H.A.W.X. 2 Walkthrough

The U.S. government has spent a countless amount of money on fighter planes since the beginning of the Cold War, and one question remains: If they don’t get to shoot anyone down, what’s the point? Combat flight sims have posed a similar question in the console age: if no one plays them, what’s the point? The H.A.W.X. 2 designers at Ubisoft are hoping to answer this question, or rather, trying to avoid having to answer it. They’re hoping to learn from the mistakes of the first installment and put out a product that will wow all the budding Geese and Icemen out there.

Dogfighting and PvP combat are very much on the docket, but the designers have a host of different flight plans in mind. Night bombing runs, stealth UAV piloting, carrier takeoff and landing, mid-air refueling — all very much included this new title, part of the “Tom Clancy’s” series of hyper-realistic military sims.

Those unfamiliar with the travails of hardcore flight simming will be well-served by this walkthrough. Learn to master the weapons and tactics necessary to take down your aerial opponents and get detailed instructions on how to beat each mission. Learn when to deploy flares, and when to hit your afterburners to pursue your quarry. Too close for missiles? Switch to guns! Everything you need to know about H.A.W.X. 2 story mode is here.

Mission 1 – Contact

1. Press X to start your engine.
2. Use RT to accelerate and head straight toward the hangars in the distance.
3. When you reach the hangars hold RB to turn right, then accelerate toward the runway.
4. Take another right onto the runway and your plane will come to a stop.
5. A speed meter will appear to your left, hold down RT to begin increasing speed. Use RB and LB to keep you plane centered on the runway.
6. When you reach 260 km/h, pull down on the Left Analog Stick to take off.
7. Once in the air, you can use RT to speed up, LT to slow down, and the Left Analog Stick to pitch and roll your aircraft. (Note: in order to turn, you’ll need to roll the direction you want to turn and then pull up on the Left Analog Stick.)
8. Head toward the green icon labeled “”Abandoned Village” to investigate your first objective.
9. Investigate the convoy next, then head to the bridge. All your objectives are marked with green icons.
10. After you’ve reached the bridge, new icons will appear representing a suspicious convoy. Fly toward it.
11. The convoy will open fire on a chopper and you will be ordered to take them out.
12. Press A to enter precision missile mode. Then line up the white crosshair with the enemy vehicles (represented by yellow hexagons.)
13. Press A again to fire to fire a missile, then move onto to your next target and repeat.
14. When all enemies are destroyed, head back to base.
15. ACHIEVEMENT: You’ll get the “Crash Test” achievement for completing this mission.

Mission 2 – Training Day

1. Take off and follow the Polaris planes.
2. A yellow arrow will appear, directing you to your first target.
3. Get behind the patrol plane and press B to fire your cannon at it.
4. Your next target is Polaris 1 — get behind him and hit him with your cannon.
5. Now you’ll be asked to attack Polaris 2 and 3 with with missiles. Center your targeting reticle on them and wait for the yellow box around the plane to turn red before pressing A to fire.
6. After you hit both planes, you’ll be dodging missiles with your flares. Wait for the “Missile Alert” message (not the “Lock Alert”) and then press R3 to deploy flares. You’ll want to turn sharply right after you deploy. Next, you’ll be dodging missiles without flares.
7. Watch the box in the upper right of the screen. When the missile gets close, position your plane perpendicular to its path and accelerate quickly to escape.
8. Fly to the next training area. Here you will have to engage the other Polaris pilots.
   Follow the yellow arrow to your first target, keep him in your sights until the box around the plane goes red, then fire twice. Repeat this with the other pilots.
9. If the “Lock Alert” warning appears, try turning to shake them. If this fails, and the “Missile Alert” warning appears, use your flares and bank sharply.
10. Your next training exercise will be interrupted by a suspicious aircraft. Get behind it to inspect it.
11. The suspicious plane will explode, sending you into a stall. Hold RT to speed up and avoid crashing.
12. Head toward the runway; you will be instructed to press X to activate “Assisted Landing.”
13. Stay within the green arrows and use LT to slow down as you approach the runway.
14. You will be instructed to press A to lower your landing gear, once you are in position.
15. Descend toward the runway, but make sure all the hash marks on your HUD are green before touching down.
16. Once your plane is on the ground, hit LT to brake until you’ve stopped. You can use RB and LB to keep the plane centered.

