Mission 5

Mission 5 takes place on August 15, 2160 and is part of the Operation Shield campaign.

Briefing
''Everyone seated? OK, let's get started.

''As you know, the Alliance is hanging on by a thread. The Coalition has us cornered and supplies are running critically low. Due to our situation, Command has ordered several fully laden Mammoth carriers that were trapped behind enemy lines to assemble and prepare to make a run for Alliance territory.

''Because of the long-range nature of this mission, the Reliant will not be available for backup. Her presence would arouse too much Coalition interest. Therefore, you are on your own.

''Upon rendezvous at Nav Point 3, you will take up escort positions and provide fighter cover up to the Alliance forward line, where you will be relieved at Fort Sherman.

''I am sure you are all aware of the importance of this mission. Let's not disappoint.

''All right, lock and load, people. Good luck out there!

Recommended loadout

 * Coyote or Predator together with Bandit missiles are of great help throughout the mission, especially protecting the Mammoth carriers. The Grendel or Crusader, however, offer the advantage of stronger main weapons.

Walkthrough

 * What the briefing doesn't tell is the fact that you'll be flying alongside the legendary special operations squadron, the 705th Cobras. Just after you launch, you are ordered to jump out and assist the Cobras in tackling a Coalition patrol. They've already called Gamma wing in to assist, but you're essentially on mop up duty. The CS Badanov is already crippled and vulnerable to attack. Clean up any remaining fighters and watch the fireworks as the Badanov that escaped you at Venus explodes in a ball of fire.
 * Your next objective is to jump out to assist the Mammoths. However, you run into a Coalition shipping lane and a Sharov cargo carrier with several Gurevich transporters will be present, together with the usual escort. Focus fire on the Sharov, targeting its shield generator and engines, so that the Rippers can jump in and tackle the cargo. McGann will arrive shortly with the Mammoth and Rippers, so clean up the fighters and Kurgens.
 * Next, you finally reach the convoy. It consists of four Mammoth carriers (Sierra Madre, Britannia, Dawn Chorus, and Mayan Gold) and is already fighting off a wing of four Coalition Saber fighters. One of them, Sierra Madre, will be destroyed in a scripted cutscene. After the surviving carriers chew you out for coming late, assume escort positions behind them. After a while, a hunting pack of nine fighters, a Kurgen, and a Kamov will jump in.
 * Focus on the Kamov and the torpedoes, making a hard burn for it. Order wingmen to attack the Kamovs escort and the Kurgen, but don't stop until you take down the torpedoes. Afterwards, simply mop up the pack and turn the convoy over to Colonel McGann, then jump out to the Reliant and land.
 * Viper's Coyote malfunctions on jump and explodes. Bandit immediately orders a search and rescue ship into the area to scour it for Viper's escape pod... To no avail. To make things worse, McGann will abscond with both the captured supplies and the Mammoths, leaving the Alliance even worse off than it was before: Down a veteran pilot and one of its most elite squadrons.

Outcomes

 * Success: No Mammoths lost.
 * Partial success: One Mammoth lost.
 * Partial fail: Two mammoths lost.
 * Fail: No Mammoths survive.