to reassess their skepticism about him and their team cohesion improves.
During the course of the training, Maverick reunites with Penny, who provides him guidance and support particularly with his protective attitude towards Rooster. Maverick also meets with Iceman, who has been plagued by throat cancer and has to type his words out on a computer. Despite having immense difficulty speaking, Iceman verbally states the gravity and importance of the mission. Iceman passes away before the mission is set to launch; Maverick and the pilots attend his funeral, where he is honored with a missing man formation.
Cyclone strongly opposes Maverick's risky methods and tactics, but once Maverick demonstrates that the mission plan can be executed, Cyclone appoints him to lead the strike team. Maverick then chooses the mission pilots and is paired with Phoenix and her WSO Bob, while Rooster is paired with Payback and his WSO Fanboy, and the remaining pilots on standby alert. The mission is launched from the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, while a salvo of Tomahawk cruise missiles from the cruiser Leyte Gulf is launched to destroy the facility's nearby airbase to preempt the scrambling of enemy fighters. The nap-of-earth approach works and the four F/A-18E/Fs are able to reach the facility and destroy it. However, its destruction and the steep climb required to escape out of the depression alerts hostile SAMs as well as a pair of patrolling Su-57s. As more SAMs are launched and the pilots run out of countermeasures, Maverick sacrifices his own jet to prevent Rooster from being shot down and ejects in hostile territory. As the remaining aircraft egress back to the carrier, Rooster turns back and saves Maverick from an Mi-24 Hind gunship pursuing him, but is also shot down in the process and ejects nearby. The two reunite and then scout the area for an escape path.
Maverick and Rooster make it to the destroyed airbase, where they steal an F-14A Tomcat that had survived the Tomahawk bombardment while enemy personnel were distracted by the fires. As they try to return to the carrier, the two Su-57s form up alongside and attempt to identify them. Maverick and Rooster decide to engage, surprising the Su-57s and shooting them down. When Maverick and Rooster again try to return to the carrier, a third Su-57 intercepts them. Out of weapons and countermeasures and without functional ejection seats, they are saved just in time by Hangman, who launched from the carrier after Maverick and Rooster did not return with the strike group. They form up and head back to the carrier, where the pilots and crew celebrate their return upon arrival. Post-mission, Maverick and Rooster reconcile and work together on his P-51 Mustang at Maverick's hangar. Maverick and Penny then fly off in the P-51 towards the sunset.
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