Mission 3 – The Prisoner

1. Use the Left Analog Stick to move toward the first building.
2. Use the RT to zoom in on it.
3. Use the Right Analogue Stick to keep the camera in position over the building until the scan is complete.
4. Continue to scan the buildings until you are interrupted by a vehicle. You will be directed to investigate the vehicle — do not let it out of your sight.
5. After you scan the final building, the mission is complete.
6. ACHIEVEMENT: You’ll get the “Eye in the Sky” achievement for completing this mission

Mission 4 – Interception Course

1. Follow the friendly fighters to the enemy formation and get in position behind the enemy planes.
2. Enemy fighters will attack from underneath you. As soon as the battle starts, turn sharply and deploy flares.
3. Start taking out enemy aircraft with your missiles. The enemies take two missiles each to destroy, so your best bet is to lock on, fire two quick missiles,  then use Y to manually switch to the next target.
4. Don’t wait to see if your missiles hit, you can rack up more kills if you just fire and move on.
5. After you’ve taken down all the enemy fighters, head for the refueling planes (represented by a green icon with the words “Refuel Your Plane.”)
6. Use RT to get there fast — your time is limited.
7. When you get close, press X to activate “Assisted Approach.”
8. A green ring will appear, fly through it.
9. The refueling hose is located on the right side of the tanker plane. You’ll need to line it up with the tube sticking out of the left side of your fuselage.
10. Use LB and RB to maneuver the plane into position.
11. After refueling, you’ll be instructed to engage some bombers that have begun attacking friendly ground units. Accelerate toward the bombers and get close.
12. The bombers are using flares to throw off your missiles, so fire up your cannons with B and take them out.

Mission 5 – The Rescue

1. At the start of this mission you must protect the transport plane. Do this by taking out the vehicles and gun emplacements on the ground (represented by glowing green objects)
2. Use your 40 mm cannon and focus your fire on any enemies who fire on the transport plane.
3. You can use RT to zoom in on enemies and LT to zoom out.
4. Once the plane lands, you’ll need to protect the landing zone (represented by the blue circle.)
5. Destroy the group of vehicles approaching from the right. These targets will be moving, so you’ll have to lead them — your weapons have a significant delay before reaching the target.
6. The next group of vehicles moves in from the top left, destroy them before they get close.
7. Enemies will begin converging from all sides. Blast anything that gets close to the blue circle.
8. After the ghost team extracts the prisoner, they will begin moving in the transport vehicle. Do not shoot the transport vehicle.
9. Two choppers will move in from the left. Zoom out and destroy them.
10. A group of vehicles will attack from the top followed by one from the bottom, blow them up before they get close to your transport vehicle.
11. Take out the roadblock ahead of your transport vehicle.
12. There are enemies in some of the buildings too, indicated by yellow hexagons. Kill them if you have time.
13. As the transport vehicle crosses the bridge, kill the patrol boat that attacks from the water.
14. Now destroy the roadblock at the end of the bridge.
15. After the bridge, enemies will ambush you from the buildings ahead, keep pounding them with 40 mm fire.
16. There are two roadblocks on the next bridge, be sure to get them both.
17. After the transport crosses the bridge, vehicles and choppers will close in from behind. Take out the vehicles first, then hit up on the D-pad to switch to your 25 mm cannon and take out the choppers.
18. There’s one last bridge with a roadblock on it; once you destroy this, the transport vehicle will rendezvous with a boat.
19. You must protect the transport boat as it approaches the U.S.S. Marshall. Do not shoot the transport or the U.S.S. Marshall.
20. Choppers will pursue the transport from behind. Use the 25 mm to take them out, or if you are out ammo, use the 40 mm.
21. Watch for an incoming frigate from the top of the screen as well as two from behind. You should switch to your 105 mm gun to crush them.
22. A destroyer will approach from the south. Sink it, then concentrate your fire on the remaining patrol boats to the north.
23. Once you’ve taken out all the enemies, the mission will end.

