Ace Combat 8: All 34 Aircraft and How to Unlock Them

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve features 34 playable aircraft in total, although only 32 belong to the base-game roster. Most aircraft are purchased with MRP through the Aircraft Tree, two are obtained for free, and three high-end machines become available after completing the campaign. The remaining F-14A Tomcat and ADFX-02 Morgan -PIXY- are additional content, so you cannot unlock them simply by earning more MRP through normal sorties.Below, we list every aircraft, its price, and its unlock requirements. Keep in mind that the 34-aircraft roster includes not only Fighters but also Attackers, Multiroles, and Electronic Warfare aircraft. If you want the full collection, you will need to progress through several branches of the Aircraft Tree instead of simply buying the most expensive fighter.

How to unlock aircraft in Ace Combat 8

The main way to expand your hangar is the Aircraft Tree. You spend MRP here on aircraft, upgrade parts, and special weapons. To reach a specific aircraft, you must first purchase the preceding nodes along its branch, including required connecting upgrades. Simply saving the amount shown next to a plane is not enough if the path leading to it is still locked.You earn MRP from destroyed targets and completed campaign missions, as well as repeat sorties in Free Mission. Purchases remain unlocked on later playthroughs, so replaying familiar missions is a useful way to build up more currency. We recommend choosing the aircraft you want first and checking the entire purchase path leading to it. That gives you a much better idea of how much MRP you actually need.

All 34 aircraft and their MRP prices

The prices below are for your first copy of each aircraft. They cover the plane itself, not prerequisite aircraft, connecting upgrade nodes, or special weapons. Unless another condition is listed, you must reach the aircraft through connected Aircraft Tree nodes and then purchase it with MRP.

Fighters: 12 aircraft

Fighters are primarily designed for air-to-air combat. We recommend looking at more than just the price because intercepting groups of enemies and fighting a long dogfight may call for very different special weapons. This category includes both the standard F-14D Super Tomcat and the additional F-14A Tomcat. They are separate playable aircraft.

• MiG-21bis Fishbed - 25,000 MRP.
• F-14D Super Tomcat - 90,000 MRP.
• MiG-29A Fulcrum - 130,000 MRP.
• MiG-31B Foxhound - 130,000 MRP.
• F-16C Fighting Falcon - 180,000 MRP.
• F-15C Eagle - 240,000 MRP.
• F-15J Eagle - 240,000 MRP.
• Typhoon - 350,000 MRP.
• F-22A Raptor - 550,000 MRP.
• Su-57 Felon - 550,000 MRP.
• FA-36 Game - 750,000 MRP. Available after completing the campaign, with the required Aircraft Tree progression.
• F-14A Tomcat - pre-order bonus. On PC, it is also sold as separate DLC. It cannot be purchased with MRP.

Multirole aircraft: 13 models

Multiroles are useful in missions where you need to switch between air and ground targets. You begin the campaign with the F/A-18C Hornet, then gradually move toward more expensive aircraft. The Multirole label does not automatically make every plane equally good for every objective, so check its special weapons before launching.

• F/A-18C Hornet - free starting aircraft.
• F-4E Phantom II - 25,000 MRP.
• Mirage 2000-5 - 130,000 MRP.
• Su-33 Flanker-D - 180,000 MRP.
• Su-47 Berkut - 180,000 MRP.
• F/A-18E Super Hornet - 240,000 MRP.
• F/A-18F Super Hornet - 240,000 MRP.
• Gripen E - 240,000 MRP.
• Rafale M - 350,000 MRP.
• Su-35S Flanker-E - 350,000 MRP.
• F-35C Lightning II - 550,000 MRP.
• X-40 Nightmare - 1,000,000 MRP. Available after completing the campaign and meeting its prerequisite aircraft requirement.
• ADFX-02 Morgan -PIXY- - Season 1 Premium Ace Pass aircraft. To use it in Campaign Mode, you must complete the story first. It cannot be purchased with MRP.

Attackers: 6 aircraft

Attackers are built primarily for strikes against ground and naval targets. Do not choose one just because a mission map shows plenty of ground units if the sortie later turns into a major air battle. Check the full mission profile first so you do not finish a successful ground attack only to find yourself stuck with an awkward loadout against fighters.

• A-6E Intruder - free after completing Mission 14.
• Su-25SM Frogfoot - 90,000 MRP.
• F-2A - 130,000 MRP.
• A-10C Thunderbolt II - 180,000 MRP.
• Su-34 Fullback - 240,000 MRP.
• F-15E Strike Eagle - 350,000 MRP.

Electronic Warfare aircraft: 3 models

Electronic Warfare aircraft form their own class and focus on jamming and support. The EA-18G Growler is worth paying attention to even if you do not plan to specialize in EW because it sits on the route toward the F-35C. The EA-36 Barricader, meanwhile, is one of the aircraft that only becomes available after completing the campaign.

