Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve has more than 30 playable aircraft, per Bandai Namco, and you unlock most of them in Campaign Mode by spending MRP (Military Result Points) on the branching Aircraft Tree. A few planes sit outside the tree: the F-14A came as a pre-order bonus and is now also sold as a $4.99 add-on, the ADFX-02 Morgan -PIXY- comes from the Season 1 Premium Ace Pass, and online mode has its own separate unlocks.
Below is every plane on Bandai Namco’s official aircraft page, sorted by role with how you get it and what it costs, followed by the aircraft that page does not list yet and how the tree, MRP and the bonus planes work. This covers the current version on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC (Steam). The Deluxe Edition’s early access, which opened on September 28, 2026, is covered in our launch trailer news.
How Many Planes Ace Combat 8 Has
Bandai Namco’s launch-date post on the PlayStation Blog says players can pilot “over 30 different aircraft,” mixing real-world jets with original fictional models. The official aircraft page now lists 29 of them with their roles, and still closes with “Stay Tuned for More Aircraft.”
The full roster is 34 campaign aircraft: 32 base-game aircraft, plus two bonus jets (the F-14A and the Ace Pass jet). Beyond the 29 official ones, that adds the F/A-18E Super Hornet; the FA-36 Game, which Bandai Namco named in its September 14 story trailer press information; two more original aircraft; and the ADFX-02 Morgan -PIXY-. The fictional planes unlock after you finish the campaign, so we are leaving the names of the last two original jets out to avoid spoilers.
Every Plane on the Official List, With Prices
Every aircraft belongs to one of four roles, per Bandai Namco: Fighter, Attacker, Multirole and Electronic Warfare. The online mode page describes the split: fighters “excel in quarrying their prey,” attackers run “wild over the battlefield,” multirole jets are “ideal for rounding out team compositions,” and electronic warfare aircraft “support allies and disrupt enemies.”
Roles below come from Bandai Namco’s aircraft page. Bandai Namco has not posted a price list, so the MRP costs are the Aircraft Tree’s prices as of launch. They come in fixed steps, so many planes share a price.
Fighters (11)
| Aircraft | How you get it | MRP cost |
|---|---|---|
| F-14A | Pre-order bonus, or the $4.99 add-on | None |
| MiG-21bis Fishbed | Aircraft Tree | 25,000 |
| F-14D Super Tomcat | Aircraft Tree | 90,000 |
| MiG-29A Fulcrum | Aircraft Tree | 130,000 |
| MiG-31B Foxhound | Aircraft Tree | 130,000 |
| F-16C Fighting Falcon | Aircraft Tree | 180,000 |
| F-15C Eagle | Aircraft Tree | 240,000 |
| F-15J Eagle | Aircraft Tree | 240,000 |
| Typhoon | Aircraft Tree | 350,000 |
| F-22A Raptor | Aircraft Tree | 550,000 |
| Su-57 Felon | Aircraft Tree | 550,000 |
Multirole (10)
| Aircraft | How you get it | MRP cost |
|---|---|---|
| F/A-18C Hornet | Your starting jet | Free |
| F-4E Phantom II | Aircraft Tree | 25,000 |
| Mirage 2000-5 | Aircraft Tree | 130,000 |
| Su-33 Flanker-D | Aircraft Tree | 180,000 |
| Su-47 Berkut | Aircraft Tree | 180,000 |
| F/A-18F Super Hornet | Aircraft Tree | 240,000 |
| Gripen E | Aircraft Tree | 240,000 |
| Rafale M | Aircraft Tree | 350,000 |
| Su-35S Flanker-E | Aircraft Tree | 350,000 |
| F-35C Lightning II | Aircraft Tree | 550,000 |
Attackers (6)
| Aircraft | How you get it | MRP cost |
|---|---|---|
| A-6E Intruder | Joins the tree after Mission 14; first copy free | Free |
| Su-25SM Frogfoot | Aircraft Tree | 90,000 |
| F-2A | Aircraft Tree | 130,000 |
| A-10C Thunderbolt II | Aircraft Tree | 180,000 |
| Su-34 Fullback | Aircraft Tree | 240,000 |
| F-15E Strike Eagle | Aircraft Tree | 350,000 |
Electronic Warfare (2)
| Aircraft | How you get it | MRP cost |
|---|---|---|
| EA-6B Prowler | Aircraft Tree | 90,000 |
| EA-18G Growler | Aircraft Tree | 350,000 |
Two notes from the official descriptions help when you plan purchases. The Mirage 2000-5 is described as having “inherently excellent flying stability,” while the MiG-21bis has “tricky controls” that “ask a lot of the pilot.” Our best early plane guide goes deeper on what to fly first.
Planes Not on the Official Page Yet
Five more aircraft are in the game but missing from Bandai Namco’s list:
- F/A-18E Super Hornet (Multirole): an Aircraft Tree jet at 240,000 MRP, the same price as the F/A-18F. Buying either Super Hornet opens the next node on that branch.