Mission 6 – Oil City

1. Follow Dagger Flight toward the Marine Assault Team. Hit the accelerator to get there as fast you can.
2. Directly to the left of the Marine Assault Team is a frigate and missile battery. Switch to Air to Ground Missiles (AGM’s) and destroy them. (Note: During this first part of the mission, don’t worry about your health or dodging fire. The enemies are focused on the assault team.)
3. You’ll be informed of enemy gunships attacking the Marine Assault Force — locate and kill them. Keep an eye on the health of the assault force at the top of the screen. If it drops to zero, it’s game over.
4. Find the missile batteries, frigates, and helicopters and destroy them first. The AA guns and fighter jets are focused mostly on the planes, so they’re not as much of a threat to your assault force.
5. A couple of helicopter carriers will appear behind the Marine Assault Force. Take them out, then blast any hostiles that are left.
6. Once the Marine assault force takes the landing strip, you will no longer need to worry about anyone’s health but your own.
7. Press the Back button to bring up the tactical view. You’ll see 3 red areas.
8. Head to the red area to the left of the landing strip.
9. Target the radar dish first. It looks like a satellite TV dish on top of a crane.
10. After you knock that out, start killing enemies on and around the structure until the area turns green in your tactical map.
11. Repeat this process with the area to the right of the landing strip.
12. Before heading to the last red area, you will be advised to return to the landing strip so you can rearm.
13. Head back to the landing strip and land to rearm. Use X to activate “Assisted Landing” if necessary.
14. Now head to the Oil Rig and eliminate any hostiles you find there. When you’ve done this, the mission will be complete.

Mission 7 – Thieves in the Night

1. Move the UAV over Wolfhound’s vehicle.
2. A yellow icon will appear over the building you need to tag. Press A to tag it with an IR strobe.
3. Follow Wolfhound until he gets to Faridi’s house.
4. When Faridi starts driving, keep your crosshair on his vehicle to track his call.
5. After you trace the call, a yellow icon will direct you to another building you need to tag.
6. Move back to Faridi’s car and track his next phone call. He’ll pass beneath two smoke plumes. At the second one, he turns left and begins heading north. Keep the crosshair on him to track the call.
7. A yellow icon will direct you south to a ship that needs tagging.
8. Follow the yellow icon back to Faridi’s vehicle.
9. You will be directed to tag two U-shaped buildings. Do this quickly and get back to Faridi.
10. Faridi will leave the other vehicles and head west. Look for the yellow icon if you lose him.
11. Track his last phone call, then head back to the dock to tag two more ships.
12. Get back to Faridi’s car and follow him until Wolfhound kills him.
13. Wolfhound will then ask you to tag some roadblocks. Do this and the mission will be complete.

Mission 8 – Seek and Destroy

1. Press left on the D-pad to switch to night vision and hit A to activate it, then take off.
2. Head to Nav Point Alpha (represented by the green icon) and hit A to enter precision missile mode. Zoom in on your targets with RT.
3. Your target is a group of ships in the harbor as well as a warehouse. The ships take 1 or 2 bombs and the warehouse only needs 1. Take your time and make sure you get them all. You’re in no danger.
4. After you’ve taken out the targets you’ll be directed to engage a helicopter. Swoop in from above and use your cannons. Choppers in this level are armed with missiles.
5. You’ll be directed to head to another nav point and bomb some buildings. They only take one bomb each, so fire and move on.
6. When the buildings are rubble, you’ll need to take out two more choppers. The anti-aircraft fire has increased. If you get in trouble, fly back above 5,000 meters.
7. After the choppers are down, you’ll be sent to engage the airfield. Go into precision missile mode and bomb the hell out of the planes on the runway. Any fighters that make it into the air, you’ll have to engage with your cannon.
8. Even if you get all the planes on the airfield you’ll still have to engage some fighters in the air. Take them out with your cannon and use flares if you see “Missile Alert.”
9. Head to the next nav point. You’ll be ordered to take out some vehicles. You can’t use bombs because of the civilian risk. Take them out with your cannon.
10. The vehicles are slow moving so you’ll need to cut your speed so you don’t overshoot them.
11. Now you’ll head back to the aircraft carrier. When the blue X icon appears, hit X once to activate landing mode. Don’t hit it a second time to activate “Assisted Landing.”
12. ACHIEVEMENT: If you can land on the carrier without using Assisted Landing, you’ll get the “Confident” achievement.

