Fort Zancudo is a U.S. military installation operated by the Army, the Marine Corps, and the Air Force featured in Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online. Going to Fort Zancudo will instantly give the player a five-stars wanted level.
Description[edit]
Fort Zancudo is the only military base in Grand Theft Auto V and in the HD Universe so far. It also includes a fire station inside the base.
Fort Zancudo is located on the outskirts of the Lago Zancudo swamps and at the base of Mount Josiah in Blaine County, San Andreas.
It is bordered by the Zancudo River towards the south as well as Route 1 on the west with the Los Santos Highway passing underneath the base’s runway via a tunnel. There is also a memorial that can be found by the Fort Zancudo Approach Road.
The base mainly serves as a base of operations, airbase and munitions depot for the United States Air Force. The United States Marine Corps are also stationed at the base, as suggested by the base's inhabitants yelling "Semper Fi motherfucker!" and "I'm a fucking Marine!" during combat, as well as "Here's a hello from the United States Marine Corps" during idle conversation.
According to the patches worn by many units, there are also Army personnel stationed here which means Fort Zancudo serves multiple branches of the American forces. It's possible that the Army elements in the base were attached to the 135th Airborne Division, as Brincat was part of this unit. Both the Marines and Soldiers wear uniforms resembling that of the Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform by cut and the Army Combat Uniform by appearance, the standard uniforms of the United States Marine Corps and the United States Army. However, the Marines' wear a tan vest resembling the Modular Tactical Vest just like their real-life counterparts.
Naturally Fort Zancudo is heavily guarded whose perimeter is lined with high, anti-scale fencing stretched along the perimeter of the base and the only two entry points are guarded checkpoints, where they inspect incoming personnel that arrive.
The grounds are often patrolled by Rhino tanks, Barracks trucks or Crusaders. The local airspace is also controlled by P-996 LAZER fighter jets which have clearance to shoot down any aircraft not authorised to pass through. Often airborne Cargobobs can be seen flying over the base.
Fort Zancudo features one main airstrip, secondary airstrip, three large hangars, several smaller hangars, a munitions depot, rows of blockhouses for the base's inhabitants, a fire and rescue station, Refinery, Air Traffic Control tower, main office, and depots for the many vehicles on-site. Outside of the fence are several water storage tanks and machinery, possibly to provide the inhabitants of the fort with their own sanitised water, in the event of an emergency.
Fort Zancudo's fleet composed mainly of standard issue military vehicles including the Rhino, Cargobob, Buzzard, P-996 LAZER, and the Titan. However, on the Warstock Cache & Carry website, there are pictures of a Patriot-based ATV and a Hunter in one of the two Fort Zancudo runways.
The soldiers stationed at Fort Zancudo are rarely seen outside of the base. However, on some occasions, a large convoy consisting of Barracks and Canis Crusaders can be seen driving along Route 1 in the west or Route 68 in the south, likely delivering supplies.
Restriction[edit]
Like Area 69 in GTA: San Andreas, Fort Zancudo is a restricted area. Fort Zancudo Air Traffic Control will issue warnings to the player via radio. If the player flies over and departs the area or fires a weapon near the area but does not hit anyone, a 2-stars wanted level will be attained.
Should the player choose to continue flying over the base after the warnings, a 5-stars wanted level will be attained, accompanied by P-996 LAZERs firing heat-seeking missiles and cannon. They will still warn the player if they are flying a P-996 LAZER over the base. If the player is flying low enough over the base, there will be no warning, but a wanted level will be gained if the player is spotted by someone on the ground. Alternatively, flying at high altitude may not cause the player to be warned, resulting in no wanted level.
If the player gets too close to one of the two checkpoint entrances to Fort Zancudo, the soldier on-station will warn them, if one still hangs around if they ignore the second warning then the guard will open fire and a wanted level will be issued. However, the wanted level in that case is 2 stars only instead of the usual 5 stars.
If the player enters the base by ground undetected, a 5-stars wanted level will be obtained shortly after being spotted by personnel. This will sound the alarm and mobilize anyone on site, whether in a vehicle or not. Going to Fort Zancudo is the quickest and easiest way of acquiring a 5-stars wanted level in GTA V, as going to the military base will immediately give the player a 5-stars wanted level. Even if the player acquires a military vehicle (e.g., a Rhino) and try to enter the base, they will treat it as stolen property and will open fire and give the player a 5-stars wanted level still.
In addition, firing a rocket from a Buzzard or P-996 Lazer at Fort Zancudo will instantly give a wanted level, even when the player wasn't spotted by personnel yet.
Ground Access[edit]
If the player is on the ground, they can either drive straight through the checkpoint or go over the perimeter fence using one of the natural jumps.
In GTA Online, before the Smuggler's Run update, checkpoint gates never opened and the only way to get in by ground was to jump the fence. Now the player will still get a five-stars wanted level even if they enter through a checkpoint, unless they also own a Fort Zancudo hangar.
The Mount Josiah path can be noticed by its dirt road which is less steep than the rest of the mountain. The player will usually land near the bleachers of the training grounds, although there is a chance of either landing in the large trench or on the road if the player is not fast enough. Following the release of the Import/Export update, this has been made significantly easier, as should the player own a Ruiner 2000 or Rocket Voltic, they can use the parachutes or rocket boost to ensure they make it over the fence and into the base.
Once inside Fort Zancudo, the player must act quickly and head for the runway area. If they are too slow or too reckless, they may be caught out by a patrolling Rhino Tank. Unlike previous games, the ones manned by NPCs will use their cannons on unsuspecting players. During freemode, the Rhinos are far more accurate than in missions so care must be taken around them.
