Quick answer
- Campaign: you buy upgrade parts with MRP on the Aircraft Tree, alongside planes and special weapons.[1] Parts come in three types, BODY, ARMS and MISC, and the number of slots for each type depends on the plane.[2]
- Blueprints are an online-mode item. The only guide we found that mentions them says you earn Blueprints in ACE COMBAT ONLINE by completing missions.[3] Online mode has its own progression and save data, separate from the campaign.[4]
- Buy first (one author's pick): Power Up Gaming's early-game list is the Target Identification Accelerator, Ground Ballistic Correction Module and ECU Software Update.[5]
- Drop tanks are cosmetic. The developers say they do not change your plane's specs.[6]
- ECM is a special weapon, not a part. The EA-6B Prowler comes with it. The EA-18G Growler can unlock it for 35,000 MRP.[7][8]
Campaign parts vs online upgrades
| Campaign Mode | ACE COMBAT ONLINE | |
|---|---|---|
| How you get upgrades | Spend MRP on the Aircraft Tree[1] | Upgrade Parts, plus levelling each aircraft by flying it on missions[9] |
| What levelling does | No plane levels mentioned in any source we found | Raises the plane's parameters and unlocks abilities unique to that aircraft[9] |
| Blueprints | Not mentioned for the campaign | Earned by completing missions, per GamingAlly[3] |
| Other sources | Free Mission uses everything you bought[10] | The free Ace Pass track includes "items used to upgrade aircraft"[11] |
| Shared progress? | No. Online mode has separate progression and save data.[4] |
Blueprint details are not confirmed by a reliable source yet. We found no official explanation of blueprint tiers, costs, or how general and aircraft-specific blueprints differ. Bandai Namco's online pages talk about upgrade parts and aircraft levels, not blueprints.[9]
The three slot types, and the trade-off
Producer Shimomoto explained the loadout screen to CGMagazine. Each plane has slots per category, and the plane shown in the interview had "four slots for the body, four for weapons", plus three misc.[6] He also described the trade-offs:[6]
- Body parts make the plane less agile, and they also affect how much damage you can take.
- Arms (weapons) parts: too many can slow your reload and make your missiles less accurate.
- Weather: if you know a mission has icing, you can fit parts to prevent it.
Power Up Gaming's loadout advice uses the slots like this: Arms parts for reload, lock-on speed and range, and missile power; Body parts for manoeuvrability and High-G turns.[5] Where that differs from the developer's description of body parts, we go with the developer.
Part slots by plane
Slot counts from each plane's community wiki page. Only planes with published counts are shown. Sorted by Arms slots.[12]
| Plane | Body | Arms | Misc | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Typhoon | 3 | 7 | 3 | 13 |
| F/A-18F Super Hornet | 3 | 7 | 3 | 13 |
| Mirage 2000-5 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 12 |
| Su-33 Flanker-D | 3 | 6 | 3 | 12 |
| F-14D Super Tomcat | 2 | 6 | 3 | 11 |
| F/A-18E Super Hornet | 5 | 5 | 3 | 13 |
| F-2A | 4 | 5 | 3 | 12 |
| MiG-29A Fulcrum | 4 | 5 | 3 | 12 |
| A-10C Thunderbolt II | 5 | 4 | 3 | 12 |
| EA-6B Prowler | 4 | 4 | 3 | 11 |
| F-14A Tomcat | 4 | 4 | 3 | 11 |
| F/A-18C Hornet | 3 | 4 | 3 | 10 |
Our calculation from the table: every plane listed has exactly 3 Misc slots. The real differences are in Body (2 to 5) and Arms (4 to 7). If you want room for missile and reload parts, the Typhoon and F/A-18F have the most Arms slots (7). The F/A-18E and A-10C have the most Body slots (5). One guide gives different F/A-18E numbers; see best planes. Prices and unlocks for these planes are on aircraft tree unlocks.
