Fort Zancudo | GTA Wiki - Fandom

Type

MILITARY BASE

Fort Zancudo

Appears in

Grand Theft Auto VGrand Theft Auto Online

Location(s)

Blaine County, San Andreas

Police Scanner

Occupancy

Occupants

• Brincat
• Unnamed Colonel
• Clark
• Nolan
• Lloyd
• Starkie
• Solarin
• GTA Online Protagonist (determinant)
• Charlie Reed (determinant)

Airport Specifications

Runways

2 (smaller runway located at the ocean end of the main runway, being designed for smaller jets)

Map

• Fort Zancudo
• Blaine County

Location on the map (in-game GPS).

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.

Contents

• 1 Description
  • 1.1 Location
  • 1.2 Usage
  • 1.3 Protection
• 2 Events of Grand Theft Auto Online in 2013
• 3 Events of Grand Theft Auto V
• 4 Events of Grand Theft Auto Online after Grand Theft Auto V
• 5 Restriction
  • 5.1 Ground Access
• 6 Quotes
• 7 Coat of Arms
• 8 Influence
• 9 Known Personnel
• 10 Vehicles
• 11 Prominent Appearances in Gameplay
  • 11.1 Grand Theft Auto V
  • 11.2 Grand Theft Auto Online
    • 11.2.1 The San Andreas Flight School Update
    • 11.2.2 Import/Export
    • 11.2.3 Gunrunning
    • 11.2.4 Smuggler's Run
    • 11.2.5 Los Santos Summer Special
    • 11.2.6 The Cayo Perico Heist
    • 11.2.7 Los Santos Tuners
    • 11.2.8 Bottom Dollar Bounties
    • 11.2.9 Agents of Sabotage
• 12 Gallery
• 13 Trivia
  • 13.1 General
  • 13.2 Grand Theft Auto V and Online
• 14 References
• 15 Navigation

Description[]

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.

Location[]

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 Great Ocean Highway passing underneath the runway of the base via a tunnel. There is also a memorial that can be found by the Fort Zancudo Approach Road.

Usage[]

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.

Protection[]

Naturally, Fort Zancudo is heavily guarded, as its 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 Cargobobs can be seen flying over the base.

Fort Zancudo features one main airstrip, a secondary airstrip, three large hangars, several smaller hangars, a munitions depot, rows of blockhouses for the base's inhabitants, a fire and rescue station, a refinery, Air Traffic Control tower, a 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 is 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.

Events of Grand Theft Auto Online in 2013[]

In 2013, the GTA Online Protagonist steals Cargobobs from Fort Zancudo a total of four times. In one instance, the player is doing jobs for Trevor Philips and his company, Trevor Philips Enterprises. Trevor's friend Ron Jakowski instructs the player to steal a Cargobob from Fort Zancudo to use in the company fleet. The player flies to the base with a Velum. They then parachute in, destroy three LAZERs to prevent them from following, and steal the Cargobob.

In the second instance, Lester Crest informs the player about a shipping container at the Los Santos International Airport full of weapons being sent to Africa. The player steals a Cargobob from Fort Zancudo to lift up the container. The third and fourth instances are nearly identical to the second. The player steals a Cargobob from Fort Zancudo to grab containers full of weapons belonging to Merryweather Security.

Events of Grand Theft Auto V[]

In 2013, two soldiers are outside the base's southern approach presumably replacing a deflated tire of their Crusader. They are confronted by Trevor Philips and begin mocking him for being a Canadian. Trevor then grabs a Grenade Launcher from a nearby Barracks and the two soldiers run as backup arrives to attack Trevor. During the rampage, two Rhinos are dispatched in a bid to kill Trevor, only leading to their destruction.

Eventually, as Trevor plans to steal an experimental superweapon from Merryweather Security, he choses from two options on how to steal it. If he picks the offshore approach, he enters Fort Zancudo to steal a Cargobob for the heist.

