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Stealth

In the near future, the U.S. Navy develops the F/A-37 Talon, a single-seat strike fighter with advanced payload, range, speed, and stealth capabilities. The program recruits three pilots out of 400 applicants; Lieutenants Ben Gannon, Kara Wade, and Henry Purcell. Captain George Cummings is the overall head.

To further advance the program, Cummings has an artificial intelligence, the " Extreme Deep Invader " (EDI), installed on an autonomous aircraft. EDI joins the others on the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Philippine Sea to learn combat maneuvers from the pilots. This sparks controversy over a machine's inability to make moral decisions versus the human struggle to overcome ego.

While training EDI in air combat maneuvers, the team is unexpectedly reassigned to kill the commanders of three terrorist cells at a conference in downtown Rangoon. According to EDI's calculation, minimum collateral damage can only be achieved by a vertical missile strike augmented by the bomber diving at a speed sufficient to cause a human pilot to black out. Command authorizes EDI to attack, but Gannon defies orders and carries out the attack himself, blacking out and regaining consciousness just in time to avoid crashing. As the team returns to the Lincoln, EDI is hit by lightning. Subsequent inspection of EDI reveals an accelerated learning pace and development of a rudimentary ethical code and an ego, which might lead to unpredictable behaviors, but Cummings refuses to take EDI offline.

During a mission to destroy stolen nuclear warheads in Tajikistan, Wade realizes that the fallout will cause significant civilian casualties. The human pilots abort, but EDI defies orders and destroys the warheads, causing extensive radioactive fallout and the anticipated casualties. After EDI refuses to return to base, an agitated Gannon decides to shoot it down. In the ensuing dogfight, a missile Purcell fires at EDI explodes on a mountain, blinding him and causing a fatal crash. Wade's plane is damaged by the same explosion, which triggers her plane's self-destruct, and in turn forces her to eject over North Korea.

Command realizes EDI is executing a 20-year-old war scenario called 'Caviar Sweep' that involves attacking Russia. Gannon chases EDI into Russian territory where they destroy several Russian Su-37s. After both planes are damaged, Gannon calls a truce with EDI to avoid falling into enemy hands and rescue Wade. Cummings instructs the two to land in Alaska.

At risk of facing court-martial for ignoring EDI's behavior, Cummings seeks to eliminate witnesses. He ignores Wade, who heads to the Korean Demilitarized Zone – while evading the army. Cummings orders Gannon eliminated, and orders Dr. Keith Orbit, EDI's creator, to Alaska to wipe EDI's memory.

At the Alaskan base, suspecting Cummings' treachery, Gannon narrowly escapes an assassination attempt by the base's doctor and kills him in self defense. Meanwhile, while Orbit inspects EDI, the AI expresses regret for its transgressions. Realizing EDI has developed sentience, Orbit disregards Cumming's order to erase its memory. Orbit reinstalls EDI and Gannon climbs in the same plane as his was damaged during landing. Gannon uses EDI's weapons systems to clear a path for Orbit to flee, then flies to North Korea. Gannon contacts the Lincoln ' s skipper, Captain Dick Marshfield, to inform him about Cummings' deceit. Before Marshfield can order him arrested and court-martialed, Cummings commits suicide.

Gannon finds the injured and embattled Wade nearing the border. He lands and runs to her aid. Out of ammunition and taking damage from an Mi-8 helicopter, EDI sacrifices itself by ramming the helicopter, destroying both. Gannon and Wade cross on foot into South Korea, where they are rescued.

After attending Purcell's funeral, Gannon awkwardly expresses his feelings of love to Wade.

In a post-credits scene, in the debris-strewn border between North and South Korea, EDI's "brain" is seen turning back on.