They're improving...

Red Opponents weren't scary enough, now their bosses are getting involved.

Red Opponents C and D

definitely get the point of the SCOURGE jets across. But despite this, the Big Cheese decided that the ROCs and RODs weren't satisfactory, even though they've still be felling many aircraft from the Unified Anti-Scourge Alliance (UASA). That said, he sent out the Eliminators.

They aren't as numerous as the Red Opponents, but they don't need to be, boasting even greater performance, but more importantly, much more dangerous weapons. Between four autocannons and some missiles stolen from Calliopes, REAs are truly built to eliminate any target they come across. And they aren't to be laughed at either. Two A-351Ds have had close brushes with death thanks to the Red Eliminators, with one losing its primary engines (the small ones in the fuselage), and another coming home with only one cannon. The other lost cannon was thankfully destroyed by a BA-27 to stop any chance of the SCOURGE from accessing the A-351's superlaser.

So, how does one beat a Red Eliminator? Simply put, just imagine you're fighting a Red Opponent C, then lock in even more. REAs are dangerous, especially in comparison to the "lower ranked" Red Opponents. But at the end of the day, they follow the same concept of quantity over quality, and a skilled pilot can ultimately overcome Eliminators so long that they don't get overwhelmed, or even have a good team behind them. Play your cards right, and you can beat the Scourge's most dangerous jets... for now.

Also, noteworthy warning: Red Eliminators tend to be most common in either poor weather like fog or desert terrain like Maywar. If you're unfortunate enough to get both, you're almost guaranteed to run into one if not more.