Afterwards, as Trevor trails a Merryweather Security Cargo Plane in a Duster, he is instructed by Ron Jakowski to avoid Fort Zancudo as he flies by it. After he hijacks the plane, as Trevor plans to land it at McKenzie Field, two LAZERs begin following him and order the cargo plane to be landed at Fort Zancudo. Trevor ignores the pilots, who proceed to shoot the plane down, causing Trevor to bail with a parachute and the plane to crash land in the Alamo Sea. Some time after, soldiers, Cargobobs, and tanks are sent from Fort Zancudo to stop a group consisting of Trevor, Michael De Santa, Franklin Clinton and another gunman, from robbing the Blaine County Savings Bank. As the group escapes in the scoop of a Dozer, the military attempt to kill the robbers, but are unsuccessful.

Events of Grand Theft Auto Online after Grand Theft Auto V[]

In 2017, three hangars are put up for sale. If the player chooses to buy one, they are able to freely access the base. When they enter the hangar for the first time, they meet with Ron Jakowski who helps them set up an airfreighting business.

Restriction[]

Unauthorized entry over Fort Zancudo airspace is strictly forbidden. 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 at the area, but does not hit anyone, a two-star wanted level will be attained.

Should the player choose to continue flying over the base after the warnings, a four-star wanted level will be attained, accompanied by P-996 LAZERs firing heat-seeking missiles and cannons. 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 a 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.

If the player enters the base by ground undetected, a four-star 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. Even if the player acquires a military vehicle (e.g., a Rhino) and tries to enter the base, they will treat it as stolen property and will open fire still.

Ground Access[]

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 four-star wanted level even if they enter through a checkpoint, unless they also own a Fort Zancudo hangar.

Jump locations.1. Drive down the dirt path beside north side of the road tunnel west of the base and use the hill side as a ramp to get over the fence, and then drive to a trench entrance.2. Drive down a ridge on the south face of Mount Josiah.3. Drive from the northeast of the southeastern entrance over the fence just to the northwest of the entrance.4. Directly opposite number 3 coming from southwest from the Zancudo River.

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 main guns on unsuspecting players. During Free Mode, the Rhinos are far more accurate than in missions, so care must be taken around them.

Quotes[]

The following are heard from either ATC, the loudspeaker, or stationed guards:

• When flying over the base without having purchased a hanger, ATC issues one of the following:
  • "This is restricted airspace. Divert your course or you will be shot down!"
  • "You have entered Fort Zancudo Airspace. Divert immediately!"
  • "This is U.S. Army airspace. Divert or we will take you down." (subtitles say "This is U.S. Army airspace. Divert or face the consequences." in the PS3 version)
  • "This is a no fly zone. Divert your course."
  • "You are in the Fort Zancudo no fly zone! Divert, or you will be shot down!"
  • "You are flying in restricted airspace. Turn around immediately!"
  • "Attention aircraft, this airspace is prohibited. Reverse course now."

• When approaching one of the checkpoints without having purchased a hangar, the guard on station will yell the following:
  • "Sir, leave the area now! This is for authorized personnel only!"
  • "I'm not going to say this again. Leave now!" (if the player doesn't move away)

• When inside the base without having purchased a hangar, the following can be heard over the loudspeaker:
  • "Attention! We have an intruder on the base!"
  • "Security has been compromised. Eliminate the target immediately!"
  • "We are under attack! I repeat: we are under attack!"
  • "All units, mobilize immediately!"
  • "Any units still not mobilized, engage immediately!"
  • "This is a code red! I repeat: this is a code red!"
  • "All units authorized to use lethal force."
  • "All units, we have a confirmed security breach."

• When flying over the base having purchased a hangar, ATC issues one of the following:
  • "Welcome to Fort Zancudo Airspace. You've got a low level access pass. Land and proceed directly to your hangar." (when flying over the base for the first time)
  • "Your clearance has been approved, make your way to the hangar."
  • "You coming into the hangar? Your access is approved."
  • "Airspace entry granted. Make your way to the hangar."
  • "Airspace access approved. Proceed to hangar."

