Guide

The Cargo Ship Robbery: Planning Work Missions Guide

A complete guide to the Planning Work missions for The Cargo Ship Robbery, including Sabotage and Disguise, acquiring the Skylift, and optional air support disruption.

The Planning Work missions for The Cargo Ship Robbery in GTA Online's The Chop Shop DLC involves several key tasks including sabotaging port operations, securing Coast Guard disguises, stealing a Skylift helicopter for extraction, and you also have the option to disrupt enemy air support.

Like the other robberies, this robbery has two mandatory and one optional planning work.
Like the other robberies, this robbery has two mandatory and one optional planning work.

Planning missions are the most important preparatory missions for any Chop Shop robbery in GTA Online. You can start all your planning work missions from the planning screen by accessing the computer from your Salvage Yard.

Planning Work 1: Sabotage and Disguise

In this mission, you must destroy some critical records and steal the Coast Guard outfit for the robbery. For this, you must go to the marked LSPA (Los Santos Port Authority) office. The location you get is completely random.

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LSPA office entrance.
LSPA office entrance.

So far, we've had one at the Del Perro Pier and the Elysian Island. In this guide, we got the Elysian Island LSPA office. Regardless of the location, the mission structure is exactly the same.

When you get to the LSPA office, you need to find a circuit box that is always nearby. You need to turn off the security cameras using the circuit box so you can enter the office.

Side note: if you get the Del Perro Pier as your location, you will find the circuit box behind a big blue stair wall.

In our case, the circuit box was on the wall to the right side of the main entrance of the LSPA office.
In our case, the circuit box was on the wall to the right side of the main entrance of the LSPA office.
Once you've disabled the security cameras, you can enter the office.
Once you've disabled the security cameras, you can enter the office.

When you get inside, you first need to make your way to the computer at the far end of the office and hack it.

The computer with the digital records of La'oub Princess cargo ship.
The computer with the digital records of La'oub Princess cargo ship.

After accessing the computer, click 'My Computer' and 'External Device (J:).'

After that, click on BruteForce.exe to hack into the computer.
After that, click on BruteForce.exe to hack into the computer.

You will get a mini-game where you must freeze each column when the highlighted letter is within the horizontal blue strip.

Freeze all the highlighted letters in the middle to successfully hack.
Freeze all the highlighted letters in the middle to successfully hack.

Once you've completed the hack, it will wipe all digital records of the La'oub Princess, the cargo ship you will rob.

Next, you need to plant three explosives on the marked areas inside the office.

Planting the first explosive.
Planting the first explosive.

Finally, you need to go to the metal shelf to look for the Coast Guard outfit. You're looking for a yellow duffle bag. It will be highlighted for you once you get close enough.

However, it is not difficult to spot in this small office.
However, it is not difficult to spot in this small office.

Once you've acquired the Coast Guard outfit, exit the LSPA office. Get inside your vehicle and get to a safe distance.

Go to your contacts, and call 'Detonate Bomb' to blow the planted explosives.
Go to your contacts, and call 'Detonate Bomb' to blow the planted explosives.

After blowing up the explosives, deliver the outfits to the Salvage Yard to complete this mission.

Delivering the Coast Guard outfits to the Salvage Yard.
Delivering the Coast Guard outfits to the Salvage Yard.

Planning Work 2: Skylift

This planning work can get a bit difficult, especially if you're not prepared enough.

We strongly recommend you stock up on armor and ammo before you start this planning mission.
We strongly recommend you stock up on armor and ammo before you start this planning mission.

First, you need to go to a marked location to steal a Skylift. The location you get is completely random. So far, we've gotten Sandy Shores Airfield and Fort Zancudo.

In this guide, we got Sandy Shores Airfield. However, regardless of the location, the mission structure is exactly the same for both (or all) locations.

When you get to the location, take cover by any nearby options (sand-filled boxes or containers) and take out as many soldiers as possible.

Taking out the soldiers at the site.
Taking out the soldiers at the site.
Mount the automatic machine gun and clear more enemies.
Mount the automatic machine gun and clear more enemies.

Once you've eliminated enough soldiers, enemy attack choppers will spawn.

Take them out as well.
Take them out as well.

You must take out the choppers before you can steal the Skylift. You will get 2-3 enemy choppers. For some reason, we only got one in this playthrough.

We're assuming that is because we started firing at the chopper from a fair distance as soon as the first one spawned.

The game somehow glitched and didn't make the rest of the spawned choppers hostile towards us.
The game somehow glitched and didn't make the rest of the spawned choppers hostile towards us.

After eliminating the enemy choppers, get into the Skylift and lose the cops.

Flying away in the Skylift, trying to lose the cops.
Flying away in the Skylift, trying to lose the cops.

After losing the cops, deliver the Skylift to the marked location.

Once delivered, leave the area to complete the mission.
Once delivered, leave the area to complete the mission.

Planning Work 3: Disrupt Air Support (Optional)

This is an optional mission, but we highly recommend doing this as it will reduce enemy air support during the robbery.

It will also make it easier for you to get the bonus challenge that requires the Skylift's health to be above 80%. If there is a lack of enemy air support, the Skylift won't receive a lot of damage.

Just like any other disruption mission, this one is also timed. So, we recommend either using an Oppressor Mark II or a Buzzard for this mission. You will have 10 minutes to complete it.

You will be directed to go to the pilot's house. He will also have his own chopper parked outside of his house. Feel free to destroy it for fun.

Pilot's house entrance.
Pilot's house entrance.

Head inside the pilot's house and eliminate him.

The pilot inside the house.
The pilot inside the house.

After that, interact with his computer to locate the other air supports.

You can keep track of the downloading progress at the bottom-right corner of the screen. There is a progress bar.
You can keep track of the downloading progress at the bottom-right corner of the screen. There is a progress bar.

Once located, you must fly to three different locations and destroy the enemy Mavericks.

At this point, you should roughly have around 6-7 minutes, which is more than enough to destroy all three Mavericks if you're on an Oppressor Mark II or a Buzzard.
At this point, you should roughly have around 6-7 minutes, which is more than enough to destroy all three Mavericks if you're on an Oppressor Mark II or a Buzzard.

After you've destroyed the third one, your disruption mission will be complete.

Disruption planning work completed.
Disruption planning work completed.

With all planning work complete, you are now fully prepared for The Cargo Ship Robbery finale.

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