Ace Combat 8 has a stacked hangar, and where you spend your early MRP farm shapes the whole campaign. Pick wrong, and you’ll be stuck in a jet that hates the mission you’re on. This guide covers 11 planes, from the 180,000 MRP Su-47 to the 1,000,000 MRP X-40. There is no single best jet, only the right one for the job. If you want the short answer, it’s the F-35C. (But it’s kind of not, though!) Here’s why:
What You’ll Read:
Ace Combat 8 Best Planes at A Glance
Here are all 11 jets sorted by price. The Su-47 costs less than a fifth of the X-40, so your MRP balance will show which one you pick. These are campaign values only. Online mode runs on ZOLL and COST with different ammo counts, so don’t compare the two.
| Aircraft | Class | MRP | Special weapons | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Su-47 Berkut | Multirole | 180,000 | SAAM / UGB / HPAA | Cheap oddball pick |
| F/A-18E Super Hornet | Multirole | 240,000 | 6AAM / SOD / QAAM | Early budget workhorse |
| Rafale M | Multirole | 350,000 | HCAA / LASM / LAAM | Ship-heavy missions |
| Su-35S Flanker-E | Multirole | 350,000 | 6AAM / LAGM / HVAA | Agile all-rounder |
| Typhoon | Fighter | 350,000 | 4AAM / LAAM / 8AGM | Fighter with ground coverage |
| F-22A Raptor | Fighter | 550,000 | QAAM / 4AAM / XSDB | Air-heavy missions |
| F-35C Lightning II | Multirole | 550,000 | LACM / HCAA / 8AGM | Best overall |
| Su-57 Felon | Fighter | 550,000 | QAAM / HCAA / LACM | Dogfights with ground backup |
| EA-36 Barricader | EW | 750,000 | IEWS / 4AAM / XSDB | Wingman support |
| FA-36 Game | Fighter | 750,000 | SASM / HPAA / SOD | ACE S-ranks, Mission 28 |
| X-40 Nightmare | Multirole | 1,000,000 | UAVT / EMLB / QAAM | Experimental gambles |
F-35C Lightning II
If you can only afford one plane, buy this one. The F-35C is carrier-capable and comes with LACM for far-off ground targets, HCAA for steady anti-air fire, and 8AGM for scattered ground units. That covers most of what the campaign is all about.
Granted, it has flaws. 8AGM can stack two missiles on one target and waste a salvo. Mission 25 players also argue over HCAA until they add missile guidance parts. And on a pure air mission, an F-22A or Su-57 does the job better.
F/A-18E Super Hornet
At 240,000 MRP, this is the cheapest way into a real carrier jet. 6AAM clears big air waves, and QAAM handles the nasty single targets. SOD drops a long line of bomblets on ground units, so line up your approach first.
6AAM struggles against very agile enemies, so finish stragglers with QAAM. It can also pull off post-stall moves, so it’s fun to fly too.
Rafale M
The Rafale M has HCAA for fast air pressure and LAAM for long-range first shots. Its third weapon is LASM, a long-range anti-ship missile that also hits land targets. It costs 350,000 MRP, and if your missions are full of boats, it’s your jet.
One warning. Several English guides and Reddit players say it carries LACM. The current game tables list LASM, so trust those. It also has only 3 body part slots, fewer than most jets here, and owners say it feels less snappy than the AC7 version.
Typhoon
The Typhoon is classed as a Fighter, yet it carries 8AGM, which is rare for the class. Add 4AAM for four air targets and LAAM for long-range shots, and you get a jet that handles most jobs for 350,000 MRP. Bandai also calls the delta-wing design stable.
The catch is no QAAM. Against hard-to-hit aces, the F/A-18E and F-22A have more tools. And don’t mix it up with the Rafale M, which has a similar price but a different loadout.
F-22A Raptor
The F-22A is the jet you buy when the mission is mostly air. QAAM homes well even from awkward angles, 4AAM locks up to four targets, and XSDB covers the odd ground unit. It costs 550,000 MRP.
It has limits. Current English guides say it can’t launch from a carrier. QAAM also won’t fix Mission 28 on its own. Players fighting the Shadows say guns, flare timing, and upgrades matter more than the missile. One player S-ranked Mission 25 on Veteran with it by bombing with XSDB first, then rearming for QAAM and 4AAM. Doable, but you’ll be rearming a lot.