• When approaching one of the checkpoints having purchased a hangar, a radio issues one of the following:
  • "Here's the new owner of the hangar on base. Grant them access to come on through." (when approaching for the first time)
  • "They own one of the hangars, let them through."
  • "They have access to the base, let them through."
  • "This is a civilian hangar owner. Give them access to the base."
  • "This lad has civilian access. Welcome them on base."

• While not in the base with a wanted level, the following can be heard over the loudspeaker:
  • "Ten-hut! You will refer to me as sir!"
  • "Are you laying on break? I'm going to fight a war with you pussies."
  • "I don't want any funny business in the showers, got it?"
  • "Keep it moving, ladies!"
  • "I won't ask, you won't tell. Got it?"
  • "Come on! Double time! Let's go!"
  • "Atten-shun!"
  • "Give me twenty pushups for being an asshole!"
  • "You're in the military now, boys! You hear me?"
  • "You will most likely die for your country with honor!"
  • "Forward face!"
  • "Private, you know how to tie your shoes?"
  • "You belong to Uncle Sam!"
  • "Come on, fatso! Keep it moving!"
  • "Right face!"
  • "Open right!"
  • "One, two, three, four!"
  • "I don't care who you knocked up at home. You're Uncle Sam's bitch, now."

Coat of Arms[]

Fort Zancudo Coat of Arms.Fort Zancudo Air Force Coat of Arms.

The Fort Zancudo base appears to have a pair of coat of arms. Both can be seen at either entrance on the welcome signs, on access key cards and on the Savage. The light blue shield can be seen on several liveries for military aircraft, such as on the Cargobob, which features a monochrome version of the emblem. In Grand Theft Auto Online, this same emblem can also be seen on the Zancudo Camo livery for the Weaponized Conada, and on a livery for the Duster 300-H. In U.S. Military heraldry, a stylized globe like this is usually used by air force units, suggesting it is the emblem of the Fort Zancudo air force unit.

Both designs of the coat of arms, especially the design of the shield shape and motto banner, are identical to several real-life U.S. Army coat of arms, emblems and badges for units and groups. The emblems are present on the welcome signs for some of the bunkers, which is likely an oversight, since these signs are edited Fort Zancudo signs with the original text changed.

In a heraldic blazon, their designs would be described as:

• Shield: Azure, a mullet argent fimbriated, environed by an olive wreath vert.
  • Motto: Enduro Fortes (I Endure Strongly)
• Shield: Bleu celeste, a globe of meridians and parallels sable, surmounted by a lightning bolt or.
  • Motto: Voxusm Delicat (The Voice Delights)

Influence[]

Fort Zancudo closely resembles the real-life Vandenberg Space Force Base in Lompoc, California. Lago Zancudo's marshy environment suggests that Fort Zancudo is also based on that of real-life Naval Base Ventura County, Mugu Lagoon.

Known Personnel[]

• Brincat
• Colonel
• Clark
• Nolan
• Lloyd
• Starkie
• Solarin
• Charlie Reed (Formerly)

Vehicles[]

• Barracks – Found parked in several parking lots and also chasing the player once inside the base.
• Barracks Semi – Found at the same locations as the Barracks.
• Besra – Found in several hangars and areas of Fort Zancudo (PS4/Xbox One/PC only).
• Buzzard – Found parked in several areas north to the runway.
• Cargobob – It is found flying around, and also sometimes on the helipads east to the runway, ready to take off.
• Crusader – Found at the same locations as the Barracks.
• Fire Truck – Found at the fire station.
• P-996 LAZER – Found flying around, and in several hangars and areas of Fort Zancudo.
• Rhino – It will be sent after the player upon entering the base. It may also be found patrolling the main area.
• Titan – Found parked north to the runway, in front of the hangars. Sometimes, one will be on the runway and will take off, mostly at evening or midnight.

