How to Shoot Down Reinforcement Helicopters in MW3 Zombies

Get to the chopper!

Reinforcement Helicopter in MW3 Zombies
Screenshot by Prima Games.

When you reach Act 2 in MW3 Zombies, you’ll need to look for mercenary enemies and reinforcement helicopters to shoot down. With the right contract and weapon, it’s super easy to get them out of the sky, so read on to find out how.

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How to Shoot Down a Reinforcement Helicopter in MW3 Zombies

You can shoot down reinforcement helicopters by picking up an Aether Extractor contract and waiting for the mercenary backup to approach the sky. You want to make sure that you have a weapon with plenty of ammo and significant damage before starting this though. The last time I shot one of these reinforcement choppers down, I used a Pack-A-Punched Holger 26 with a blue Aether Tool applied.

When you pick up one of the Aether Extractor contracts, you have a limited amount of time to shut down three different sites. They are all within the same vicinity and you can take advantage of the “rounds” between each destroyed site. One reinforcement helicopter will arrive as soon as you approach, and there will usually be one more for each objective completed.

I highly recommend going into this with a light machine gun. If you pick up a contract in the low-threat zone and have at least one Pack-A-Punch level, the Reinforcement Helicopter can be shot down in around 10 seconds. Just make sure you have an extended mag attachment so reloads aren’t a problem. But if you want to skip the LMG, rocket launchers and assault rifles are also decent picks.

MW3 Zombies: Saboteur Mission Objectives

The mission that calls for taking down a reinforcement helicopter is called Saboteur. There are four different objectives for the mission that takes place in Act 1, but the only vague task is based on the chopper. Everything else is easy to complete.

Here are all the objectives you’ll need to complete to finish Saboteur:

  • Complete an Aether Extractor Contract.
  • Kill 15 Mercenaries guarding the Extractors.
  • Shoot down a reinforcement helicopter.
  • Exfil with the Uncommon Aether Tool Plans.

Aether Extractor Contracts are marked with a blue rocket symbol on the map. Pick it up and kill any 15 Mercenaries in the contract’s area. The Uncommon Aether Tool Plans you’ll need to exfil with will drop after completing the contract.

And as for the chopper, remember, when shooting down a reinforcement helicopter, you’ll want to make sure you use the Pack-A-Punch before attempting to take down the helicopter on your own.

About the Author

Daniel Wenerowicz

Dan has been writing gaming guides, news, and features for three years after graduating with a BA in writing . You can find him covering Call of Duty for eternity, action-adventure games, and nearly any other major release.