By W.E. Linde
LANGLEY, Virginia — Analysts from the Central Intelligence Agency and other representatives of the U.S. Intelligence Community warned today that China may be able to develop its own Top Gun movie in as little as two years.
“Until recently, the [Intelligence Community] consensus was that China may never be able to field a fully functional Top Gun type movie,” said U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael M. Gilday. He noted that while the People’s Liberation Army has made some impressive advances in over-the-top, ground force-related military cinema, China’s lack of a modern aircraft carrier force made a serious attempt at a muscular, testosterone-intensive naval air force movie practically impossible.
“Not to mention we thought the ‘Tom Cruise gap’ was insurmountable,” Gilday added.
This second point was the foundation of the CIA’s previous assessment, as China’s ability to produce Tom Cruise-grade actors has hobbled the nation for decades. Although China launched its mos…
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