The first mission provides a good example of the optional paths you can take to your final objectives. After the opening cinematic, you find yourself in the belly of a dropship speeding toward an island radar installation. Orders are bellowed into your ear; you must take control of the side-turret "ubergun" in front of you and disable the enemy's radar before you're detected. The dropship makes only one pass, giving you hardly enough time to complete your objective, but if you manage it, then Breed reinforcements won't be alerted, and there will be fewer enemies along your path. Your landing is greeted by attacks from small squads of Breed robots, which aren't too dangerous at medium distance with squad backup. However, hovertanks and artillery turrets that are easily seen on towers planted atop the island's hills represent a much more serious threat. These can fire tremendous distances, but then again, so can the sniper. You can take any overland path toward the captured USC radar base, which is your final destination, but some exploration will reveal the ideal route, a tunnel that starts not too far from the landing zone.