Five hostile installations sit along the Ashfall coastline. Command needs imagery of all five before the strike package launches at dawn.
Fly low, hold the pass, and get out. Each site is covered by a surface-to-air battery — stay inside a threat ring too long and it will launch on you. The ridge line will break their radar lock if you can get behind it in time.
You are not alone and neither are they. Thirty-two aircraft are airborne — fourteen of ours against eighteen of theirs, in flights of two and four. You lead Viper, a four-ship. Cobra holds the home CAP, Dagger and Hammer sweep ahead of you. They fly single-engine delta-canards — one tail, one exhaust; ours are twin-tailed, twin-engined Flankers. You will be telling them apart at two kilometres in a turn.
The other flights fight without you. They pick their own targets, call their own kills and take their own losses, and both sides send replacements from a reserve. Watch the strength bars bottom right: the second figure is what each side has left to launch. You can win every fight you personally take and still lose the air battle. The radio net in the top right is how you find out.
You carry four missiles and they kill. Theirs cripple rather than kill you — but between each other, everyone's rounds are lethal. Everyone carries flares and will beam your shot.