- For article page on Wikipedia, see Wikipedia:Fifth-generation fighter.
A fifth-generation fighter is the most advanced type of fighter aircraft currently produced. It incorporates multiple technologies, most notably stealth technologies.
Top Gun: Maverick[]
In Top Gun: Maverick, the enemy Rogue Nation has built a new top of the line fighter unlike anything the US Navy has ever seen. The US Navy tells CAPT Pete "Maverick" Mitchell that the F/A-18E/F Super Hornets they will be flying for the mission are no match for this new fighter. The enemy nation has presumably many of these fighters amoungst other aircraft, such as older F-14A Tomcats and Mi-24 Hind attack helicopters.
(SPOILER ALERT)
These fighters are not seen (aside from digital training aids) until the end of the movie, when Maverick and LT Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw steal one of the F-14A Tomcats the Rogue Nation still had intact after both of their airfield runways were bombed by Tomahawk missiles. After unscheduled takeoff and lack of verbal communication via radio, a pair of 5th gen fighters investigate the odd lone F-14A traveling away from the base on an uncharted flightpath. During their check, the enemy fighters initially do not know Maverick and Rooster are the air flight crew aboard the F-14A, as the aircraft appeared to be one of their own: it had Rogue Nation paint scheme markings, took off from one of their own bases, and presumably had a recognizable "friendly" aircraft identification signature on their radar. The façade however is blown when Maverick quickly realizes that he is failing miserably at pretending to be an enemy pilot, as neither he nor Rooster, could understand the hand signals the other enemy pilot was using to communicate with him. Due to this, Maverick decides to 'get the drop on them' and surprise attack the enemy by immediately shooting down one of their 5th gen fighters causing the remaining fighter (and a third unseen fighter) to engaged the F-14A. All three of these enemy fighters were eventually shot down (two by Maverick and one by LT Jake "Hangman" Seresin).
Notes[]
- Although the Rogue Nation's 5th gen fighter is never named, it is almost certainly based on the Russian Sukhoi Su-57 Felon.
- However, in the briefing scene, the name of the fighter, Su-57, is written on the screen. Therefore, some assume that Russia downgraded and renovated the Su-57 and exported it to Rogue Nation.
- Capabilities: These 5th generation fighters are never talked about in great detail, but the US Navy clearly fears them and their capabilities thus telling the pilots flying the mission to avoid being detected by them and avoid any dogfighting. This means the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is not capable of dogfighting the enemy's fifth generation fighters.
- While Maverick and Rooster shoot down two 5th gen fighters with a stolen Grumman F-14 Tomcat it should be noted Maverick was forced to rely heavily on deception. This includes catching the first jet by surprise (since they initially believed the F-14A one of theirs) and using it as a shield for the second jet's missiles, then using a canyon to interfere with the second jet's targeting system and outmaneuvering it by pushing the F-14A beyond its limits. During this fight both Maverick and Rooster expressed shock at 5th gen fighters' maneuverability reinforcing the US Navy's fears of them.
- Additionally LT Jake "Hangman" Seresin does shoot down one of the 5th gen fighters in his F/A-18E Super Hornet, though it doesn't disprove the US Navy's stance on the Super Hornet not being able to compete against the 5th gen fighter in a dogfight, as Hangman never got into a dogfight with the enemy aircraft. While the enemy fighter was focused on Maverick and Rooster in the F-14A Tomcat, Hangman took advantage of the enemy pilot's distraction to lock on and shoot the enemy aircraft down with an air-to-air missile from a considerable range out of view from what the audience could see.
Gallery[]
