The USS Missouri embarks on its final mission from Honolulu, Hawaii, to San Francisco, California, where its Tomahawk missiles will be removed, and the ship decommissioned. Casey Ryback, the ship’s cook, does not join the crew for a farewell ceremony, and remains working in the kitchen. Commander Krill wonders why Captain Adams tolerates the cook’s behavior, but Adams orders him to leave Ryback alone. At sea, Krill authorizes a helicopter landing without informing Captain Adams. However, the captain learns of the pending arrival. Krill reveals they are planning a surprise birthday party for Adams, and the helicopter is bringing a band, caterers, and a former Playboy centerfold named Jordan Tate. The captain agrees to remain in his cabin to maintain the illusion of surprise. Krill orders kitchen personnel to attend the party. However, Ryback refuses, insisting that only he cooks for the captain. Krill locks Ryback in the meat locker and leaves a young sailor, Private Nash, to stand guard. When the helicopter lands, the caterers and William “Billy” Strannix’s band, “Bad Billy and the Bail Jumpers,” get to work. Jordan Tate is seasick, so Krill gives her motion sickness drugs and leaves her in a private room. The crew assembles in the mess hall, enjoying the band and the food as caterers also move throughout the ship, serving food to crewmen on duty. Instead of bringing Adams to the party, Krill shoots the captain as Strannix and his men take over the ship. Strannix joins Krill in the captain’s quarters and obtains the missile launch codes from Adams’s safe. In the ship’s control room, he gives the codes to Pitt, his computer expert. Meanwhile, Strannix’s men force the crew into the front hold, shooting anyone who resists. In the kitchen, Ryback hears gunfire and asks Private Nash to free him from the meat locker. Nash refuses, but calls to ask what is happening. Strannix sends two of his men to the galley and they kill Private Nash. However, when they open the meat locker, Ryback kills them. He places an improvised bomb in the microwave and heads for Adams’ quarters, where he finds the captain’s body. Meanwhile, a fighter plane flies overhead and Strannix shoots it down. Tom Breaker, a CIA chief, arrives at a Pentagon briefing as Strannix declares he will destroy any aircraft or ship that they send. Thirty-two missiles are onboard, eight of which are equipped with special nuclear tips, and Strannnix has the launch codes. Strannix is angry that Tom Breaker canceled his last mission, and sent assassins to murder him. Instead, Strannix killed them, and started his own “revolution.” After Strannix hangs up, Tom Breaker reveals that Strannix was a covert CIA operative, whose last mission involved destroying a North Korean submarine. When Breaker realized Strannix was unstable, the CIA attempted to kill him. However, Breaker is unaware that Strannix did not sink the submarine, and it will rendezvous with the Missouri to offload the nuclear missiles. Admiral Bates deploys a Navy Seal team to recapture the ship. Meanwhile, Ryback sneaks through the vessel, assessing the situation. He discovers Jordan, who fell asleep after taking the motion-sickness drugs. He orders her to hide in a locker, but she insists on staying with him. Upon learning that the men sent to the galley are missing, Strannix and Krill investigate and dive for cover as the microwave bomb explodes. Strannix realizes Ryback is more than a cook, and finds his paperwork among the captain’s personal files. Ryback was a Navy Seal, with specialized skills. However, he struck a superior officer who caused his team to be ambushed. Ryback was demoted, and Captain Adams brought him onboard the Missouri to finish his tour. Strannix orders his men to remain on schedule with the missiles, and sends roving patrols to find Ryback. Meanwhile, Ryback makes a satellite call to the Pentagon. He reveals that Commander Krill is working with Strannix, and learns of the approaching Seal team. Ryback sneaks to Strannix’s helicopter and douses it with paint thinner. He is spotted by a patrol. Ryback eludes them, but their gunfire causes the helicopter to explode. Krill sets off the fire sprinkler in the front hold where the crew is trapped. Krill is certain Ryback will try to save the men from drowning, and plans to kill him then. Ryback and Jordan free six sailors locked inside a room, and the group determines to save the ship. Krill airs footage of the drowning sailors on the ship’s monitors. Ryback and his team kill several of Strannix’s men as they manuever through the ship, shut off the water to the front hold, and shut down the ship’s computer system. Meanwhile, Strannix drops anchor as the submarine arrives, and they transfer the nuclear missiles. When the Seal team approaches, Strannix shoots the plane down. Ryback climbs down the anchor, swims to the far side of the submarine, and attaches a bomb that destroys the submarine’s ability to submerge. Despite the damage, Strannix orders Krill to leave on the submarine, and fix the problem at sea. Strannix remains on the ship and orders his computer expert, Pitt, to get the system back online. Strannix plans to launch missiles toward Honolulu and rendezvous with Krill later. Meanwhile, Ryback realizes the ship still contains shells for the World War II guns still mounted on deck. His team loads the shells and missiles into the old guns and destroys the submarine. Strannix is furious and launches two missiles at Honolulu. Fighter jets destroy one missile, but miss the second, which can only be stopped from the Missouri’s control room. Ryback’s team captures Strannix’s men as Ryback fights and kills Strannix. He gets the codes and destroys the missile before it hits Hawaii. The crew is freed, and Ryback kisses Jordan. Later, the Missouri sails into San Francisco harbor and Ryback, the crew, and Jordan, attend Captain Adams’ military funeral.