Prominent Appearances in Gameplay[]

Grand Theft Auto V[]

• Cargobob

Grand Theft Auto Online[]

• Base Invaders
• American Exports
• Extradition
• Docks to Stock
• Docks to Stock II
• Top Fun
• Zancudo Survival
• Project 4808G: Zancudo

The San Andreas Flight School Update[]

• Flight School – Fort Zancudo features in the Engine Failure mission, in which the player must land a Miljet with a dual engine failure at the base without crashing.
• Stunt - Double Loop
• Stunt - Plummet

Import/Export[]

• Arms Embargo
• Hostile Takeover – This location can be chosen as the starting location.

Gunrunning[]

• Resupply Steal Missions – It may be selected at random for the location of supplies, including:
  • Rhino Tank – Located in the eastern-most open hangar.
  • Ballistic Equipment – Two-player mission only. It appears in the hangar immediately on the left when entering from the northern entrance. It requires a second player to acquire a Flatbed truck from the parking lot of the base.

Smuggler's Run[]

• Air Freight Cargo – If the player owns a Hangar in Fort Zancudo.

Los Santos Summer Special[]

• Business Battles - UFO Battle – Only available during Halloween Week 2020.

The Cayo Perico Heist[]

• Heist Prep: Alkonost

Los Santos Tuners[]

• Planning Work: Tracking Device

Bottom Dollar Bounties[]

• Assault on ATT-16

Agents of Sabotage[]

• The Brute Force File

Gallery[]

The welcome sign.Secure Access key card texture for the base.Overview of Fort Zancudo.Overview of Fort Zancudo.A water tower on the base.The entrance to the tower.The main lobby of the tower.Lecture room in the tower.Interior of the control tower at sunrise.Server room in the tower.One of the physical appearances of Nolan.Fort Zancudo training ground.Fort Zancudo.Panorama of Fort Zancudo.Fort Zancudo at night.

Trivia[]

General[]

• Zancudo is Latin-American Spanish for a malarial mosquito, so the name of the base would literally translate as "Fort Mosquito".
• The design of the roundels (blue circles with stars inside) painted on the hangars are similar to those of the defunct United States Army Air Forces. This variation of the roundel was only used from 1941 to 1947; leaving the implication that the base has been active for roughly 70 years.
  • Strangely, in Grand Theft Auto Online, the red circle in the center of the stars is visible when viewing them from a distance, but will disappear when approaching them.

Grand Theft Auto V and Online[]

• Prior to update 1.28, Fort Zancudo and Los Santos International Airport were the only two areas unavailable for use in the Content Creator in Grand Theft Auto Online.
• The large inaccessible hangar near the west entrance is now open after the release of the Heists update, although there are no vehicles that spawn in it.
• According to the Maze Bank Foreclosures website, Fort Zancudo is the biggest military base in the state.
• Inside the control tower, the computer screens show a map of the United States which slightly differs from the maps downstairs in the training center, especially on the West Coast. The rest of North America is absent.
• Strangely, the in-game map on the pause menu does not show the layout of Fort Zancudo at all. Instead, it is just an empty space on the map. In GTA Online, however, the base layout will appear on the map when the player is inside the base or within its vicinity. The same occurs with the Bolingbroke Penitentiary.
• At certain times of the day, bugle calls can be heard playing through the base's loudspeakers:
  • 23:00 to 23:30 - Taps.
  • 05:30 to 05:33 - Reveille.
  • 07:00 to 22:00 - First call, Charge or Cavalry calls.
• When Air Traffic Control says "This is U.S. Army airspace. Divert or we will take you down.", the subtitles will say "This is U.S. Army airspace. Divert or face the consequences." instead (tested on the PS3 and PC versions).[1]
  • This has been fixed in the enhanced version of the game.
• The P-996 LAZER's description on Warstock Cache & Carry states and references the tactic used by players who stole one from Fort Zancudo for the first time.
• Located around the area, usually near potential LAZER spawn points, are interactable metal dollies holding two air-to-air missiles. The dollies can be pushed with vehicles, and will explode violently if shot at long enough. They can also be picked up and dropped by the Cargobob.
• If Trevor flies over Fort Zancudo in Minor Turbulence, the two LAZERs that shoot down Trevor later in the mission take off from the base and shoot down the Duster, causing a mission failure.
• In GTA Online, if the player owns a Hangar in the base and attempts to enter the airspace with a stolen Titan or Cargobob, they will still receive a two-star wanted level. This is because the game gives those with access to Fort Zancudo a two-star wanted level for stealing military vehicles, and the Titan and Cargobob are both considered military vehicles.
• Its possible beta name, according to the police scanner audio, was "Kazansky Air Force Base".

