In a thwarted mission to intercept Rahmat’s acquisition of detonators for nuclear bombs in Libya, Barney’s plane is shot down and explodes, leaving behind a charred corpse, yet his ring remains mysteriously intact. The Expendables, believing Barney is dead, proceed under Gina’s leadership, appointed by CIA handler Marsh, who expels Lee for disobeying Barney’s orders. The team, accompanied by Marsh, pursues Rahmat to prevent the handover of detonators to Ocelot, responsible for the massacre of one of Barney’s previous teams. Upon reaching an aircraft carrier on the Andaman Sea, they are captured. In exchange for their lives, Rahmat demands the sole witness to Ocelot’s identity be brought aboard. Fortunately, Lee, equipped with Gina’s knife containing a tracking beacon, rescues the team. Facing a ticking nuclear bomb framed on a carrier bound for Vladivostok, they believe Rahmat has the kill switch. Lee, seeking revenge for Barney, kills Rahmat, only to discover Ocelot is Marsh. Lee evacuates the team but decides to stay, redirecting the ship to detonate the bomb in the ocean. In the dire confrontation with Marsh, a mysterious helicopter arrives, eliminating the adversaries and wounding Marsh. To everyone’s surprise, the pilot is revealed to be Barney, who had faked his death to declassify a file on Ocelot. Barney’s strategic move exposes Ocelot’s identity, relying on the Expendables to complete the mission without him. The burnt corpse in the plane was a bar challenger, not Barney’s demise, adding an unexpected twist to the elaborate ruse.