• EA-6B Prowler - 90,000 MRP.
• EA-18G Growler - 350,000 MRP.
• EA-36 Barricader - 750,000 MRP. Available after completing the campaign and progressing through the FA-36 branch.

How to unlock the FA-36, EA-36, and X-40 after the campaign

These three aircraft become available after completing Mission 30 and finishing the campaign. Clearing the story only removes the campaign progression gate, however. You still need to buy the aircraft, and their Aircraft Tree placement may require other high-end purchases first.

• FA-36 Game appears after completing the campaign and sits in the post-game section of the Aircraft Tree. The first copy costs 750,000 MRP.
• X-40 Nightmare requires a completed campaign and at least one of the following aircraft in your hangar: F-22A Raptor, F-35C Lightning II, or Su-57 Felon. It costs 1,000,000 MRP.
• EA-36 Barricader requires a completed campaign and progression through the FA-36 branch. It costs another 750,000 MRP.

You do not need to buy all three 550,000-MRP top-tier aircraft to reach the X-40. One is enough. We recommend picking the one you actually enjoy using in normal missions instead of buying a random aircraft purely to satisfy the prerequisite. If you also want both FA-36-family aircraft, set aside 1,500,000 MRP for the FA-36 Game and EA-36 Barricader, not counting earlier Aircraft Tree purchases.

How to get the F-14A Tomcat and ADFX-02 Morgan -PIXY-

These aircraft are not normal MRP purchases. They require access to additional content, and the Morgan also has a campaign-completion restriction for story use. If you have finished every mission and still cannot find one of these aircraft in the normal tree, do not waste time looking for a missing node.

F-14A Tomcat: pre-order bonus and separate DLC

The F-14A Tomcat was offered as a pre-order bonus, but PC players no longer need to treat it as permanently missable. It is also available on the separate F-14A DLC page on Steam. If you already own the pre-order bonus, you do not need to buy it again. Check that the corresponding DLC is enabled for the game.Do not confuse it with the F-14D Super Tomcat, which costs 90,000 MRP. Buying the F-14D does not unlock the F-14A, and owning the F-14A does not replace the F-14D if you are trying to complete the full roster. They count as separate aircraft.

ADFX-02 Morgan -PIXY-: Season 1 Premium Ace Pass

The Morgan is part of the Season 1 Premium Ace Pass for Ace Combat Online. The Premium Ace Pass Plus also includes the same premium content along with additional seasonal progression benefits. The free track does not award the aircraft, and you do not need to buy the Deluxe Edition specifically for it because the paid pass options are available separately.The Deluxe Edition includes a Premium Ace Pass Plus Voucher, but the voucher applies to the season that is active when you redeem it. If you specifically want the Morgan, use it during Season 1. The aircraft is awarded through the Season 1 premium content, so you do not need to reach the final level of the seasonal track just to unlock it.After the season ends, playable aircraft included in the Premium Ace Pass are planned to be sold separately as DLC. Do not confuse that future sale of the Morgan with the F-14A DLC that is already available. The two aircraft use different unlock methods.

Example Aircraft Tree route: how to unlock the F-35C

To make the Aircraft Tree easier to understand, here is the route from the starting F/A-18C Hornet to the F-35C Lightning II. Along this branch, you purchase several aircraft and the upgrades connecting them. By the end, you not only get the F-35C but also own one of the high-end aircraft that satisfies the X-40 Nightmare's post-campaign requirement.

1. Start with the F/A-18C Hornet, which is free.
2. Follow the connected nodes toward the Mirage 2000-5 and buy it for 130,000 MRP.
3. Continue through the required upgrade nodes and buy either the F/A-18E or F/A-18F Super Hornet for 240,000 MRP. You only need one of them to continue along this route.
4. Reach the EA-18G Growler and purchase it for 350,000 MRP.
5. Buy the remaining required upgrades on the branch, then purchase the F-35C Lightning II for 550,000 MRP.

The aircraft alone on this route cost 1,270,000 MRP. The true total is higher because mandatory upgrade nodes sit between them. Do not plan around the F-35C's 550,000-MRP price tag alone if you have not already progressed along its branch.

How much MRP do you need for every aircraft?

The 30 base-game aircraft that require MRP cost 8,900,000 MRP in total. Two more, the F/A-18C Hornet and A-6E Intruder, are obtained for free, while the F-14A Tomcat and ADFX-02 Morgan -PIXY- come through additional content. The 8.9 million figure does not include upgrade parts, special weapons, or extra aircraft copies for wingmen, so fully completing the Aircraft Tree costs more.When you are ready to finish the collection, replay missions you can clear reliably and use Free Mission to build up more MRP. We recommend considering both the payout and how long each mission takes. A familiar sortie that you can complete without repeated restarts is often better for regular farming. Buy the aircraft you actually plan to use first, then pick up the expensive post-game machines, and only after that finish the branches you skipped.