References[]

1. ↑ YouTube (09/11/2025) GTA V: Flying Over Ft. Zancudo Repeatedly

Navigation[]

[ v • e ]Navigation

[ v • e ]Neighborhoods, districts and areas in Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online Los Santos County Los Santos Downtown Pillbox Hill | Mission Row | Textile City | Legion Square Vinewood Downtown Vinewood | East Vinewood (Mirror Park | Mirror Park Railyard† | Vinewood Racetrack) | West Vinewood | Alta | Hawick South Los Santos DavisI.C. | Strawberry | Chamberlain Hills | Rancho Port of South Los Santos Banning | Elysian Island | Terminal East Los Santos La Mesa | Cypress Flats | El Burro Heights | Murrieta Heights Vespucci Vespucci Beach | Vespucci Canals | Puerto Del Sol† Backlot City / Richards Majestic | Del PerroI.C. (Del Perro Beach) | La Puerta (Maze Bank Arena) | Little Seoul | Los Santos International Airport | Morningwood | Pacific Bluffs (Kortz Center†) | Richman (GWC and Golfing Society) | Rockford HillsI.C. (Burton) Vinewood Hills (Galileo Observatory† | Galileo Park† | Lake Vinewood† | Lake Vinewood Estates† | Richman Glen | Sisyphus Theater† | Vinewood Bowl†) | Banham Canyon | Banham Canyon Drive* | Chumash | Tongva Hills (Marlowe Vineyards†) | Tongva Valley | Great Chaparral (Baytree Canyon†) | Tataviam Mountains (Land Act Dam* | Land Act Reservoir) | Palomino Highlands (N.O.O.S.E) Grand Senora Desert Bolingbroke Penitentiary | Redwood Lights Track San Chianski Mountain Range RON Alternates Wind Farm | Palmer-Taylor Power Station Blaine County Grand Senora Desert Senora National Park† | Thomson Scrapyard† San Chianski Mountain Range Humane Labs and Research | Davis Quartz Paleto Bay (North Point† | Procopio Beach) | Paleto Forest | Paleto Cove | Dignity Village† | Harmony | Sandy Shores | Mount Josiah (Zancudo River | Stab City) | Lago Zancudo | Fort Zancudo | North Chumash | Raton Canyon (Cassidy Creek | Calafia Bridge*) | Chiliad Mountain State Wilderness (Altruist Camp†) | Cape Catfish† | Alamo Sea | Grapeseed | Mount Gordo (El Gordo Lighthouse | Heart Attacks Beach†) | Braddock Pass | Mount Chiliad (Galilee | Launch Facility) North Yankton Ludendorff Bobcat Security Depot | Ludendorff Ranch | Ludendorff Church and Cemetery Cayo Perico Entry Points El Rubio's Compound Infiltration Points Airstrip | West Beach | Main Dock | North Dock | North Drop Zone | South Drop Zone | Drainage Tunnel Escape Points Airstrip | Main Dock | North Dock Other Locations Crop Fields | Control Tower | Lighthouse | Communications Tower | Solar Farm | Graveyard | Fishing Jetty | Campsite | Power Station | Primitive Shelter | Ritual Hut | Torture Cage GTA V exclusive locations | GTA Online exclusive locations * denotes roads that are also marked as neighborhoods in the HUD.† denotes neighborhoods in which their names are not displayed on the HUD, but are mentioned on the official map.I.C. denotes incorporated cities in the County of Los Santos.