Tom Cruise just cleared the runway for 'Top Gun 2,' better strap in

The Top Gun sequel has been sitting idle on the deck for a little while now, and that's just not gonna cut it for Maverick.

Tom Cruise himself on Tuesday confirmed on Australian morning TV show Sunrise that Top Gun 2 isn't just in development anymore, it's a firm go -- and Cruise is "gonna start filming it probably in the next year."

And that checks out: Cruise is in the middle of shooting Mission Impossible: 6, then has nothing on his normally packed schedule. All clear for takeoff.

Hear him drop the payload on the clearly flustered and excited Sunrise crew for yourself:

Top Gun 2 has been in development for three decades, and finally got some altitude in 2012. But director Tony Scott died by suicide that summer, and the sequel was hangared again until 2014 and 2015, when producer Jerry Bruckheimer hired a screenwriter and David Ellison's Skydance came on to produce.

Bruckheimer tweeted a photo in January, hinting that they were fueling up the project and confirming that Cruise was onboard:

What Cruise said Tuesday confirms that Top Gun 2 is next on his list, as he'll be doing production and promotion for M:I6 clear until its release next summer. If Top Gun 2 gets into production shortly after -- which seems most likely -- we'll probably see it in theaters sometime in 2020 or '21.

There are still a lot of elements that will need to come together before cameras roll, so speaking out now was a bit of a swerve for the normally tight-lipped Cruise.

Maverick, you just did an incredibly brave thing.