Stealth

In the near future, the United States Navy develops a program to target international terrorists or other enemies of the state hard, fast, and quiet; in addition to this prime directive, the program is authorized to test virtually any new or innovative technology to achieve these objectives. The initial stages produce three new attack jets with impressive payload, speed, and stealth capabilities: the F/A-37 Talon series. As an exclusive program, over 400 pilots apply for the chance to participate, but only three are chosen in the initial squadron: LT Ben Ganon, LT Kara Wade, and LT Henry Purcell. Their mission success rate is near perfect, scoring 100/100 for achieving all mission objectives in field testing. This is a composite score for maximum inflicted casualties with a minimum of collateral damage. In addition, the U.S. Navy develops an Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV, pronounced "you-kav") codenamed "EDI" (for "Extreme Deep Invader") and piloted by an artificially intelligent computer. This autonomous fighter jet is placed on an aircraft carrier (the USS Abraham Lincoln) in the Pacific to learn combat maneuvers from the human pilots aboard. This sparks a conflict between two schools of thought; the first argues that human pilots are superior to machines in that they possess both creativity and moral judgment, whereas a machine cannot fully appreciate the ugliness of war. Alternately, a machine pilot is not subject to the physical limitations of a human pilot, can calculate alternatives to achieving objectives faster and more accurately, and is (theoretically) not subject to ego. While the controversy is live, both in Washington and on the carrier, the mission commander argues that the EDI is the point of the program: the EDI is "the whole idea" so that no human has to die for the sake of the mission. The team is sent to train the EDI to practice Air Combat Manoeuvers, when they are suddenly reassigned to take out the heads of three terrorist cells at a summit in downtown Rangoon. Sent spontaneously, mission control initially has difficulty planning the strike with the current payload aboard the planes; meanwhile EDI gleans information from several spy satellites to confirm the identities and locations of all three terrorist leaders in an impressive display of intel gathering. Once confirmed, EDI also calculates that the optimum mission success can only be achieved through a high-risk ACM, which could be fatal for a human pilot. Command orders EDI to take the shot, but Gannon delays the order, defies command, and takes the shot himself. While the mission is successful, EDI learns and takes note of Gannon's defiance. The mission is a success, and the Talons return to the carrier. Fatefully, the UCAV-EDI plane is hit by lightning, and soon develops a mind of its own as his neural network gets a jump-start. While already a sophisticated AI, the EDI begins to learn exponentially, develop a rudimentary ethical code, and an ego. His handlers and technicians are unsure of how to handle the situation, but refuse to take him offline. The team is sent to Thailand by their CO to keep them away while they "fix" EDI. There, Henry meets a local Thai woman and begins to date her. Gannon and Wade also start spending a lot of time with each other. At lunch, Henry explains how he defends EDI and thinks he keeps him safe. Gannon disagrees, saying that war should only be for humans. When the girls go to the bathroom, Gannon tells Purcell that he loves Wade. Henry tells him he better do something quick while he has the chance. Later in the day, while walking in the grasslands, Henry tells the Thai woman that he loves her country and that even though he loves his job flying fast, just being on earth and seeing it for what it is is cool for him. While he is sleeping with her, he is annoyed when he and the others are called back for another mission. On their second mission, Wade calculates that the mission objectives cannot be achieved without unacceptable civilian casualties. After Purcell discovers that the strike would continue dispersing radioactive dust into Pakistan, Gannon scrubs the mission, ordering all wings to stand-down. However, the EDI disobeys direct orders and fires missiles at the nuclear warheads, causing the predicted radioactive backlash. The EDI defends its actions using Gannon's earlier example; it rationalizes that good pilots defy orders when it means achieving the desired objectives. Control steps in and orders the Talons to bring the malfunctioning UCAV-EDI back to base, before it potentially incites a war. Henry begins to follow UCAV-EDI and argues with it whilst Wade follows and Ganon in the back, Ganon asks permission for the ship to be destroyed which is denied but eventually accepted, Henry, being the closest to the ship is given the order to shoot after several minutes he decides to shoot but Wade tries to stop him saying he is too close, but he ignores this and fires, saying,"Goodbye EDI!". Eddie (EDI) dodges this rocket while Henry dodges the explosion into another mountain side,being partly blinded by the explosion. His death is seen slowly, Eddie simply says "GoodBye Henry". The other two must track down and destroy or commandeer the UCAV. But when Wade loses control of her left wing and canard and subsequently ejects over North Korea, only one pilot is left to stop the EDI from executing a 20 year old war scenario called "Caviar Sweep". In an attempt to complete his mission, the remaining pilot is forced to work with the UCAV in order to both rescue it from falling into enemy territory as well as rescue his fallen comrade in North Korea. After the final crash of the final Talon, the last pilot is almost assassinated by a secret corporation in Alaska, under the orders of his crooked CO. However, he escapes with the help of the EDI's designer, Keith Orbit. After flying a dangerous mission into North Korea, he manages to rescue his downed wingman. The EDI, in a final act of selflessness, sacrifices itself by flying into a North Korean Army helicopter, allowing the two pilots to escape into South Korea. After the closing credits, the camera returns to the wreckage of EDI in the Korean DMZ. As the camera zooms in on EDI's central processing core, it begins to light up, suggesting that EDI may still be operational.

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