Ace Combat 7 Mission 20 Dark Blue is the last story mission, but beating Hugin and Munin is not the end. After the opening dogfight, you still need to chase a smaller drone into an undersea tunnel, destroy it and five repeaters inside the Space Elevator, then fly out through a vertical shaft.
The difficult part is the sudden shift from fighting in open skies to squeezing through a tunnel at low speed. Use an aircraft you’re comfortable steering, watch for closing shutters and don’t race blindly into the final chamber. This walkthrough explains the stages in the order they happen.
Ace Combat 7 Mission 20 Dark Blue walkthrough: defeat Hugin and Munin
Operation Hush begins with two ADF-11F drones defending the International Space Elevator. You have 25 minutes in this opening stage. Both drones move extremely quickly and deploy smaller Weapon UAVs that can shoot down missiles intended for the larger aircraft.
1. Break through the drones’ missile defenses
The smaller Weapon UAVs are the reason your missiles sometimes vanish in Ace Combat 7 Mission 20 Dark Blue. They can use lasers to intercept incoming shots. Destroy the defending UAVs when you have a good opportunity, then concentrate on the ADF-11Fs. Fire when Hugin or Munin passes through a predictable line rather than wasting missiles during every sharp turn.
If you’re constantly behind them without a good lock, pull away briefly to regain a firing angle. Standard missiles are enough, but you need clean shots and patience.
2. Destroy the detached drone
The battle continues after both ADF-11Fs fall. A detached ADF-11 remains active and is capable of transmitting combat data. Follow the new target marker and shoot it down. Don’t wait for the mission to finish automatically after destroying the original two aircraft.
Ace Combat 7 Mission 20 Dark Blue tunnel section: how to follow the drone
A surviving small drone heads into the undersea tunnel. Follow it through the entrance with Count nearby. The corridors are narrow, and the drone closes shutters to block your path. If you try to fly straight through a closing barrier, you’ll crash and have to retry.
3. Slow down before the closing shutters
In Ace Combat 7 Mission 20 Dark Blue, look ahead instead of staring at the drone. When a shutter blocks the corridor, take the open passage rather than trying to squeeze past it. Keep a manageable airspeed for the bends. Too much acceleration leaves no room to correct a mistake; too little risks losing control.
Count protects you during one scripted moment when the drone fires from behind. Your real priority is staying in the tunnel and reaching the chamber at the far end without hitting the walls.
Destroy the ADF-11 and all five repeaters
The tunnel opens into a circular chamber at the base of the Space Elevator. You have about one minute and ten seconds to destroy the remaining ADF-11 and five data repeaters mounted on the walls. This timer is much tighter than the earlier dogfight.
4. Intercept the drone inside the chamber
As soon as you enter, turn into the drone’s flight path and shoot it down. Don’t waste the opening seconds circling the chamber without a target. Getting close enough for a reliable lock is easier than following it around endless loops while the clock runs out.
5. Clear the five REPEATER markers
After the drone is down, the REPEATER markers are your priority. Work around the walls in one direction to reach them all. If one repeater remains when the timer ends, the mission fails. In Ace Combat 7 Mission 20 Dark Blue, don’t bank so aggressively toward a nearby wall target that you crash before the missile arrives.
How to escape the Space Elevator windbreak
Once the drone and repeaters are destroyed, the mission still isn’t over. The tunnel behind you is closed. Look for the vertical windbreak opening in the central chamber, point the aircraft upward and climb out through the shaft.
To finish Ace Combat 7 Mission 20 Dark Blue, keep a steady climbing speed and stay aligned with the opening. You aren’t looking for an exit back along the undersea corridor. If your plane stalls while pointing straight up, regain airspeed and make a more controlled climb.
Best aircraft and loadout for Mission 20
Bring a manoeuvrable fighter with good low-speed handling. The opening demands accurate air-to-air attacks, but the tunnel demands even finer aircraft control. Choose something you know how to steer around obstacles rather than the fastest jet available.
A stable aircraft can make Ace Combat 7 Mission 20 Dark Blue easier than a high-speed option that is difficult to slow down. Standard missiles handle the main objectives, including the chamber repeaters. Avoid wasting all your ammunition during the opening battle.
Ace Combat 7 Mission 20 Dark Blue: FAQ and final mission tips
Does the game end after Hugin and Munin?
No. The finale continues with a detached drone, a tunnel chase, the five repeaters and an escape through the windbreak.
How many repeaters are in the final chamber?
Five. Destroy the remaining ADF-11 and all five marked repeaters before the chamber timer runs out.
Where is the exit after destroying the repeaters?
Fly up through the central vertical shaft in the Space Elevator. Follow the windbreak opening, not the tunnel you entered.
Is there a hidden ace in Mission 20?
No optional named ace appears in Ace Combat 7 Mission 20 Dark Blue. The difficulty here is completing all the final objectives and escaping without crashing.
Our Ace Combat 7 Mission 19 Lighthouse guide covers the previous Arsenal Bird battle. Dark Blue is the final test of both air combat and careful flying.
Official game information and images: Bandai Namco Entertainment.