Su-57 Felon
Same 550,000 MRP, same QAAM, but the Su-57 swaps 4AAM and XSDB for HCAA and LACM. You get fast repeat anti-air fire plus a long-range ground missile, which fits mixed missions better. Reddit players say the thrust vectoring feels much better than in AC7, especially in post-stall moves and high-G turns.
Part slots split differently too: 6 body and 6 arms, against the F-22A’s 5 and 7. Some Steam comments say it carries SASM. It doesn’t.
Su-35S Flanker-E
This is the thrust-vectoring pick for players who don’t want to pay 550,000 MRP. The Su-35S costs 350,000. 6AAM clears the airwaves, LAGM hits ground targets from outside their range, and HVAA is a fast missile for shots where the target has no time to dodge. Players praise its handling, and Bandai calls it highly agile.
The gap shows in close fights against aces. There’s no QAAM, and 6AAM struggles against very evasive targets. Put MRP into your guns.
Su-47 Berkut
At 180,000 MRP, the Su-47 is the cheapest jet in this guide, and its 6 flares beat every other plane here. The loadout is odd. SAAM needs you to hold the target in the circle until impact; UGB is a close-range blast bomb, and HPAA hits hard but has no guidance.
Forward-swept wings scream dogfighter, and Bandai’s descriptions say high maneuverability. Owners disagree. Several say it feels sluggish next to AC7, and one called it “brick-like.” Another says it plays more like a bomber but likes the bomb stock. Body parts for pitch and roll may help. I’d buy it for the price and the bombs, not the dogfight reputation.
FA-36 Game
If you only buy one post-game jet, make it this one. The FA-36 is a tailless stealth fighter with 3D thrust vectoring, and it can launch from carriers. It costs 750,000 MRP, with HPAA and SOD at +75,000 each. The game classes it as a Fighter, even though the loadout looks multirole.
SASM is the star. It explodes near the target when it misses, which is why players reach for it against the Mission 28 Shadows. HPAA cracks bombers and other heavy targets. SOD lays a strip of bomblets across ground formations, so line up your run first.
It’s not magic. The Shadows still flare and dodge, and some players expected an easier ride for the price. Two flares is thin, too.
EA-36 Barricader
The EA-36 is the electronic warfare version of the FA-36, and IEWS is the whole point. It jams enemy locks and boosts your friendly missiles inside its area. A Forbes reviewer who played early access found it most useful when handed to a wingman. The systems are automated, so you don’t need a separate crew.
It can still fight, since 4AAM and XSDB come with it. One player reported strong ACE results with three FA-36 wingmen and one EA-36. That’s a single setup, not a rule, and nobody has proven how big the buffs are. Buy it second.
X-40 Nightmare
The X-40 costs 1,000,000 MRP, plus 100,000 for each extra weapon. UAVT sends out four laser drones that hit air or ground targets. EMLB fires three high-speed shots, and you have to aim them yourself. QAAM is the safe pick. It also has the biggest standard missile count here, at 154.
The Click calls it a top endgame all-rounder. Owners disagree. They report weak drone tracking and damage, clouds that dull the lasers, and EMLB ammo that runs dry. One player needed two drones to kill a single plane. Another says the steering is so touchy it ruins EMLB aim.
It looks wild, I’ll give it that. I wouldn’t spend a million MRP on it before the other two.
Which Plane Should YOU Pick
| Mission type | Pick |
|---|---|
| Carrier deck required | F/A-18E early, F-35C later |
| Air-heavy waves and aces | F-22A or Su-57 |
| Mixed air and ground | F-35C |
| Ship-heavy | Rafale M |
| Long rows of ground targets | FA-36 (SOD) |
| Mission 28 and ACE S-rank replays | FA-36 (SASM) |
| Tight budget | Su-47 or F/A-18E |
Don’t lock yourself into one loadout. One player swaps between Su-57 with LACM and QAAM, and FA-36 with SOD and SASM, depending on the mission. Pick the weapons for the target, not the jet’s reputation.
Parts matter just as much. Missile reload, tracking, and damage upgrades help all 11 planes. Body parts for pitch and roll can also fix a jet that feels slow, which is worth a try on the Su-47.
FAQ
Can I carry two special weapons at full ammo?
No. Once you’re far enough into the story, you can equip two, but ammo drops for both. Don’t add the full numbers from the table together.
Which of these planes can launch from carriers?
The F/A-18E, F-35C, Rafale M, and FA-36.
Do these stats apply online?
No. Online uses ZOLL and COST instead of MRP, and extra special weapons unlock at plane levels 5 and 10. Ammo differs too: the F-35C carries 124 missiles online versus 150 in the campaign.
