Mission «Naval Strike»

What this mission is

It is an order for your planes. You tell them: “Fly into this sea region and attack any enemy ships you find there.” The game says it plainly: “Attack enemy ships in area.” That is the whole idea.

Do not mix it up with the neighbouring buttons. «Port Strike» hits ships sitting in port. «Naval Patrol» searches for ships and helps your fleet, but the planes do not fight. This mission is only for enemy ships already at sea. It does not give you Air Superiority.

Why you need this mission

The job is to clear coastal waters of the enemy fleet. The usual case: enemy Submarines are sinking the Convoys that bring you supplies. You put Naval Bombers on this mission — and those Submarines start going down much faster. That is how experienced players handle it. They do not wait until the Submarines cut every supply line. They kill them on the way in.

This is a working tool, not a pretty button. Inland, with no sea, you do not need it. Next to the sea, with enemy ships in the region, it is one of the best ways to protect your Convoys. So what does the mission actually do?

How to turn the mission on

Open the air map — the plane icon in the bottom-right corner, or the F3 key. Pick the Air Wing (the stack of planes) you want to send. In the top-left, choose the «Naval Strike» order. Then right-click the sea region you want to attack.

After that, the bombers start flying out and attacking any enemy ships they can find. Experienced players always check Coverage in the region — if the planes cannot even reach the middle of it, the mission gets a lot worse.

How damage to ships is dealt

Damage depends on the plane’s stats: «Naval Bombing» and «Naval Targeting». Put simply: the higher those numbers, the more damage. For the mission, the game wants about 20 planes per enemy ship. If there are no ships in the region, the button is on — and there is nothing to sink.

For a sense of scale: a Naval Bomber is about 50% more effective on this mission than a regular Close Air Support plane.

Carrier Naval Bombers, the ones that take off from an Aircraft Carrier, deal damage in naval combat with a ×12 multiplier. That is a different league.

When to turn this mission on

Turn it on when the enemy fleet is inside your planes’ range. That can mean a visible enemy fleet in a sea region, Submarines sinking Convoys off the coast, or enemy ships sitting in sight of your air base. If the fleet is far beyond range, the button does nothing.

Experienced players never flip this mission “just in case.” They check three things first: are there targets, is the range enough, and what does Air Superiority look like in the region. If the sky is red, your bombers will not reach the ships — enemy Fighters shoot them down. So give your Fighters the «Air Superiority» mission first, and only then this one.

Which planes get this mission

Only countries that actually have Naval Bombers. Without them the mission is almost worthless: Close Air Support is about 50% less effective, a Tactical Bomber about 50–60% less. A Strategic Bomber and a Fighter do not even have this button. That is why experienced players build separate Naval Bomber wings if they plan to fight near the sea.

Give the order to a Naval Bomber, or to a Carrier Naval Bomber based on an Aircraft Carrier. Close Air Support on the front is far more useful on «Close Air Support» — do not steal it from the infantry.

Which sea region to assign

The one where the enemy fleet actually is — surface ships or Submarines. And only somewhere your planes can reach properly. At 100% Coverage they work at full power. At 50% Coverage, efficiency is cut in half. Experienced players leave empty ocean alone. That is just wasted Fuel.

• Details worth knowing

  • Fuel use.

    Different missions burn Fuel at different rates. This one costs 1.0 — the same as «Air Superiority». For comparison, «Port Strike» costs 1.2, and «Interception» only 0.2. Fighters on Interception are five times cheaper on Fuel.

  • Coverage in the region.

    If the air base is far from the region, Coverage drops. Less Coverage means fewer strikes. The button is on, and the ships stay afloat. Experienced players always look at the Coverage percentage in the interface, not just at a wing “hanging” on the region. Without decent Coverage, even a thousand bombers will not get it done.

  • Air Superiority.

    If the enemy holds Air Superiority in the region, your bombers will not do anything. Enemy Fighters just shoot them down. Always turn on «Air Superiority» for your Fighters in that region first, and only then this mission.

• Typical beginner mistakes

  • Sinking a weak country’s fleet.

    If you are about to occupy a country and take its fleet as a prize, do not spend bombers destroying it. It is much better to take the ships intact.

  • Turning the mission on where there is no fleet.

    That is just wasted Fuel and industry. With no targets in the region, the planes cannot do anything.

• Tips from strong players

  • Concentrate, don’t sprinkle.

    Put the air force in one region where the fleet actually is. Ten regions with a little bit each is a weak hit everywhere. One region with a heavy wing sinks ships much faster.

  • Research Doctrines.

    Air Doctrines and subdoctrines make this mission a lot stronger. If you skip them, you leave tens of percent of efficiency on the table.

  • Work with the fleet.

    Combine planes with ships: the aircraft find and attack, the ships finish the job. That is how experienced players do it — air and navy together, not as two separate games.