Key point: The navy in this video appeared high-tech, professional, a real navy rather than a mere coastal defense force
I will make an unpatriotic confession.
I like the Chinese version of "Top Gun" better.
Or more specifically, a short Chinese navy video that resembles the 1986 Hollywood hit, for which a sequel is underway.
Well, almost resembles.
No smirking Tom Cruise. No fake love story (and no Kelly McGillis) to distract what everyone really came to see, which was the cool F-14 Tomcats zooming and booming through the skies. And at almost six minutes instead of almost two hours for the American version, it's a lot quicker to watch.
Not that the Chinese video is for entertainment: it's strictly propaganda (though the same could be said for the original Top Gun, to which the Navy happily contributed F-14s for the ultimate recruiting tool and budget-justifier).
The Chinese video was filmed during People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) exercises in the South China Sea earlier this year. It features an excellent sound track that conveys just the right amount of power and purpose.