The Final Countdown Offers a Rare Look at Cold War Naval Aviation
If you’re in the habit of reading about military technology, you’re likely to find The Final Countdown worthwhile.
Film and military aviation are a natural pairing. The sights and sounds of military aircraft and military operations are inherently dramatic. High speeds. High stakes. It all translates well on film. Mix in some romance, or some bromance, maybe some international intrigue, and you’re well on your way to a hit. Which is why filmmakers have continually revisited military aviation, in one form or another, for decades, with mixed results.
Everyone remembers Top Gun, of course. But most films centering military aviation have faded from the mainstream. Iron Eagle. Flight of the Intruder. Stealth. They all failed to transcend—typically due to their own shortcomings. Yet, one such film that has long since become obscure is The Final Countdown. It deserves a healthy measure of respect for offering an unadulterated glimpse into the inner workings of a U.S. aircraft carrier and all its wares.
Remembering The Final Countdown
Released before Top Gun, released even before the Europe song of the same name, The Final Countdown offered, in 1980, an unprecedented look into U.S. naval operations. Set almost entirely aboard the USS Nimitz, The Final Countdown stars the legendary Kirk Douglas and a post-Apocalypse Now (and pre-West Wing) Martin Sheen. The plot is fantastic: The Nimitz sets sail for naval exercises off the coast of Pearl Harbor. At sea, the Nimitz encounters a mysterious electrical storm, which the ship sails through. Eventually, the crew discovers that the storm transported the ship to 1941—in the hours before the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. The crew debates whether to engage the incoming Japanese fleet, using modern American technology, i.e., F-14 Tomcats, and change the course of history, or to sit back and let the Japanese make their fated attack.
It doesn’t get much better than that. Granted, the forty-five-year-old flick might not hold up to the standards of the modern movie watcher. But should the movie watcher happen to have a keen interest in military aviation and/or naval operations, The Final Countdown is a can’t-miss feature.
One segment of the film, which seems designed to fill out the film’s runtime, features a lengthy, uninterrupted sequence of aircraft launching from the Nimitz. Aircraft featured include: the EA-3B Skywarrior; F-14A Tomcat; E-2 Hawkeye; A-6E Intruder; EA-6B Prowler; S-3 Viking; A-7E Corsair; F-4 Phantom; RF-8G Crusader; and the RA-5C Vigilante.
Most notable of all, perhaps, is the featuring of the T-6 Texan, modified to resemble two Japanese fighters: the A6M Zero and the B5N Kate. Memorably, during one sequence, the Zeros engage with F-14 Tomcats.
A niche classic
The Final Countdown isn’t for everyone. The movie certainly has its flaws and a pacing that might seem dated to the uninitiated. But if you’re in the habit of reading The National Interest articles about military technology, you’re likely to find the film redeemable, if for no other reason than the homage paid to Cold War naval operations.
About the Author: Harrison Kass
Harrison Kass is a senior defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.
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