- FA-36 Game (Fighter): appears in the Aircraft Tree only after you finish Mission 30, Song of Wings, at 750,000 MRP.
- Two more original jets: they also appear only after Mission 30, at 750,000 and 1,000,000 MRP, and the more expensive one needs an F-22A, F-35C or Su-57 bought first. Our ACE difficulty guide covers what else finishing the campaign opens, and our secret planes guide names all three.
- ADFX-02 Morgan -PIXY- (Multirole): the Season 1 Premium Ace Pass jet, covered below.
How the Aircraft Tree and MRP Work
Bandai Namco’s walkthrough page says you “unlock additional fighter jets using MRP, an in-game currency earned in mission.” The official Ace Combat account on X added in August that the Aircraft Tree sells three things (aircraft, upgrade parts and special weapons) and has “multiple branching paths,” so you pick a route toward the jets you want.
How it works in practice:
- Nodes unlock in order. Items unlock after you buy the one before them on a branch, so you can zoom out and plan a route, and you must buy every node along a route before the jet at the end of it opens up.
- Your mission rank sets the payout. MRP is granted by mission rank, which weighs enemies destroyed, time taken and whether you used checkpoints. Finished missions can also be replayed for an S rank, and our MRP farming guide names the best mission to replay.
- Wingmen need planes too. You buy aircraft for Joker Flight as well, and extra copies of a plane you already own cost less. The trophy list even has one, Birds of a Feather, for buying the same aircraft for your wingmen.
- Parts fit most jets. Upgrade parts come in BODY, ARMS and MISC types, and the number of slots varies by plane, per the official account.
The prices add up: the 30 paid aircraft cost 8,900,000 MRP in total, before parts, special weapons and wingman copies, with the main tree topping out at 550,000 for the F-22A, Su-57 and F-35C. For scale, the trophy list rewards earning 16,000,000 MRP in total (Need A Bigger Bank) and 25,000,000 MRP (MRP Aplenty), and Patron of the Parts asks you to own every aircraft, special weapon and part. Our trophy list covers all of them.
Planes You Do Not Buy With MRP
- F/A-18C Hornet: your starting jet, so it costs nothing.
- A-6E Intruder: it joins the tree after you clear Mission 14, Two on the Run, and your first copy is free.
- F-14A: included with every pre-order on all three platforms, and now also sold on its own as the “ACE COMBAT 8 – Playable Aircraft: F-14A” add-on for $4.99 on Steam, the PlayStation Store and the Xbox Store. Our pre-order bonus guide covers both routes.
- ADFX-02 Morgan -PIXY-: the Level 1 reward of the Season 1 Premium Ace Pass. Deluxe Edition owners unlock it instantly with their voucher, but Bandai Namco’s FAQ says it is only usable in Campaign Mode once you complete all campaign missions. Pass aircraft are planned for separate purchase after their season ends.
- Deluxe skins: the F-4E Mobius Squadron 25th Anniversary and F/A-18C Team Zvezda skins also unlock in Campaign Mode only after every mission is done. Our editions guide compares what each version includes.
Online Mode Has Its Own Hangar
Bandai Namco’s FAQ says Ace Combat Online uses the same roster as Campaign Mode but is “a standalone experience.” Aircraft there “must be acquired through rewards earned as a mercenary pilot,” and a higher mercenary rank opens more of them. Online planes also level up as they survive sorties, and the Air Base’s ACE COMBAT STORE sells aircraft for currency earned in online missions. Our multiplayer guide covers the modes, and every other topic is on our Ace Combat 8 guides hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many planes are in Ace Combat 8? Bandai Namco says over 30, and its aircraft page lists 29. The full campaign roster is 34 aircraft, adding the F/A-18E Super Hornet, three original jets that unlock after the campaign, and the Ace Pass jet.
What plane do you start with? The F/A-18C Hornet. Pre-order owners also get the F-14A, which anyone else can add for $4.99.
How much MRP does it take to buy every plane? The 30 paid aircraft cost 8,900,000 MRP in total, before parts, special weapons and copies for your wingmen.
What is the most expensive plane in Ace Combat 8? One of the original jets that appear after Mission 30, at 1,000,000 MRP. On the main tree, the F-22A, Su-57 and F-35C cost the most, at 550,000 MRP each.
Do campaign planes carry over to online mode? No. Online mode has separate progression and save data, so you earn its aircraft through mercenary rewards instead.
Can you unlock every plane without paying extra? The MRP tree covers the base roster. The ADFX-02 is a Premium Ace Pass reward, and Bandai Namco says pass aircraft go on separate sale after their season. The F-14A came included only with pre-orders; otherwise it is a $4.99 add-on.
Is there a trophy for owning every plane? Yes. Fully Kitted Out asks for at least 20 aircraft types, and Patron of the Parts asks for every aircraft, special weapon and upgrade part in Campaign Mode.