U.S. Navy, Air Force Banking On Top Gun: Maverick Recruitment Boost

The USAF produced a slick recruitment ad featuring high-speed F-35 and F-22 maneuvers to run before Top Gun: Maverick in theaters.

Kimberly Johnson

Monday, May 23, 2022 at 03:38 PM ET

Verified

Top Gun: Maverick is expected to pull in big numbers at the box office. The Navy and Air Force hope it does the same for them. [File Photo; Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

The original 1986 *Top Gun* movie is widely recognized for significantly boosting U.S. Navy and military aviation recruitment.
The military is banking on the sequel, *Top Gun: Maverick*, to similarly inspire a new generation of recruits and help address current enrollment challenges.
The film's release is critical as the U.S. military faces its toughest recruiting market in over 20 years and significant pilot shortages, particularly within the Air Force.
Both the U.S. Navy and Air Force are actively leveraging the movie's popularity with targeted recruitment campaigns to capitalize on the anticipated interest.

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In the world of aviation, it’s not a stretch to say we probably all remember where we were when we first saw Top Gun the first time, and that flutter of raw adrenaline sparked by watching the acrobatic dogfight between the F-14 Tomcat and the fictional MiG-28 fighter jet.

The movie was the biggest to land on theater screens in 1986, becoming a one-hour, 40-minute recruitment ad for the U.S. Navy and military aviation.