White Bird (Part II)
Technical data
Game	Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War
Previous mission	Ghosts of Razgriz
Next mission	Heartbreak One
Mission type	Air-to-air
Objective	Destroy the Arkbird.
Historical data
Character	Blaze
Date	December 19, 2010
Location	Ceres Ocean

"White Bird (Part II)" is the 24th mission of Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War. Taking place in December 19th 2010, it involves the 108th Tactical Fighter Squadron racing to destroy the seized Arkbird spacecraft before it can conduct a nuclear attack in Yuktobania.

PlotEdit

The hijacked Arkbird has received a transmission from Schenze, the leader of the Grey Men, giving target coordinates and an attack time, leading to a Yuktobanian city. The Arkbird has been loaded with the single tactical nuke that the Belkans managed to get out of the hidden underground tactical nuke storage that was previously entombed by Wardog squadron.

This transmission was intercepted by the Osean intelligence vessel Andromeda, where it was decyphered. In order to reach its target, the Arkbird has to make one flight adjustment, which forces it to descend to an altitude just low enough to be attacked by fighter jets. At this time, Wardog squadron must attack and destroy it.

At the beginning of the mission, the Arkbird is not at a vulnerable altitude. Wardog squadron quickly climbs towards the massive bird.

Then a brief cutscene ensues, where an escape pod is launched from the Arkbird. One of the Belkans piloting the Arkbird - Adler - communicates to leader Schenze that the captive Osean astronaut escaped, but that they no longer need him. Then he realizes the astronaut did something to the controls before he escaped, sending the Arkbird into a steep dive, losing altitude fast.

This is when the Arkbird comes into target range. The first target is simply the "Arkbird". After this target is destroyed, Adler realizes they are under attacked, and the main laser cannon on the bottom is employed as a weapon, along with two Vogel launchers. These can all be destroyed, though they are not targets.

Shortly after this, the Arkbird activates two engines on its back in an attempt to gain more altitude. These are targets, and must be destroyed. If the player fails to do this, it will climb too high to be targeted (escape the combat area).

Once these engines are destroyed, Adler communicates to Schenze that the Arkbird is no longer capable of reaching its target. Schenze reminds him that the backup plan is to self-destruct the Arkbird, with the tactical nuke, above the nearest Osean territory. The Arkbird changes its course, and activates other defensive measures, including two pulse lasers on its back. It later also activates two more engines, in the same location as the last two, as it is at an altitude where it needs them in order to continue.

Once these engines are destroyed, the Arkbird falls towards the ocean, no longer capable of staying in flight. Once it is just a couple thousand feet above the surface of the water, however, it activates one final, large engine in a final attempt to survive. Even this engine gets destroyed though.

The last words heard by Adler are "Damn you Razgriz..." as the Arkbird plummets, exploding from the inside, into the ocean, where the tactical nuke sets off.

TriviaEdit

• Occasionally, when playing on Hard or Ace difficulty the Arkbird will suffer a bizarre glitch in which the ship ignores the game's physics and behaves like a normal aircraft. The increased movement speed can make the interception task very difficult, if not impossible for slow aircraft.