Mission 9 – Desert Fortress

1. Follow Firebird through the canyon.
2. When you emerge from the canyon, you’ll see 3 helicopters flying toward you. Take out one with a missile and keep moving.
3. Hold right on the D-pad and press A to activate the UAV.
4. Use the UAV to take out the ground targets. You cannot use your plane to complete this objective, you must use the UAV.
5. When you are done with the UAV, the enemy will scramble fighters against you. Take out as many as you can before you are ordered to switch back to the UAV.
6. Back in UAV mode, take out the targets nearest to your assault force.
7. Another wave of fighters will attack you after this. Destroy them and then switch back to the UAV again.
8. You’ll have to repeat this process once more before your troops take the airfield.
9. After you take the airfield. Land to rearm your fighter with ground weapons.
10. You’ll be attacked by missiles as soon as you take off. Get off the runway quickly and start dodging as soon as you’re in the air.
11. Your next objective is to take out a bunch of ground targets. Don’t waste time with AGM’s, just switch to cluster bombs and start wiping everything out. Cluster Bombs destroy groups of enemies.
12. When you destroy all the ground targets the mission is over.

Mission 10 – Blackout

1. Switch to night vision and take off.
2. Check your map; you’ll need to stay within the green circles to keep from being ripped apart by enemy fire.
3. Start taking out power plants (yellow icons with a little lightning bolt symbol.) There’s no need to waste your time on anything else.
4. For the tricky power plants, switch to your SOM’s. You can guide these missiles to their targets manually.
5. Try not to use too many SOM’s, you’ll need them later.
6. When one of the jamming planes gets attacked, you’ll need to assist. Follow the icon to the plane in trouble.
7. Press left on the D-pad, select “Wingman” then hit A.
8. Target the bandit attacking the jammer plane and press A;  your wingmate will take care of the rest.
9. Go back to taking out power plants until the city goes dark.
10. Once the city blacks out, you’ll need to defend an airfield from attacking ground units.
11. Ignore the enemy planes and pound the ground forces with SOM’s until you run out.
12. If you run out of SOM’s switch to rockets and finish off the ground forces. When the attack is repelled, the mission ends.

Mission 11 – Final Push

1. You’ve got two assault groups to defend here: the ground assault team and the AC 130 assault team in the air.
2. When the mission begins, switch to AGM’s and bomb everything in the way of the ground forces.
3. When you hear that there are enemy bandits incoming, find and engage them.
4. Your Radar Guided Missiles can hit targets farther away then your Heat Seekers, but you have to keep the white circle around your target until the missile reaches it. Don’t use these missiles if your close enough for heat-seekers.
5. Guard the AC 130′s as best you can. Don’t worry about the ground assault force unless their health drops below the AC 130′s, then go help them.
6. When the ground forces start getting hit with missiles, locate and destroy the missile batteries. They are are spread out in a C shape ahead of the ground force.
7. Switch to AGM’s and take out all 7 missile batteries.
8. Now go back to guarding the AC 130′s. The ground force will complain that they are “pinned down” and “taking heavy fire” but their health drops much slower than the AC 130′s. The AC 130 will say nothing and die quietly if you don’t watch them.
9. Eventually the ground force will announce that it’s almost broken through and they need help clearing out the final ground defenses. Go help them.
10. With the last of the ground forces gone, you’ll be directed to attack a bunker. Hit it with a few AGM’s and land back at the airfield to finish out the mission.

Mission 12 – Trans Caucasus Express

1. Use heat-seekers to take out the first two fighter planes that come at you.
2. A second wave of planes will attack. Check your radar and engage them before they get near the transport planes.
3. Now switch to rockets and clear out the ground forces threatening your planes.
4. When that’s done, you’ll need to destroy a portion of railroad track to stop a train.
5. Hold down RT to get there quick and hit the track with cannon fire.
6. After your men capture the train, it will be assaulted by enemy planes. These guys drop flares like it’s their job, so try and get close and use your cannon.
7. If you are going to use missiles, don’t fire as soon as you lock. Hold the lock on to make them waste their flares.
8. After you destroy the planes, the train will be attacked by ground troops. Switch to rockets and attack.
9. Check your map. The ground enemies that are red are actively attacking the trains. Target these guys before the yellow enemies.
10. Soon you’ll be attacked by planes again. These guys also seem to have an abundance of flares. Go ahead and shoot missiles at them anyway, they are the last enemies you will face on this mission.
11. If you run out missiles you can always switch to your trusty cannon.

