How to Complete Escort Mission in Ace Combat 8

Mission 6 – Attack On the Drinwich Airfield is a complex escort mission in Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, and since players need to divide their attention into three different strike points while dealing with lots of enemies, it can get quite complicated to complete. You main objective is to provide Air Support for the assault forces attacking the Drinwich Airfield, but there are a few turning points during this mission that can get really complicated.

It starts by escorting two helicopter units, split between Joker Flight and Queen Flight, and this is the part that gives the most trouble to players, since AA Guns are aplenty, and countering while moving between escort targets can get troublesome. Learn how to finish this escort mission without a hitch with this step-by-step guide.

How to Complete Attack On The Drinwich Airfield in Ace Combat 8

During the mission briefing, pay attention to the number of Ground Targets (50), which means these dominate the map, but be careful; that’s not entirely true. Make sure to carry a loadout to deal with aerial targets as well, since there will be tons of “bandits” to take down.

Players will have to deal with Mirage 2000-5 and MiG-20 fighters, as well as MI-24 Helicopters, and Quadcopter Drones, in the last part of the mission.

Part 1 – Escort Mission

The objective is to escort two groups of Helicopters that will deploy troops on the designated target. Joker Flight will escort Group A (North), and Queen Flight will escort Group B (South).

Direct your attention to the left-side route, and escort the Helicopters, making sure to eliminate all AA batteries along the canyons. On the left side, there will be SAMs and Watchtowers, as well as Radar emplacements; destroy them first to avoid them firing Rocket Launchers on the Escort Targets.

After passing the first branching near the river, you will be prompted to attack approaching “bandits,” which consist of 2 Mirage 2000-5 Fighters. Eliminate them quickly then switch your attention back to escorting the Helicopters.

At some point, Queen Flight will request backup. Travel fast to Escort Target B (South), which is to the right side of the map. Pay attention to AA Guns and Watchtowers along the path, and eliminate them to score extra points. (More points translate into more MRP, which is needed to purchase planes and upgrades).

Eliminate the targets attacking Kate’s Escort group to clear out the Second Checkpoint. Now, return to the North Side to keep track of Baxter and Tasha, and lead the escort group to safety. Watch out for enemy fighters popping up on your radar to the south, and east.

Keep destroying the AA Guns and every new Aerial Target that threatens your Escort groups. Rotate between the two, and when Tasha hears Kate’s call for help, send her their way (YES). Players will be left with only Baxter on their group, so be extremely careful not to mess up here.

Switch to Spread B once more to defend them from another group of Mirage 2000-5 attackers. Now, return to the main route to complete part 1 of the escort mission. There will be quite a few MiG-20 fighters rampaging around as well; it’s better to deal with these targets now than to regret it later.

Part 2 – Attack on the Airfield

The next part is the tricky one: You will need to eliminate all targets in the airfield with precision, taking extreme care not to damage the hangars and targets marked with an “X.” So, no bombing. Use missiles on Tanks, AA Guns, and ARCs, and destroy the rest of the objectives in the airfield using only the plane’s Gun.

Players will notice two entrance points: A – South and B – North. The two helicopters will land and deploy ground troops, so now, the objective will be to defend them from incoming ARCs, Tanks, and aerial enemies.

Ideally, players will want to maintain air superiority, so switch to attack pattern “Spread Out” sending Joker Flight to attack surrounding targets. Pay attention to the cues requesting Air Support. North side will be more vulnerable to air strikes, while the south will receive a constant assault from ground vehicles. Tanks are quite annoying to deal with, since they can be stuck between the buildings.

Now, pay attention to the incoming MI-24 Helicopters, as these can mess up the mission quite badly. Then, turn your attention to the Airplane Transports I55’s coming in from the sides. These will land on the airfield (if you allow it) and deploy enemy troops, so keep them at bay. They’re easy to take down; with some focused fire, they will go down.

Return to helping north and south sides take the Airfield, and remember not to damage the buildings. Destroying any of the Hangars will result in an immediate Mission Fail, so watch out for stray bullets and missiles. There will be a constant flow of attacking jets, so make sure these do not use missiles on the airfield, or they can also cause damage and the mission will fail.

After you regain air superiority for the third time, and defend your allies from a fourth and fifth wave of ground enemies, there will be a new prompt to attack the enemies in the Airfield. Baxter will signal Rex to focus on the Quadcopers (Drones) launching from the Airfield. Here comes the hard part: You need to eliminate them without triggering any explosions.

Align yourself with the Airfield, and aim for the drones lifting in the middle of the runway. Do not (I repeat) do not shoot to the sides or attack them from the flanks, as this will trigger an explosion and fail the mission.

After dealing with 5 drones, the mission will be officially over. And Joker Flight will be able to return to base. Or that would be so, if not for the last and final drone falling to the ground and causing severe damage to the airfield. The XO will not be pleased with this result, but at least this mission will be over, and players can finally unlock the next part of the Ace Combat 8 Campaign.

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve

9/10

Released

October 2, 2026

ESRB

Teen / Blood, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact

Developer(s)

Bandai Namco Aces