Napalm Strike

The Napalm Strike is an Airstrike-based 5-killstreak reward available in the multiplayer of Call of Duty: Black Ops.

Overview
The Napalm strike calls in a U.S. Navy F-4 Phantom II to drop napalm bombs that leave a column of fire and a massive explosion. Five kills (four with Hardline) are needed for this killstreak. The Napalm Strike is also directional, similar to the Precision Airstrike from Modern Warfare 2. It will rarely be shot down (with the occasionally well-placed Sam Turret being the exception, although normally after the Napalm Strike drops its bombs *Confirmed on PS3*).

Not only will the initial drop take out anyone unlucky enough to get caught in the blast, but the napalm will also continue to burn, incinerating anyone getting too close unless the player has the Pro version of the perk Flak Jacket.

It works well to defend objectives - provided the objective doesn't possess overhead cover- by creating an area of denial for about 10 seconds.

Due to the aforementioned area of denial, using a Napalm Strike on a small map is a very effective way to funnel opponents into one area. By camping this area, this killstreak can be used to earn much higher killstreaks very quickly due to the high number of opponents trying to avoid the fire, thereby wandering into the user's trap. Occasionally, if bad connection, a player can sprint-to-prone over an enemy Napalm strike.

Many players also wait until a friendly Spy Plane is up to use their Napalm Strike as this will allow them to see where a majority of the enemies are for maximum effectiveness.

Domination
When deciding when to use the Napalm Strike, assess the current situation first. If your team is holding two flags (A and B for example) and the enemy are rushing from C in a mass effort to capture B, point the Napalm Strike at B in the direction of C Flag, with the narrow tip of the cone over B and widens as it spreads towards C. This will ensure that the explosives hit B first, killing all attackers, and later burning those still making their way from C to B.

Vice versa, if your team only has the C Flag and need to capture B, reverse the direction of the Napalm Strike and tilt it slightly to where enemies are camping near B. This will incinerate most if not all of the enemy defenders and also provide you and your team a 10-second trail of protective fire. Take note that although your team won't be affected by the after-burn in Core Domination, you can still die by lingering in the fire for a little over 2 seconds. Flak Jacket Pro negates this effect.

Capture the Flag
For defending your team's flag, adjust the striking angle so that it covers mostly ground and not on top of buildings. Place it over your flag to deter anyone from attempting to grab it.

Attacking wise, it is advised that Tier 1 Perk be Flak Jacket Pro and Tier 3 Marathon for this tactic. Assuming that you are playing against a well-rounded team, with at least 2 or more defenders and only 2 flag runners. These defenders would be taking up defensive positions in the proximity of their flag. Before entering their flag-zone, place the Napalm Strike so that the area it encompasses is near any openings or partial covers. If the initial explosion does not kill them, the afterburn should do the job as it radiates fire damage if one is close to it. Toss a Willy Pete at another flag-runners' route to distract any surviving defenders, all that's left now is to grab that flag.

Demolition
Attacking or defending, it is a good killstreak to spawn trap enemies.

If defending, launch this by one of the Bomb sites. If one site is already active, it is good to block entrances to that site. If one suspects the enemy is planting, the player can just launch it directly over the bomb site.

If attacking, spawn trapping is a good way to plant the bombs. And if they're defusing the bomb, just launch it over the site.

Gallery
thumb|316px|right|Power of the Napalm Strike

Trivia

 * On the side of the Phantom, the name of the plane can be read, and it is named the Kittyhawk. this could be a reference to the Wright Brothers, who flew the first plane at Kittyhawk, North Carolina. However, it could be the name of the plane's carrier, being the USS Kittyhawk
 * The Napalm Strike is delivered by an F-4 Phantom II.
 * The F-4 Phantom that drops the Napalm actually has pilots inside it, albeit very un-detailed and boxy as they are normally not meant to be seen. This can be viewed in Theater mode by pausing the video while the plane enters the map and moving over to it in free-cam.
 * One can also find the same models (including pilots) by spectating in the firing range map.
 * As with Rolling Thunder and Blackbird. Napalm Strikes can not be shot down.
 * At the end of the level called Airfield on World at War, multiple F4U Corsairs fly-by, releasing napalm canisters, with the resultant explosion being very similar to the Napalm Strike. It is possible that Treyarch re-used this explosion, or took some inspiration, for the killstreak.
 * In most cases, the fire can burn through walls.
 * Due to connection issues, the fire doesn't load properly as players can still get killed by it even though there is nothing there.