Destroy Pipe-Lines
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Destroy Pipe-Lines is the fifth mission of Air Combat. In this mission, the player is sent to a mission to raze an insurgent crude oil refinery located in an unnamed desert.
Briefing
Reconnaissance indicates a weak link in their fuel supply infrastructure. A single pipeline transfers all crude oil from their fields to their refinery. Strike both the pipeline and the refinery. Target: Oil refinery plant and oil field. Use the pipeline as a reference to the refinery. Locate and destroy. Good luck!
Objectives
Subsequent information is taken from both Ace Combat: Winning Strategy and Ace Combat: Perfect Guide.[1][2]
You must destroy refineries and oil fields while navigating a battlefield filled with ground targets and defenses and enemy aircraft. Reckless low flying, especially with the hitscan tilting oil towers, can easily lead to crashes. The F-15 is the safest choice, a balanced all-rounder suitable for multirole. If playing on lower difficulties, the F/A-18 is a solid alternative.
Mission 05 continues the trend of increasing ground presence. In the early phase, it’s tempting to attack too many tanks at once, but this risks pulling the plane too close to the ground. Monitoring the altimeter and maintaining safe altitude before diving into attacks is key. Hit-and-run strikes and taking out nearby AA guns before going after the fuel tanks make the mission much safer.
Gain credits in this mission to buy the A-10 if you have yet to; it will be of perfect use for Suppress Radar Base later. Shooting down enemy F-15s and F-14s, both crewed by Veteran pilots on both non-Hard difficulties, is best for rewards and a safe ground-pound—ignore their stats as enemy control connotates to better—but is risky on Hard with the heavy ground fire; in that case, finish the mission quick. Expect multiple Harriers working in a pair, and watch for their vertical climbs that weave through the missiles you release before taking your open back. Best to avoid the F-15s on Hard mode; assigning a wingman for distraction is a good strategy.
Proceed straight ahead to find a refinery if you feel safe. Destroy nearby AA batteries first, then mow refinery tanks with the Machine Gun. Clear the SAMs first before the oil facilities, or have swarms of missiles trailing and reaping your plane. Attacking oil fields without eliminating launchers almost guarantees being shot down. Gun down the targets; refinery tanks are fragile and can be destroyed in no time. Once the refinery is destroyed, follow the pipelines extending in different directions. These lead to oil fields, though one to the north is a decoy that ends at an empty site. Oil fields are recognizable by their pylons and pumping towers.
Enemy Lists
Standard Units
| Unit | Credits | Count | Other Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
TNDF-2 | 30,000 | 2 | Easy & Normal difficulty only |
| 4 | Hard difficulty only | |||
|
|
AV-8 | 30,000 | 2 | |
|
|
F-14 | 40,000 | 2 | |
|
|
F-15 | 40,000 | 2 | Easy & Normal difficulty only |
| 4 | Hard difficulty only | |||
|
Depot Building | 800,000 | 1 | [note 1] |
|
|
Oil Tank | 800,000 | 3 | [note 2] |
|
|
Oil Tower | 800,000 | 3 | [note 2] |
|
|
Depot Tank | 800,000 | 6 | [note 2] |
|
AA GUN | 800,000 | 5 | Easy & Normal difficulty only[note 2] |
| 7 | Hard difficulty only[note 2] | |||
|
|
SAM | 800,000 | 2 | Easy & Normal difficulty only[note 2] |
| 10 | Hard difficulty only[note 2] |
Rewards
- Base completion reward: 10,000,000 credits
- 10% discount on aircraft purchase
- Removes an A-10 from Destroy Enemy Staging Zone
- Unlocks:
References
- ↑ Ace Combat: Winning Strategy. 1 July 1995. Futabasha. pp. 50-51. ISBN 9784575284898.
- ↑ Ace Combat: Perfect Guide. 1 August 1995. SB Creative. pp. 44-47; 92-93. ISBN 9784890527526.