Wrecking Ball

Wrecking Ball
Campaign Mission 19 + 20 Ace Combat: Joint Assault
Mission Order
Previous	Alarm Clock
Alternate	Desert Gust Ghost Hunt
Next	Reprisal (21B)
Mission Details
Focus	Air-to-Air Air-to-Ground
Objectives	Destroy all TGTs and defend allied forces while evading the Hi-TASM. (Operation A); Destroy the Spiridus. (Operation B)
Time Limit	20 minutes
Character	Antares Squadron

"All crew, we've got a warm up exercise before our attack on San Francisco. Get rid of these pests."

― Spiridus Commander

Wrecking Ball is the co-op version and a combination of the 19th and 20th missions in Ace Combat: Joint Assault. Players are tasked with destroying part of the Golden Axe Plan forces at an abandoned airport in Nevada and destroying the Spiridus II above Lake Tahoe.

Briefing

Burford: Our objective is to wipe out the Golden Axe Plan's private army before they attack San Francisco. They have forces in an abandoned airport in the Sierra Mountains, and the Spiridus is near Lake Tahoe. We're holding a Joint Assault Op in the Mojave Desert and Lake Tahoe. The desert forces will strike the Golden Axe Plan's private army stationed in an abandoned airport. They have substantial military might, so this is going to be a fierce battle. Go in hot. Ground forces from Martinez Security are also aiding in our operation. Dog Bear, Lazy Bear and Black Bear will storm the airport once we achieve air superiority. Lake Tahoe forces will take down the Spiridus, hiding in the Sierra Nevada mountains. They named this thing well, I'll give them that. It's time we exorcised this "ghost." Additional ground forces will provide support. hey're equipped with missiles more powerful than what a fighter carries. Help our allies make the most of their firepower. This will be our most difficult Joint Assault yet. But we're out of options. We'll be counting on each and every one of you. Good luck out there, Antares Squadron.

Operation A

Objectives

Initial

During the first phase, the player(s) have to defend three allied ground teams from enemy attack, starting from Dog Bear (nearest from player starting position), Lazy Bear and finally Black Bear (farthest from player starting point). Enemy aircraft will continually spawn, both to attack the ground forces and to travel to Operation B's area, so the player(s) should balance protecting the ground forces and taking heat off of their Operation B counterparts.

In addition, Hi-TASM missiles from the Spiridus will begin to be fired. Evade the attacks as quickly and efficiently as possible. The player(s) in Operation B can help their allies by destroying an FCU on the Spiridus. This will not only prevent the missiles from reaching the Operation A player(s), but will additionally let the ground forces launch their large missiles faster.

Mission Update

The next phase involves securing the airport itself. It is heavily defended by AA guns and SAMs. There's also a large group of tanks, AAs and SAMs in the airport outskirts. Parked MiG-1.44s and a Su-47 are among primary targets as well, but they won't attempt to take off. Once the airport is secure, the objective will then become to prevent enemy aircraft from flying to the Operation B area. The mission success triggers when the Spiridus is shot down by the Operation B player(s).

Named Aces

• F-15 S/MTD Kelpie - Appears over the airport after most ground targets in the first part of the mission have been destroyed. Disappears in the Mission Update.

Operation B

Objectives

Initial

During the initial phase, the Spiridus is defended by READS that renders its Hi-TASM invincible from player attacks. Only off-map allied missile strikes can temporarily disable the READS, the player has to wait (while whittling down its SAM and AA defenses) for the missile to hit the Spiridus before they can start taking out the Hi-TASM launch ports. When the allied forces prepare to launch a missile, Spiridus will launch a Hi-TASM at them which will stop their missile attack. In order to prevent this, the player(s) must destroy an FCU unit on the Spiridus' rear. The FCU only appears briefly so staying close to the Spiridus during this phase is highly recommended. Destroying the FCU will prevent the delay of the allied attack and will also prevent a Hi-TASM attack on the Operation A player(s), so the Operation B player(s) should try to destroy it at all cost. After the first attack is successful, Spiridus will redeploy its READS. Two more successful allied attacks are required to destroy all of Spiridus's Hi-TASM ports and advance the mission.

Mission Update 1

The Spiridus will now attempt to retreat to the western border of the map. The player(s) have to prevent its retreat by destroying all six of its engines. IRCMs will be deployed as well so unguided weapons are recommended. Alternatively, the player(s) can fire missiles around them, but this can prove difficult. Once the engines are destroyed, the Spiridus will deploy its anti-air Electrolaser cannon. The player(s) must keep it from firing so that one last allied missile strike can finish the Spiridus off for good. After destroying the electrolaser for the first time, it will reactivate shortly once the allied missile is launched. Destroying it one more time will ensure the last missile hits the Spiridus. The mission is complete if this strike is successful.

Named Aces

• Su-47 Lily - appears to the east flying west in the mission update.

Debriefing

Burford: The Golden Axe Plan's private army and aerial base have been destroyed. Good work, Antares. This conflict has honed you into fine pilots. You've got what it takes to save America. The hostiles may have lost their big guns, but that doesn't mean they're ready to back down. The final battle's almost here.

S Rank

Clear the mission within 6 minutes or less.

Enemy units marked as TGT usually must be destroyed to advance the mission. The TGT text is always in red, except if the player changes this in Ace Combat 7.