Ready Five, also referred to as Alert Five in the film ''
Top Gun
''Top Gun'' is a 1986 American action drama film directed by Tony Scott, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, with distribution by Paramount Pictures. The screenplay was written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr., and was inspired by an a ...
'', is a condition of high alert for aircraft crews on the flight deck of an
aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...
, in which they are ready to launch within five minutes. Fighter aircraft are placed on the steam catapult complete with flight crew, armament, and fuel, ready to defend the
carrier battle group from any unforeseen threat.
Flight crews sometimes dread being assigned Ready Five, as they can be ordered to remain there for hours on end, in addition to the high probability of being sent into combat on short notice.
Naval aviation
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