ACE COMBAT 8 Mission 26, Crossing Fleets, begins on the Endurance and turns into a fight across the sea, sky and an enemy-held island. Operation King Tide asks you to sink the opposing ships, protect your own carrier from incoming aircraft, clear the island and eventually return home. The final encounter is scripted, which is worth knowing before you waste every missile trying to destroy an invulnerable story opponent.
You’ll need a carrier-capable aircraft, and there’s a hidden ace to collect if you’re returning after the campaign. Here’s how to handle the bombers, why the mysterious enemy cannot be shot down at the end, and how to make Lucidus appear.
ACE COMBAT 8 Mission 26: Crossing Fleets walkthrough
ACE COMBAT 8 Mission 26: Best aircraft for Crossing Fleets
Because ACE COMBAT 8 Mission 26 begins with a carrier launch, you are restricted to carrier-based aircraft. The F-35C works well if unlocked; the F/A-18E, F/A-18F, EA-18G and Rafale M are also suitable. This battle mixes warships, aircraft and ground positions, so choose an aircraft that can fight all three. LASM, LACM and SOD are useful special weapons against the bigger naval targets. A return line is available for repairs and resupply.
1. Take off and sink the opposing fleet
At the start of ACE COMBAT 8 Mission 26, launch from Endurance and make for the island. Start with the heavily armed warships: frigates, Aegis vessels, battlecruisers and the hostile carrier. These ships are a bigger danger than the smaller contacts nearby. When Professor suggests splitting your group, let the squadron spread out and use special weapons to remove more targets at once.
After the major ships are gone, the enemy aircraft launching from the island become your immediate concern. Deal with interceptors that are threatening your approach, but keep checking the carrier’s position. The next threat is not simply another dogfight; bombers are heading for your allied fleet.
2. Intercept the heavy bombers
In ACE COMBAT 8 Mission 26, enemy bombers attempt to take off from the island airfield and travel towards Endurance. Bring them down before they reach the ship. They are higher-priority targets than a distant fighter circling outside the action. Once the bomber threat is gone, clean up aircraft attacking the fleet and switch to destroying the island’s remaining ground defences.
This is a sensible time to use the return line if you have exhausted your anti-ship missiles. You can replenish ammunition, change special weapons and come back ready to attack the island without being stuck with an empty launcher.
3. Clear the island and docks
In ACE COMBAT 8 Mission 26, move across the island’s marked targets, destroying ground units and docked vessels. Some of the small vehicles are easy to overlook because the main naval fight has already finished. They won’t always stop a normal campaign clear, but they matter if you’re trying to unlock the optional F-2A ace. Keep sweeping until the mission updates and the next story scene plays.
4. Survive the scripted aircraft encounter
An advanced aircraft appears after the enemy forces have been cleared. The game tells you to engage it, but you cannot destroy this opponent during the scripted sequence. Follow its movement and wait for the scene to resolve. No amount of special-weapon damage will force an early victory here. After the aircraft leaves, you need to escort Baxter towards the Endurance and make your own carrier landing to finish.
ACE COMBAT 8 Mission 26: How to spawn Lucidus
The hidden ace in ACE COMBAT 8 Mission 26 is Lucidus, an F-2A. Some guides spell the same callsign Lucidius. It’s the same pilot and the same unlock condition, not a separate Assault Record. Complete the campaign first, then replay Mission 26 in Free Mission on Veteran difficulty or higher. Destroy every enemy ground and naval unit on the island, including docked ships and small trucks. Ships already out at sea are not part of this particular trigger. Once the island is completely cleared, Lucidus approaches from the eastern edge of the map.
Don’t leave a lone vehicle near the docks just because it isn’t shooting at you. That’s often the difference between seeing Lucidus and wondering why the ace hasn’t spawned. Stay near the island as the target arrives rather than flying across the whole map to intercept it.
Why Mission 26 will not finish
If ACE COMBAT 8 Mission 26 seems stuck in the first half, check for surviving island ground targets, bombers or aircraft still threatening Endurance. If it’s the final mysterious aircraft that refuses to take damage, you’re in a story encounter that cannot be won by shooting it down. Continue the sequence until the escort instructions arrive, then follow Baxter back and land.
For ACE COMBAT 8 Mission 26, the priorities are straightforward: sink the heavy ships, stop the bombers, clear the island and follow the scripted closing instructions. When you return for Lucidus, make one extra pass over the island’s smaller surface targets before moving on.
Official source: Bandai Namco Entertainment’s ACE COMBAT 8 overview.
