Ace Combat 7 Mission 13 Bunker Buster asks you to destroy five real missile silos, but the map marks eight possible sites. Three are decoys, and you cannot destroy a sealed real silo with your ordinary missiles. Instead, you use a special Targeting Pod to guide bunker-buster bombs dropped by allied aircraft.
The mission has a second sting: when the silo phase ends, ballistic missiles launch and you must catch them before they escape. Your first job is to identify the genuine silos quickly. Your second is to climb fast and shoot down every IRBM. Here is the order to follow.
Ace Combat 7 Mission 13 Bunker Buster: how to find the five real missile silos
The first phase of Operation Magic Spear gives you 10 minutes to deal with the five real sites. Since the fake locations can be different on a new attempt, don’t rely on a static map claiming to show five permanent answers.
Step 1: check whether a silo is fake
Look closely at each marked target. The real sites have raised, three-dimensional doors, while decoys are flat shapes painted on the terrain. You can test a suspicious site with machine-gun fire or a standard missile. A fake disappears from your HUD and map after being hit, while a genuine site remains marked. That’s a handy way to avoid wasting time.
Step 2: use TGTP to guide a bunker buster
In Ace Combat 7 Mission 13 Bunker Buster, the TGTP is a mission-specific special weapon. It calls an allied bomber to drop a bunker-buster bomb, and you guide that bomb by pointing your aircraft’s nose toward the intended impact point. Keep the real silo centered and aim for a direct hit.
A direct hit destroys the silo and the missile inside. If the bomb only clips the structure, it can blow off the lid instead. That exposes the IRBM, which you can then destroy using standard missiles or gunfire. Don’t keep trying to use regular missiles against the sealed doors: the bunker buster is what opens them.
Step 3: clear the five genuine sites
Work through the marked targets in a sensible loop, checking doubtful ones with gunfire before committing a TGTP drop. The aim of Ace Combat 7 Mission 13 Bunker Buster isn’t to remove all eight markers with bunker busters. Three of them are fakes and never award the silo objective.
Ace Combat 7 Mission 13 Bunker Buster: how to intercept the launched IRBMs
Once you’ve destroyed all five real silos, the mission switches to a missile chase. Three IRBMs launch from hidden sites. Your job is to shoot down all three before they reach critical altitude. If just one escapes, you fail, regardless of how quickly you cleared the silos.
Climb and accelerate immediately, then aim at the next marked missile. Don’t waste your opening seconds chasing a fighter unless you’re attempting the optional secret ace. The IRBMs are already rising, and a slow turn across the map can cost you the entire run.
Why do six missiles launch instead of three?
If you fail to destroy all five silo targets during the opening phase, the game can continue into a much harder alternative. You then need to destroy six IRBMs, with missiles launching close together. That’s why the initial silo work matters: the easiest way to beat Ace Combat 7 Mission 13 Bunker Buster is to complete phase one properly and reduce the final chase to three missiles.
Best aircraft and upgrades for Bunker Buster
Choose a fast aircraft with strong acceleration and climbing performance. TGTP replaces your special weapon, so you cannot solve the silo phase simply by equipping bigger bombs of your own. Regular missiles and guns remain useful for identifying fake targets, finishing exposed IRBMs and shooting down launched missiles.
In Ace Combat 7 Mission 13 Bunker Buster, handling matters as much as speed. A stable nose makes TGTP guidance easier, but you still need enough pace to reach the rising ballistic missiles when the mission changes. Speed-related parts are helpful on repeat attempts.
How to spawn COMET, the Mission 13 secret ace
COMET only appears on Normal difficulty or higher after you’ve already completed the mission once. Clear the five real silos quickly enough and the ace appears during the missile-interception update, heading west. Intercept him promptly, then turn back toward the IRBMs.
Trying to spawn COMET makes Ace Combat 7 Mission 13 Bunker Buster harder because you have to divert from the time-critical missiles. If your first goal is simply to finish the campaign, ignore COMET until a replay.
Ace Combat 7 Mission 13 Bunker Buster FAQ: common failures
Why won’t my missiles destroy the silo?
A sealed genuine silo needs a bunker buster guided by TGTP. Your own missiles can reveal a fake or destroy an exposed IRBM after a near miss, but they don’t replace the guided strike against an intact silo.
Are the five real silos in fixed places?
No. There are eight marked locations, with three decoys. Check for raised silo doors, then test uncertain targets with gunfire. If a marker vanishes after the hit, it was fake.
What should I do immediately after the missile launch?
Pitch up, accelerate toward the nearest marked IRBM and fire accurately. Keep switching to the next missile as soon as one is destroyed. For Ace Combat 7 Mission 13 Bunker Buster, any missile that escapes is an instant failure.
The preceding Mission 12 Stonehenge Defensive is about protecting a fixed point. This mission is about identifying the correct targets and then moving fast. Get the five silos right and the final phase becomes far more manageable.
Official game information and images: Bandai Namco Entertainment.