Mission 13 – Behind Enemy Lines

1. You’ll have enemy planes right on top of you as you start the mission. Engage them and don’t be stingy with your missiles.
2. Your ground forces will come under attack. Get some altitude, then slow down and hit the enemy ground forces with rockets.
3. Try to make your rocket shots count, they go quickly.
4. The fighters will keep trying to take you out. Use flares and sharp turns to keep the missiles off you.
5. Focus your rockets on enemies who are red on your radar, they are actively attacking your ground forces.
6. When you get the order to blow the dam, fire rockets at it and the mission will end.

Mission 14 – The Truth

1. This mission is light on combat and serves mainly to advance the plot.
2. Follow the target vehicle around until you’re given the order to open fire.
3. Kill all the yellow targets, starting with the moving vehicles.
4. You’ll have to lead the vehicles or your shots will end up behind them.
5. After all the vehicles have been eliminated, take out the buildings and the mission will end.

Mission 15 – Getaway

1. At the start of the mission, go left and pass between the two stationary planes.
2. Jeeps will try to cut you off, make a sharp right to dodge them.
3. Turn left onto the runway. More jeeps will get in front of you.
4. Let go of RT for a second and hit RB to make a hard right and dodge the jeeps.
5. Make your way to the left side of the runway — there is a stationary plane blocking the right side.
6. Accelerate to takeoff speed and lift off before you get to the last wave of jeeps.
7. Once you’ve taken off, stay low and follow the waypoints through the canyon.
8. Keep an eye on the missile cam in the upper right corner of the screen, and deploy flares instead of trying to dodge. The canyon walls are instant death.
9. Hit LT to slow your plane down. This will give you more time to react to the various obstacles in the canyon.
10. Your plane will automatically speed up when you release LT so hold it down periodically to keep your speed low.
11. Missile attacks will begin coming from the front; your flares are useless against these. Get low and dodge them as best you can.
12. When you see the stealth bomber, you’re almost home free. The canyon widens out so you can hit the accelerator and sprint to the finish.
13. Once you are out of the canyon, you’ll have to dodge the attacks of a few jets. You don’t have any weapons, so hit the accelerator and fly in loops until your friends arrive.
14. Deploy flares if any missiles get close.
15. The mission will end when friendly planes show up.

Mission 16 – No Room for Error

1. Your first objective is to locate and destroy hacked satellite dishes. You’ll be instructed to visually inspect them to see if they are hacked. This is unnecessary.
2. Look closely at your map. You’ll see 3 yellow lines coming from your plane and leading to the hacked dishes.
3. Hit the hacked dishes with your cannon to take them out.
4. Now you’ll be directed to take out some jamming choppers.
5. Because your radar is jammed, you’ll need to switch to a different frequency.
   Hold X and then press right or left on the D-pad until you see a yellow chopper icon on your map.
6. Take out the chopper.
7. You may need to switch frequencies a few more times as you destroy the other helicopters.
8. Once all the choppers are destroyed, you’ll be ordered to take out the lead and rear trucks in a convoy.
9. The truck in the center of your two targets contains a nuke, hit that and its game over.
10. You can press X near the trucks to have the computer assist you with an intercept course.
11. If you want to do it manually, get high over your targets and swoop down on them.
12. Fire in short bursts and don’t get careless. Spraying a bunch of bullets is a sure way to nuke yourself.
13. With the front and lead trucks taken out, your mission will be complete.

Mission 17 – Maelstrom

1. Start taking out enemy fighter planes as soon as you get off the carrier.
2. Don’t worry about the carrier’s health at this point. Just keep your plane in one piece and focus on taking out the enemy’s aerial force.
3. Ships will arrive. Switch to AGM’s and engage them.
4. After you take out the ships you should head back to the carrier to land and rearm.
5. More ships will attack as soon as you’re off the carrier. Get to work taking them out.
6. If you feel like you’re constantly being assaulted with missiles, stop and take out some of the enemy planes.
7. Eventually, a battlecruiser escort will show up. The battlecruiser is in the back of the formation and takes 3-4 AGM’s to destroy. Sink it before it gets close to your carrier.
8. After you mop up the remaining enemies, some bombers will show up.
9. Check your map to find the bombers and get to them as fast as you can.
10. Use your cannon and missiles to take them down as fast as possible.
11. When all the bombers are down, the mission will end.

