Tom Cruise Secured a U.S. Aircraft Carrier for The Final Reckoning -

For fans of Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible series, the Pentagon has an answer to the intriguing question raised at the end of its most recent trailer: “You gave him an aircraft carrier?”

Indeed, both the US Navy and Air Force Special Operations took up the challenge: to aid Cruise’s covert agent Ethan Hunt in saving the world. Or at least, to create a film about it.

For Paramount Global’s The Final Reckoning, which officially premiered on Friday in the US and South Africa, Cruise and his team spent three days filming aboard the USS George H.W. Bush, a nuclear-powered Nimitz-class aircraft carrier operational since 2009.

Additionally, portions of the film were shot in South Africa, showcasing breathtaking sites like the Drakensberg Mountains, Kruger National Park, and the Wild Coast.

This represents yet another cinematic example of Cruise’s long-standing relationship with the US military and its aircraft, alongside his commitment to performing his own stunts.

It also highlights the Pentagon’s willingness to display its capabilities through a classic method of American soft power: the Hollywood blockbuster.

The Hunt for Red October, featuring Scottish actor Sean Connery as a Soviet submarine commander.

Before offering support, the Defense Department reviews scripts for accuracy and military representation. (For instance, the Pentagon chose not to endorse Oliver Stone’s Oscar-winning Vietnam War film Platoon.)

The US military also charges for the use of its equipment while covering transportation and lodging expenses for personnel. For 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick, the Navy reportedly billed as much as $11,374 per hour for the use of its F/A-18 Super Hornets, which Cruise couldn’t pilot from the back seat of the fighter jet.

Tom Cruise, Mission Impossible, The Pentagon, US Navy, Ethan Hunt, Paramount Global, USS George H.W. Bush, Hollywood blockbuster, US military, South Africa, Adriatic Sea, Drakensberg Mountains, Top Gun, Kruger National Park, Port Edward, Wild Coast

A McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet lands during a joint military exercise aboard the USS George H.W. Bush. Image: Bloomberg

For The Final Reckoning, however, Paramount’s rumored budget of $400 million benefited from the carrier and crew already being engaged in scheduled training operations.

“Most, if not all, of the aircraft time was logged as official training requirements, and therefore not reimbursable,” the Pentagon stated.

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The cast and crew — including Cruise, co-star Hannah Waddingham, and director Christopher McQuarrie — were flown to the carrier using Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. MH-60S Seahawks, piloted by the Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 5 from Norfolk, Virginia.

During their stay from Feb. 28 to March 3, 2023, Cruise hosted a Top Gun: Maverick viewing in the hangar bay and engaged with sailors who had been deployed for approximately six months at that time, according to a Navy statement.

“Given that we were on deployment, operational and safety plans were established to ensure readiness to execute our mission on a moment’s notice,” explained spokesman Lieutenant Commander Matthew Stroup in the statement.

The crew filmed flight sequences, scenes on the navigation bridge, and Hunt’s departure aboard a CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, provided by the 352nd Special Operations Wing from Souda Bay, Crete, which was involved in a joint training exercise with the carrier group.

The film “augmented the already scheduled training and did not disrupt any operational requirements,” stated Air Force Special Operations Command spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Rebecca Heyse.

The USS Hyman G. Rickover, a Virginia-class attack submarine, also makes a brief cameo, filmed off the coast of Massachusetts. However, interior scenes were entirely staged in Hollywood, featuring set designs and actors portraying sailors, although they did consult with a Navy representative and a retired submarine commander for technical advice.

“Being able to reference an aircraft carrier on which you’ve actually filmed adds a layer of authenticity that enhances the film,” Paramount noted in response to inquiries, highlighting a scene where Cruise’s Hunt explicitly requests the Bush carrier. The Pentagon’s support “provides credibility to the military presence needed to assist Ethan Hunt in his quest.”

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