Airborne Ranger is an action/simulation game by Microprose where the player takes on the role of a U.S. Army airborne ranger. These rangers are dropped behind enemy lines to perform dangerous missions. The gameplay consists of three phases: reading mission briefings, outfitting supply pods with various items, flying over the mission map in a V-22 Osprey plane, and performing actual missions.
The player must decide on a route towards the mission objective using the mission map, which may involve crawling through trenches, running around minefields, or taking out enemy soldiers and bunkers. Some missions require a stealthy approach to avoid detection until a certain time, such as taking out a guard and stealing an enemy uniform.
The game offers practice and veteran modes. In practice mode, gameplay is limited to a single mission, while in veteran mode, a series of missions or the entire campaign is played to earn medals and promotions. All missions can be played on several difficulty levels.