Mission 18 – Amphibious Assault

1. You’ve got patrol boats coming in from the left. Sink them with AGM’s.
2. The landing craft will begin taking fire from the coast. Take out all the ground targets firing at the landing craft.
3. Keep an eye out for anti-ship missiles heading toward the landing craft. You can shoot these down with heat-seeking missiles.
4. Destroy the patrol boats and frigates approaching from the right of the landing craft.
5. Enemy fighters will appear to the east. They’ve got flares, but you’ve got a lot of heat-seekers. Keep firing until they’re scrap metal.
6. Next, you’ll be asked to clear a mine field. The ships will stop and no enemies will attack. Use this lull in the battle to locate the carrier, land on it, and rearm.
7. Now take out the mines with your cannons. The mines are located in front of your ships and will only be visible to you at low altitude.
8. After the mines are gone, your ships will be ambushed by gun batteries.
9. Target the bunkers first; they are doing the most damage to your ships.
10. Once you’ve taken out all of the ground targets, you will be asked to recon a position.
11. Fly to the green icon marked: “Unidentified Target.”
12. When you get there, you’ll be attacked by fighters.
13. Your ships will be fine; worry about staying alive and blasting the enemy planes out of the air.
14. If you have time, unleash some AGM’s on the ground targets.
15. When you take down the last fighter, you’ve beaten the mission.

Mission 19 – Standoff

1. You’ll have enemy fighters directly ahead of you when the mission starts.
2. Accelerate toward them and start taking them out with heat-seekers.
3. Ignore the ground targets and take out all of the fighters.
4. Your next objective will be to defend the Kremlin. Target the incoming tanks with AGM’s.
5. Some enemy planes will show up. Take them out or you’ll spend more time dodging missiles than blowing up tanks.
6. Eventually you’ll be ordered to destroy some bridges. Yellow arrows will point you toward the bridges.
7. Switch to precision bombs with the D-pad, get over a bridge and press A to enter precision bomb mode.
8. Use RT to zoom in on the bridge. You can zoom in multiple times.
9. Fire a bomb then move on to the next bridge. If you try to watch all your bombs hit the bridges, you’ll run out of time.
10. When you’re finished with the bridges, bombers will move in, behind the enemy defenses.
11. To get through the enemy defenses, you’ll need to use ERS waypoints.
12. Fly toward the yellow icon marked ERS waypoint. Press Y to target it, then X to activate the waypoint system.
13. Fly through the green triangles. Use LT to slow down and give yourself time to maneuver.
14. Once you are past the enemy defenses, target the bombers and crush them. When they are down, the mission will end.

Mission 20 – Last Stand

1. You’ve got enemy fighters coming at you. Get a lock, fire two quick missiles and break off to avoid their return fire.
2. These guys use a lot of tight turns to dodge your missiles. Get close and cut your speed to tighten your turn radius. This should help you get a lock.
3. If you can’t get a lock and are having trouble taking them out with your cannon, try switching to a target farther away.
4. When you’re done with the fighters, you’ll have to use precision bombs to take out some ground troops.
5. You’ll switch back and forth between the fighters and the ground targets until finally the bad guys start launching nukes.
6. You have to shoot the nukes out of the sky before they reach 4,000 m. you will also have to dodge satellite lasers while doing this.
7. It’s easier to dodge lasers if you turn your plane on its side. Weaving back and forth will throw off the laser’s aim.
8. When shooting down the nukes, aim for the highest ones first. You can hit the nukes with heat-seekers or your cannon.
9. Once you’ve shot down all of the nukes, you’ll have to fly into the command bunker via a tunnel.
10. Do your best Luke Skywalker impression and head straight into the tunnel. If you touch the sides, you’re a goner. You can use LT to slow down and make navigating the tunnel a little easier.
11. When you see the missile, start firing your cannon at it until it explodes.
12. Your final obstacle is a low arch located right above where the missile was. Get low, but try not to over-correct and slam yourself into the ground.
13. If you can get past this arch, you have averted disaster and saved the world from nuclear annihilation. Congratulations.