Which parts to buy first
This order comes from one bylined guide: Power Up Gaming's MRP route by Serhii Patskan.[5] The effects listed are that guide's short descriptions. It gives no exact numbers.
| Stage | Part | What it does, per the guide |
|---|---|---|
| Early | Target Identification Accelerator | Standard missiles: shorter reload |
| Early | Ground Ballistic Correction Module | Standard missiles: more power against ground targets |
| Early | ECU Software Update | Better stall resistance and High-G turn time |
| Mid | Electro-Optical Composite Air-to-Air Targeting System | Faster, longer lock for air-to-air special weapons |
| Mid | Drop Weapon Noise Filter | Better lock for bombs |
| Mid | Large-Scale Maneuverability Improvement | No description given |
| Late | Directional Proximity Fuse | More power for standard missiles |
| Late | Anti-Stealth Microwave Radar | No description given |
| Late | Surface Target ID Accelerator | No description given |
| Late | Long-Range Terrain Scan Accelerator | Listed for the LACM special weapon |
Not confirmed by a reliable source yet: the MRP price of each part, and which slot type (Body, Arms or Misc) each one uses.
ECM and ESM: where to get them
ECM and ESM show up as special weapons on electronic warfare jets, not as upgrade parts:[7][8]
| Plane | Plane price (MRP) | ECM | ESM |
|---|---|---|---|
| EA-6B Prowler | 90,000 | Starting special weapon | Unlock for 9,000 MRP |
| EA-18G Growler | 350,000 | Unlock for 35,000 MRP | Starting special weapon |
Our calculation: the cheapest way to get ECM is the EA-6B at 90,000 MRP. The EA-18G route costs 350,000 + 35,000 = 385,000 MRP. Prices come from the community wiki and may change.[7][8]
What they do: in a pre-release report, Skyward Flight Media's Aaron Mendoza wrote that wingmen can carry ECM pods "to disrupt hostile guided weapons" and ESM pods to boost allied guided weapons. Players at a preview event who loaded their AI wingmen with both pods had a big effect on the fight, and he noted the systems might be adjusted before launch.[13] We found no review of how strong they are in the launch version.
Drop tanks
- No stat effect. The developers told CGMagazine that drop tanks don't change the specs of your craft. The attachment exists so you get the action-hero moment of dropping a fuel tank before a dogfight, as in Top Gun: Maverick.[6]
- You can drop them mid-fight. Before launch, Skyward Flight Media reported that you jettison them by long-pressing the special weapon select button.[13]
- How to unlock drop tanks is not confirmed by a reliable source yet.
Trophies tied to parts
Patron of the Parts tracks special weapons and upgrade parts bought in Campaign Mode together. It has steps at 15 and 100 combined items, and a final step for owning every aircraft, special weapon and part.[10] Paying for all of that is covered on MRP farm.
Sources & References
- Power Up Gaming: Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve — Fastest MRP Farming Methods (Serhii Patskan, Sep 29, 2026) ↩ 1, 2
- How To Video Game: Ace Combat 8: Every Plane and How to Unlock It (Sep 28, 2026) ↩
- GamingAlly: Ace Combat 8: Air Combat and Flight Guide (Aras Çelik, Sep 30, 2026) ↩ 1, 2
- Bandai Namco Europe: ACE COMBAT ONLINE Multiplayer Mode FAQ ↩ 1, 2
- Power Up Gaming: Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve — Best Loadouts & MRP Paths (Serhii Patskan, Sep 30, 2026) ↩ 1, 2, 3
- CGMagazine: Talking Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve—Becoming Your Own Action Star (Philip Watson, Sep 18, 2026) ↩ 1, 2, 3, 4
- Ace Combat Wiki (wiki.gg): EA-6B Prowler ↩ 1, 2, 3
- Ace Combat Wiki (wiki.gg): EA-18G Growler ↩ 1, 2, 3
- Bandai Namco Europe: ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE Online Overview ↩ 1, 2, 3
- PowerPyx: Ace Combat 8 Wings of Theve Trophy Guide & Roadmap (Jack McBastard, Sep 29, 2026) ↩ 1, 2
- Bandai Namco: ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE official site (FAQ section) ↩
- Ace Combat Wiki (wiki.gg): Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve/Aircraft and linked aircraft pages ↩
- Skyward Flight Media: Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve June 2026 Report (Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza, Jun 7, 2026) ↩ 1, 2
