Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown Cover Art Release Date: 2019 Developer: Project ACES Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment Series: Ace Combat Platforms: PC Xbox One Playstation 4 Genre: Arcade Flight Simulator, Third-Person Shooter

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is the fifteenth main installment of the Ace Combat franchise. The game returns to the "Strangereal" universe, and is set in the midst of conflict between the Kingdom of Eurusia and the Osean Federation. The player experiences the air war through an Osean pilot, callsign "Trigger," while the cutscenes explore the war as seen through the eyes of other characters. The game was released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on January 18, 2019, and on Microsoft Windows on February 1, 2019. The game includes multiplayer battles, and a VR mode is exclusive to PlayStation VR where players can reprise the role of Mobius One (the protagonist of Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies) during the 2014 Free Erusea uprising.

The following weapons appear in the video game Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown:

Cutscene Weapons

This section is for conventional small arms only seen in the game's cinema scenes.

SIG-Sauer P250

A modern striker-fired, polymer framed pistol resembling a full-sized SIG-Sauer P250 is used in a cutscene near the end of the game.

SIG-Sauer P250 - 9x19mm Parabellum

The pistol fires in slo-mo. Note the "XD.50" markings, though it bears little physical resemblance to a Springfield XD.

After locking empty, it is left discarded on the ground. Note the strange rear of the slide; it appears to be based on the striker system of a Glock or something similar, but with the slide's sear housing incorrectly shown as part of the frame instead. The actual P250 is hammer-fired, though to be fair, this isn't exactly clear when looking at it from the side.

Mk 18 Mod 1

Mk 18-type rifles with vertical foregrips are used by Osean soldiers and various characters in several cutscenes. Strangely, it is always shown with its folding ironsights folded down.

Mk 18 Mod 1 with Crane stock, Daniel Defense MK18 RIS II, and folding sights - 5.56x45mm

An Osean guard at the 444th Air Base escorts prisoners with a Mk 18.

Tabloid levels his Mk 18 in another scene later in the game. Evidently, he has as little faith in iron sights as he does in governments. At least trigger discipline is worth believing in.

Mounted Weapons

These are all the cannons mounted to aircraft in AC7. With a few exceptions (such as the AH-64D Apache Longbow's M230 Chain Gun), almost all are available to the player.

Bofors 40mm L/60

In Mission 14 "Cape Rainy Assault," an AC-130U "Spooky II" with a full compliment of arms takes off from the Erusean air force base. It does little else other than flee the battle.

Bofors 40mm L/60 AA gun in a Boffin mounting - 40x311mmR

The Bofors L/60 seen from a flyby under the AC-130.

The AC-130U as seen with better lighting and with a freecam.

Browning M2HB

Osean M1 Abrams MBTs in the battle for Farbanti can be seen with Browning M2HB machine guns mounted on both hatch position of the turret.

Browning M2HB - .50 BMG

An Osean Abrams fires its main gun at nothing in particular, but produces a brilliant flash none the less.

M61 Vulcan

The plethora of American-designed fighter jets all mount M61 Vulcan rotary cannons. M167 VADS installations are also used under a generic "AA Gun" moniker in certain instances, and Phalanx CIWS also appear as targets, usually as part of AEGIS Ashore systems.

M61 Vulcan - 20mm

Opening up with the M61 Vulcan in an F-15C Eagle.

A closeup of the M61 in the F-15E Strike Eagle.

The business end of a Vulcan under the nose of the F-4 Phantom.

A view of the F-104C Starfighter's M61 Vulcan firing port.

About to launch in the "Maverick" F/A-18E included as part of the Top Gun: Maverick officially licensed crossover DLC. The DLC pack includes all of the aircraft flown in the film, including the classic F-14A.

M167A2 VADS (Vulcan Air Defense System) - 20x102mm HEIT-SD

A VADS turret as seen on the valley platforms in the "Fleet Destruction" mission.

Phalanx Block 1B CIWS - 20x102mm

A land-based CIWS at the Anchorhead docks - the AEGIS Ashore tower is visible behind it.

M102 105mm Howitzer

The M102 105mm howitzer seen mounted on the AC-130U in "Cape Rainy Assault."

Modified M102 howitzer taken from an AC-130 Spectre gunship - 105x372R

The M102 as viewed from underneath the gunship.

Another view of the M102 Howitzer.

GAU-12/U

AV-8B Harrier jets used by Erusean forces mount GAU-12/U cannons. The Harrier is not one of the jets usable to the player in-game. An AC-130U Gunship armed with the GAU-12/U is also present in the "Cape Rainy Assault" mission.

General Dynamics GAU-12/U with unfired rounds - 25mm

A closeup of an Erusean AV-8B flying over Roca Roja in "Long Day."

The GAU-12U as seen on the AC-130U egressing from Cape Rainy Air Base.

GAU-22/A

The F-35C mounts the GAU-22/A in an underslung gun pod. The F-15S/MTD included in the "Experimental Aircraft Series" that is part of the Ace Combat 25th Anniversary celebrations also mounts the same GAU-22/A pod in its ventral hardpoint as its canards block the original mounting section for the M61 Vulcan.

