On Parade is the third of the Project Overthrow missions featured in Grand Theft Auto Online as part of the San Andreas Mercenaries update.
Description[]
The player appears at Fort Zancudo as Charlie briefs them on their assignment. A client has commissioned them to perform a third-party test on the F-160 Raiju fighter jet before signing a procurement contract.
Today we're testing out some next level wings, baby. Get 'em fired up!
Allow me to introduce the Raiju. Now, this shit right here is a state-of-the-art fighter jet.
Our client wants a third-party test flight before they sign on the dotted line, and guess what... they came to us. You're the first pilot cleared to fly this thing in US airspace.
Perks of the job, right?”
After taking off and disabling the VTOL system of the aircraft, the first test of the list consists of enabling the aircraft's stealth mode before crossing Raton Canyon, where Merryweather has set up batteries of air defenses. Failing to activate the stealth mode when flying through the air defenses will lead to them firing at the Raiju, likely destroying it instantly.
Once this test has been successfully passed, the player is directed towards Sandy Shores to start the next test; the client has sent a checklist of flight maneuver (rolls, knife flight, loops and inverted flight) the player must perform with a point system. Each maneuver performed grants a certain number of points on a total of 15. The test concludes once the player earns 15 points.
The next and last test consists of an AR shooting training; several virtual targets will appear above Sandy Shores, each worth a certain number of points depending on their color. The player has three minutes to destroy as many targets as they can. During this test, Charlie comments on how the client usually approaches Merryweather for such tests, but has since lost trust in them due to their recent debacle at the Davis Quartz quarry during Reporting for Duty.
After this test concludes, the player is tasked with returning the F-160 Raiju to the Fort Zancudo Hangar. However, Merryweather agents suddenly appear on the radar in Buzzards Attack Choppers, determined to ruin the contract that was poached from them. The player is then tasked with eliminating them. As the player fends off more of their agents, additional reinforcements will arrive in Buzzard Attack Choppers followed by P-996 LAZERs before culminating in one or two Avengers depending on the mission's selected difficulty.
Once the player has defeated all Merryweather aircraft, Charlie instructs them to return the F-160 Raiju to Fort Zancudo while he thinks of a way to make the client believe this incident was intended all along, concluding the mission.
A deal like that takes us to the next level, officially.
We're a serious option for the same contracts Merryweather goes after.
Bit of unfriendly competition never hurt anyone. You know, I think it's time for us to go on the offensive... start following up on some leads from that job at the quarry. RTB when you're ready.”
Mission Objectives[]
- Use stealth to fly through the air defenses.
- Fly to Sandy Shores Airfield.
- Test out the jet by performing flight manoeuvers.
- Return to Sandy Shores.
- Destroy AR targets.
- Return the F-160 Raiju to the Fort Zancudo hangar.
- Take out the Merryweather agents.
- Return the F-160 Raiju to the Fort Zancudo hangar.
Oversights[]
- If the player crashes and/or dies, they will respawn in a metallic black Raiju.
- The Avengers chasing the player during the last part of the mission seem to have a missing/faulty altitude check, as they will simply attempt to follow the player's current altitude without any regards to obstacles. This can be observed, for instance, by flying across Vinewood Hills, the Avengers will most likely crash into the hills as they attempt to catch up to the player.
- Occasionally, one of the Merryweather P-996 LAZERs will ignore combat and continue in a straight line until they reach the map's boundary, where they will turn around and continue flying in a straight line until they eventually reach the opposite boundary.
- Due to how the enemy AI are programmed with weaponized vehicles, the pursuing P-996 LAZERs pilots may fire their cannons at different angles relative to where the player is to their plane.
