Rocket Launcher

The Rocket Launcher (often abbreviated as RCL) is an unguided special weapon featured in nearly all games since Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies. The weapon often takes the shape of two launch pods, one located in the player aircraft's wings.

Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies
The Rocket Launcher is an air-to-ground SP weapon, available for the F-5E Tiger II, MiG-29A Fulcrum and F-2A Viper Zero.

Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War
The RCL in Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War is a secondary weapon compatible with the MiG-21bis Fishbed (16 tubes launchers UB-16-57 for 57mm rockets S-5 (C-5) x08) and the JAS-39C Gripen (6 tubes launchers for 135mm rockets Bofors M70 x12).

Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War
In Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War, the Rocket Launcher is a basic air-to-ground special weapon. For this particular incarnation, aircraft compatibility has expanded to the F-1 and the A-10A Thunderbolt II.

List of planes use RCL:
 * J35J Draken
 * F-1 Kaizen
 * MiG-21bis Fishbed
 * MiG-29A Fulcrum
 * A-10A Thunderbolt II
 * JAS-39C Gripen

Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception
"This weapon launches multiple unguided rocket-propelled missiles that explode on contact, damaging nearby targets."

- In-game description

The Rocket Launcher in Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception is an unguided, air-to-ground secondary weapon. It is the initial SP weapon available for the Gripen C (JAS-39C), the F-16C Fighting Falcon and the F-1. It can be bought for the MiG-29A Fulcrum and the F-5E Tiger II, respectively priced at 2,700$ and 4,500$. In terms of performance, the RCL is quite ineffective in most situations as a result of its firing spread.

Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation
The RCL is compatible with the F-16C Fighting Falcon, the A-10A Thunderbolt II, the Su-33 Flanker-D, and the Typhoon. The weapon's firing speed varies between aircraft: the Flanker-D's and Typhoon's pods fire a three-second barrage, whereas the A-10A fires five-second barrages. The RCL underwent a very radical change compared to its previous incarnation as it was made much more accurate and travels faster than the ones in previous games, therefore increasing its usefulness.

Notably, a unique version of the Rocket Launcher can be seen in mission #12, "Weapons of Mass Destruction", in which F-2A ace Flyuger attacks the player with constant, rocket-like barrages. However, despite their numbers, they can be easily evaded by remaining evasive through the mission.

Ace Combat: Joint Assault
In Ace Combat: Joint Assault, the Rocket Launcher retains the same number of compatible aircraft as its prequel, with the addition of the XR-45 Cariburn, the A6M5 Type Zero Carrier Fighter, the F6F-5 Hellcat and the MiG-21-93, which replaces the MiG-21bis in this game.

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon
In Ace Combat: Assault Horizon, the Rocket Launcher undergoes another redesign; as well, it is renamed "RKTL". It is compatible with all attack helicopters, the JAS-39C, A-10A and F-2A Viper Zero and the ASF-X Shinden II. The Mi-24 Hind and AH-64D Apache Longbow can fire 40 salvos, while the F-2A can fire 30, the A-10A 54 (the highest ammo count for the weapon) and the Shinden II can fire 36.

When fired, the Rocket Launcher fires a three-second rocket barrage, which allows it to hit and/or destroy several ground enemies at once. It is the helicopter equivalent to the standard missiles used by aircraft. Despite being designed with air-to-ground purposes in mind, the Rocket Launcher can be used as an impromptu air combat weapon, a fact that is particularly noticeable in helicopter combat. In single player, a full RKTL barrage will deal considerable damage to a Mi-24, often enough to allow a short M230 barrage to finish off the target.

Trivia

 * The Rocket Launcher is the weapon to experience the most functionality changes in the series, ranging between a slow-firing weapon with wide spread and a fast-firing, highly accurate SP weapon.