GAU-22/A - 25mm

Strafing an enemy C-17 Globemaster III mid-takeoff with the GAU-22/A.

The GAU-22/A in a loadout preview.

The GAU-22/A as seen under the F-15S/MTD - this configuration was previously seen in Assault Horizon and Infinity.

Mauser BK-27

The Mauser BK-27 appears in the game as the secondary armament of the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Saab JAS-39 Gripen-E.

Mauser BK-27 - 27mm

The BK-27 as seen on the Gripen-E.

A Gripen opening fire with its cannon.

DEFA Cannon

The DEFA cannon appears in the game as the secondary armament of the Mirage 2000 fighter.

DEFA cannon 30mm in twin mount

The muzzle end of the DEFA cannons, seen just behind the front landing gear.

Strafing with the Mirage 2000 outside the Stonehenge railgun site.

GIAT 30

The GIAT 30 appears in the game as the secondary weapon of the Rafale M fighter.

GIAT 30 - 30mm

Close up of the GIAT 30 in the hanger.

A Rafale M fires its gun.

As seen from another angle, revealing the rather large "Arsenal Bird" UAV superweapon.

GAU-8/A Avenger

The General Electric GAU-8/A Avenger appears in the game as the secondary armament of the A-10C Thunderbolt II ground-attack jet.

GAU-8/A Avenger - 30mm

Trigger lets loose with the GAU-8. He would later come to regret flying an A-10 on this mission.

A closeup of the GAU-8 from the hanger.

Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23

The Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23 is available on the MiG-21bis Fishbed fighter. Its "MGP" special weapon adds two GSh-23L gunpods to the wing hardpoints. The Ilyushin Il-76s seen in Fleet Destruction also have unused twin GSh-23L rear turrets.

Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23 with ammo belt - 23x115mm

A MiG-21 fires its underbelly-mounted GSh-23 cannons.

Grayzev-Shipunov GSh-23L - 23x115mm

Closeup of the GSh-23L cannons and their signature muzzle brakes.

Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-1

The multitude of Soviet/Russian aircraft in game have usable secondary Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-1 cannons.

Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-1 with ammo belt - 30mm

Opening fire with the GSh-30-1 on a Su-34 Fullback fighter-bomber.

The GSh-30-1 as seen on a Su-35S Flanker-E in the hanger.

Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-6-23

The Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-6-23 appears in the game as the secondary armament of the MiG-31 Foxhound.

Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-6-23 23mm

A very photogenic moment of the MiG-31 firing its GSh-6-23 while flying very fast.

Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-6-30

Erusean Navy vessels (modeled largely off of the Russian Navy) have Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-6-30 rotary cannons mounted in AK-630 type installations. Most of the modeled AK-630s aren't actually used in gameplay.

GSh-6-30 (AO-18) rotary gun in an AK-630 naval installation - 30x165mm

An AK-630 seen on a Admiral Gorshkov-class Frigate.

AK-630 CIWS on the Njörðr Kuznetsov-class Carrier - the port side guns are actually used on this vessel.

Several unused AK-630s on a Slava-class Guided Missile Cruiser.

M230 Chain Gun

The M230 Chain Gun is mounted on AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopters.

Hughes/Alliant Techsystems M230 Chain Gun - 30mm

A replay look at an Apache's nose cannon as Trigger does his level best to collide his MiG-29 into the Erusean helicopter.

Another view of the AH-46D from the front with cinematic tools used on the PC version of the game. Note the wingtip FIM-92 Stinger missiles.

Nudelman-Rikhter NR-23

The Nudelman-Rikhter NR-23 appears in the game as defensive armament on the tail-end of Erusean Tupelov Tu-95 Bear bomber planes.

Nudelman-Rikhter NR-23 23mm

Trigger haplessly attempts to ward off a Tu-95 without being to use any of his own armaments.

Shipunov 2A42

Erusean "APC" ground targets are BTR-90s armed with Shipunov 2A42 autocannons.

Shipunov 2A42 30mm automatic cannon - 30x165mm

This is about as close as one can get to a BTR-90 on the ground.

ZU-23

ZU-23 AA guns are occasionally used in the game, and most of the "AA Gun" targets are mobile ZSU-23-4 Shilkas.

ZU-23-2 - 23x152mm

ZSU-23-4 Shilka - 23x152mm

Numerous Shilkas active in downtown Anchorhead during the "Anchorhead Raid" DLC mission.

Other

Trigger's Emblem (Colt SAA)

The emblem of the playable in-game protagonist Trigger is an orange-haired wolf brandishing what appears to be a Colt Single Action Army-type revolver in its jaws.

Single Action Army with 5.5" "Artillery" barrel with wooden grips - .45 Long Colt

Trigger's personal emblem as seen in the emblem customization screen - it is also visible on all aircraft in skin slots 04 - 06.

The Year 2 Anniversary logo has a bit more detail, including the ejector rod.