Mission 21

Mission 21 takes place on December 30, 2161 and is part of the Battle of Titan campaign.

Briefing
''The destruction of the Ronin has been a sad loss to all of us. Intelligence believes the Black Guard was involved; let's make sure we even the score.

''Alliance forces are beginning to prevail on Titan and command assures me that the moon will be secured within the week. However, it is imperative we stop the Coalition from reinforcing their ground forces on Titan with their 2nd fleet currently preparing to disembark.

''Masquerading as a returning Coalition squadron, you will fly captured Kamov torpedo bombers and move through the Coalition fleet toward the flagship, CS Varyag. As you approach the fleet, you will be required to forward clearance codes, which are already loaded into your HUD Comms system. We have to thank Intelligence for the data and they've assured us that all codes are current.

''Once the codes are accepted, you will enter the fleet information. Move through the outer escort ships and make your way toward the CS Varyag. When you are in range, launch your torpedoes at the Varyag. At close range with her defenses down, she should be an easy target. Once the Varyag is down, the Alliance carriers Endeavor and Mitchell will warp in to provide support, followed by the Yamato. Nanny ships will be available to rearm you with torpedoes for further strikes once the attack begins.

''Stay cool on the approach, Tigers; those codes haven't failed us yet. If all goes according to plan, we will rendezvous back with the Yamato and launch-in fighters to join the attack. Select your fighter from the load out before launch. This will be one major battle-so watch out, it's likely to get a bit crowded out there!

Recommended loadout

 * You start the mission in a Kamov bomber and any choices you make will only become available once the Varyag is destroyed and you can land on the Yamato. This will be a mission involving some heavy fighting, so pick a durable flying can, like the Reaper or the Phoenix.

Walkthrough

 * Welcome to the mission where the Alliance knowingly performs a war crime (using enemy ships to infiltrate and fire on the enemy is known as perfidy and this is a textbook example, but these are the good guys, so norms that apply to the Coalition don't apply to them; for reference, consult the ICRC database). Launch from the Yamato in the Kamov and jump out to the coordinates of the Second Fleet once the orders are given. Diceman and Hawkeye will hit CS Bulatov, while you and the rest target the Varyag. ANS Mitchell, ANS Endeavor, and ANS Yamato will hang back until the deed is done and the Second Fleet is greatly weakened.
 * The fleet is the largest seen yet: CS Varyag, CS Kozlov, CS Shinnik, CS Bulatov, two Berijevs, four Kurgens, and a lot of Grazer defense satellites and fighters.
 * Now, you need to be extra-precise in your flying, as if you break formation too much (fly out of the circle), then the Varyag command staff will get suspicious and open comms with Diceman. Since he can't speak Russian, the mission is a wash and you're sent back to the Yamato to get kicked out.
 * Note, you can't shoot your own ships with torpedoes. It's worth failing the mission deliberately to witness Diceman's meltdown.
 * Otherwise, follow him and try to get as few out of formation warnings as possible. Once past the satellites, you'll transmit recognition codes and after a tense moment, be cleared. Approach the Varyag casually, then once you're cleared to break formation, move into position and wait for the signal to launch the torpedoes. When the rest of the team is in position, start launching the torpedoes using the missile button, then engage cloak. The enemies can't locate you while you're cloaked, so just wait for the Yamato to arrive, then immediately land to get into your fighter as there's been a change of plans.
 * Immediately after you launch, ANS Endeavor buys it, unable to withstand the exchange of fire with the CS Kozlov. Then you're immediately ordered to defend the Yamato against torpedoes - twelve of them - launched from enemy Kamovs (here's where the Reaper's Vulcan cannons come in handy). Afterwards, you're ordered to hit the CS Shinnik and CS Kozlov's shield generators. Pick whichever is closest, ignore everything on the way and hit the afterburners until you're in range, then let rip - and immediately switch to the other target once you are done, to prevent either from escaping. Once that's done, the Mitchell will make a run at the Shinnik, destroying it, followed by the Yamato's attack on the Kozlov, wiping it out with a torpedo volley from all tubes.
 * Afterwards, it's a leisurely mop up job, clearing out the remaining fighters. Land when permitted, taking solace in the fact that the war crime you committed saved Titan.

Outcomes

 * Success+: Only one out of formation warning, CS Varyag destroyed, no torpedo hits on the Yamato, both capital ships destroyed in time.
 * Success: Only one out of formation warning, CS Varyag destroyed, max one torpedo hit on the Yamato (two if the infiltration went perfect), both capital ships destroyed in time.
 * Partial success: Two out of formation warnings, CS Varyag destroyed, max one torpedo hit on the Yamato (two if the infiltration went perfect), both capital ships destroyed in time.
 * Fail plus kickout: Three formation warnings or mission scrubbed, Varyag survives, five torpedo hits on the Yamato or any of the enemy capital ships escaped.