Military

Overview

The Military, also called the U.S. Army, represents the United States Armed Forces in Grand Theft Auto V and GTA Online. In GTA V it appears as a law enforcement agency for national security. The game separates its branches more than earlier titles: soldiers wear "ARMY" patches but resemble Marines in style, alongside the Air Force, the Navy and the Coast Guard. Standard vehicles carry "Los Santos National Forces" markings.

History

GTA IV and its episodes had no military, and N.O.O.S.E. and the FIB filled the elite role. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars brought soldiers back at the six-star wanted level, mostly in Rhinos. In GTA V the military is no longer part of the wanted level system. Instead it is permanently based at Fort Zancudo and only engages players who come near or enter the base.

Several story missions bring the protagonists into direct conflict with it, including Monkey Business, The Paleto Score and the Cargobob and military hardware heist setups. In GTA Online the military acts as an antagonist in many missions. The Navy, for example, guards the USS Luxington aircraft carrier in Humane Raid - EMP, where players steal a Hydra and are then attacked by an Air Force squadron.

Territory and activities

Fort Zancudo in Blaine County is the military's home. Its airfield, hangars and checkpoints are patrolled by soldiers carrying Carbine and Advanced Rifles, SMGs, Pump Shotguns, Grenade Launchers, RPGs and Miniguns. On foot, soldiers may commandeer nearby vehicles. Coast Guard units patrol the shoreline near Los Santos International Airport and Cape Catfish.

Its fleet covers nearly every armored and aerial platform in the game, including the Rhino Tank, APC, Barracks, Crusader, Buzzard Attack Chopper, Annihilator, Valkyrie, Savage, Cargobob, Titan, P-996 LAZER and Hydra. Later GTA Online updates added the Avenger, Bombushka, Volatol and Khanjali.

Trivia

• Trevor Philips mocks the soldiers as "glorified Boy Scouts".
• A missile seen in a The Doomsday Heist cutscene is labeled "Los Santos Air Force".