I was three minutes into a free mission when my HUD lit up with six bogeys and one blinking warning. My wingman sighed over comms, then laughed—he had the F-22 and I had the wallet. That was the moment I stopped guessing and started planning.
I’m going to walk you through every aircraft in Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve and the exact Military Result Points (MRP) you need to grab them from the Aircraft Tree. I fly, test, and grind so you don’t waste sorties—and you’ll find platform notes for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, and community hotspots like r/AceCombat and Discord tucked into the tips.
How to unlock all aircraft in Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve
On a carrier deck you can tell which jets are well-used by the scuffs on their ladders.
There are 34 aircraft in the base game but two are gated behind special conditions or bonuses. Practically speaking you can obtain 32 of them simply by investing MRP into the Aircraft Tree over time. The Aircraft Tree is a treasure chest that asks you to earn its key through sorties and scoring—some planes become available only after Mission 30 or as pre-order/premium bonuses.
How do I unlock all aircraft in Ace Combat 8?
You buy planes and parts from the Aircraft Tree with MRP, and some planes need mission clears or special passes. Play campaign missions, run Free Missions on higher difficulties, and spend MRP in the tree to open aircraft nodes. For bonus planes like the F-14A Tomcat you’ll need the pre-order bonus; premium fighters such as the ADFX-02 Moran -PIXY- arrive via the Ace Pass S1.
How much MRP do I need to unlock every plane?
The raw total listed by the community is 8,900,000 MRP to own every aircraft listed in the tree, but that’s a floor number. The tree also sells weapons and upgrade parts you’ll want, so plan to earn more than 8.9 million to fully kit the jets you care about.
What’s the fastest way to earn MRP?
Focus on high-target-count Free Missions, raise the difficulty, and prioritize objectives that spawn ground and air targets. Streaming footage to YouTube or watching Digital Foundry breakdowns can reveal routes and target waves that maximize score. Treat MRP like jet fuel in a thirsty engine—feed it aggressively during each run.
Fighter
On the flight line, crews talk about range and climb rates like they’re discussing a coffee order.
There are 12 Fighter jets total and every one is purchasable through the Aircraft Tree except the pre-order bonus. Below is the full list and their MRP costs so you can plan which fighters to aim for first. The F-14A Tomcat is a pre-order exclusive; the FA-36 Game and others require mission progression first.
| Model | Unlock Source | Cost (MRP) |
|---|---|---|
| MiZG-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-16C 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 |
| FA-36 Game | Aircraft Tree (But only after you have finished Mission 30) | 750,000 |
| F-14A Tomcat | Only available as Pre-Order Bonus | N/A |
Multirole
In a squadron briefing, pilots compare multis they’ve flown like trading cards.
There are 13 Multirole jets and one— the F/A-18C Hornet—comes ready at the start. The rest require MRP purchases. If you prefer a balanced loadout for both air and ground, plan your MRP spending toward the Gripen E, Rafale M, or F-35C depending on your playstyle and whether you plan to fly on PS5/Xbox or on PC via Steam.
| Model | Unlock Source | Cost (MRP) |
|---|---|---|
| F/A-18C Hornet | Unlocked by default | 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-18E Super Hornet | Aircraft Tree | 240,000 |
| 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 |
| X-40 Nightmare | Aircraft Tree (But only after you have finished Mission 30) | 1,000,000 |
| ADFX-02 Moran -PIXY- | Premium Ace Pass S1 | N/A |
Attacker
On low-level runs, pilots log damage to ground targets like a mechanic logs oil changes.
Six Attacker jets are in the game and all are acquired through missions or the Aircraft Tree. The A-6E Intruder is a mission-gated reward for clearing Mission 14, so mark that mission if you prefer heavy strike platforms like the A-10C or the F-15E.
| Model | Unlock Source | Cost (MRP) |
|---|---|---|
| A-6E Intruder | Clear Mission 14 | N/A |
| 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
On modern decks, EW aircraft sit near the catapults like chess pieces waiting to be played.
Three Electronic Warfare jets exist and they’re all purchasable from the Aircraft Tree, though the EA-36 Barricader requires Mission 30 to be cleared first. If you like mission support roles, factor these into your MRP plan because their systems and upgrade parts can be pricey.
| Model | Unlock Source | Cost (MRP) |
|---|---|---|
| EA-6B Prowler | Aircraft Tree | 90,000 |
| EA-18G Growler | Aircraft Tree | 350,000 |
| EA-36 Barricader | Aircraft Tree (but only after clearing Mission 30) | 750,000 |
How to get MRP in Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve
In the hangar you’ll hear pilots brag about their best MRP haul like fishermen brag about the big one that got away.
MRP is earned by destroying targets across campaign missions and Free Missions. The reward you get scales with the number of targets destroyed and the difficulty you play on. If you want more MRP per minute, raise difficulty settings on missions you can reliably clear and prioritize target-rich objectives—airborne swarms and ground target convoys pay best.
Use the community: streamers on Twitch, tutorial makers on YouTube, and breakdowns by Digital Foundry teach efficient target routes. If you fly on Steam, watch community guides and save preferred mission setups; on consoles follow Bandai Namco announcements and the official Ace Combat channels for event rewards and pass information.
If you’re budgeting MRP across planes and parts, remember the Aircraft Tree sells weapons and upgrades you will want. Spend MRP on core airframes first, then buy weapons and systems to suit your playstyle—competitive players often favor F-22A or Su-57 for air superiority, and A-10C or F-15E for pure ground work.
Want a short plan: grind high-target Free Missions, up the difficulty as your skill improves, and funnel MRP into a single tree branch until you have a plane that fits your style. Which plane are you saving for first?