Cheapest route to the EA-18G Growler
Every node you pay for on the way, in unlock order, starting from the F/A-18C Hornet. The small figure under each price is the running total.
- Aileron Auxiliary Pressurization Device ROLL+BODY7,500
total 7,500 - Lightweight Blisk ACCEL+BODY7,500
total 15,000 - Flap Auxiliary Pressurization Device PITCH+BODY10,000
total 25,000 - Takeoff Weight Augmentation (MSL) MSL.PAYLOAD+ARMS15,000
total 40,000 - Reinforced Mount (Air-to-Ground MSL) GND.PAYLOAD+ARMS20,000
total 60,000 - Air-to-Air Electronic Optical Hybrid Sight AIR.RANGE+ARMS35,000
total 95,000 - Bomb Noise Filter BOMB.RANGE+ARMS30,000
total 125,000 - Superior Maneuverability ALL.MOB+BODY45,000
total 170,000 - F/A-18E Super HornetJET240,000
total 410,000 - Directional Proximity Fuse (MSL) MSL.POW+ARMS50,000
total 460,000 - Anti-Stealth Microwave Radar ANTI.STEALTH+MISC40,000
total 500,000 - EA-18G GrowlerJET350,000
total 850,000
Going through the Mirage 2000-5 first
The Mirage 2000-5 is not required for this jet, but many players buy it early for a usable multirole aircraft.
Buying the Mirage 2000-5 first brings the total to 942,500 MRP, which is 92,500 MRP more than the cheapest route above.
- Target ID Accelerator (MSL) MSL.RELOAD+ARMS5,000
total 5,000 - Air-to-Ground Ballistic Correction Module (MSL) MSL.GND.POW+ARMS10,000
total 15,000 - ECU Software Update STABILITY+BODY7,500
total 22,500 - Mirage 2000-5JET130,000
total 152,500 - Air-to-Air Electronic Optical Hybrid Sight AIR.RANGE+ARMS35,000
total 187,500 - Bomb Noise Filter BOMB.RANGE+ARMS30,000
total 217,500 - Superior Maneuverability ALL.MOB+BODY45,000
total 262,500 - F/A-18E Super HornetJET240,000
total 502,500 - Directional Proximity Fuse (MSL) MSL.POW+ARMS50,000
total 552,500 - Anti-Stealth Microwave Radar ANTI.STEALTH+MISC40,000
total 592,500 - EA-18G GrowlerJET350,000
total 942,500
Where the MRP goes on the way to the EA-18G Growler
The route has 12 nodes. EA-18G Growler is the biggest single cost at 350,000 MRP, 41% of the route. The cheapest part is Aileron Auxiliary Pressurization Device at 7,500 MRP.
| Type | Nodes | MRP | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aircraft | 2 | 590,000 | 69% |
| Body parts | 4 | 70,000 | 8% |
| Arms parts | 5 | 150,000 | 18% |
| Misc parts | 1 | 40,000 | 5% |
| Total | 12 | 850,000 | 100% |
For scale: buying all 27 regular Aircraft Tree jets costs 6,400,000 MRP, and 8,900,000 MRP with the three post-campaign aircraft. This route is 9.6% of that larger figure, before parts and extra special weapons.
Upgrade parts you buy on the way
10 upgrade parts sit on this route. Japanese names are shown because some English names are unofficial translations.
| Part | Tag | Slot | MRP | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aileron Auxiliary Pressurization Device エルロン用補助加圧装置 | ROLL+ | Body | 7,500 | 0.9% |
| Lightweight Blisk 軽量型ブレードディスク | ACCEL+ | Body | 7,500 | 0.9% |
| Flap Auxiliary Pressurization Device フラップ用補助加圧装置 | PITCH+ | Body | 10,000 | 1.2% |
| Takeoff Weight Augmentation (MSL) 離陸重量増強改修（標準ミサイル用） | MSL.PAYLOAD+ | Arms | 15,000 | 1.8% |
| Reinforced Mount (Air-to-Ground MSL) 対地ミサイル用強化支持架 | GND.PAYLOAD+ | Arms | 20,000 | 2.4% |
| Air-to-Air Electronic Optical Hybrid Sight 電子光学複合型対空照準システム | AIR.RANGE+ | Arms | 35,000 | 4.1% |
| Bomb Noise Filter 投下兵器用ノイズフィルター | BOMB.RANGE+ | Arms | 30,000 | 3.5% |
| Superior Maneuverability 大規模運動能力向上化改修 | ALL.MOB+ | Body | 45,000 | 5.3% |
| Directional Proximity Fuse (MSL) 指向性近接信管（標準ミサイル用） | MSL.POW+ | Arms | 50,000 | 5.9% |
| Anti-Stealth Microwave Radar 対ステルス用マイクロ波レーダー | ANTI.STEALTH+ | Misc | 40,000 | 4.7% |
What the EA-18G Growler unlocks next
Based on the mapped links in the Aircraft Tree data. Extra cost counts only what you still have to buy after owning this route.
- Surface Target ID Accelerator (SP. W) GND.RELOAD+ · 50,000 MRP, opens right after the EA-18G Growler
- F-35C Lightning II 645,000 MRP more from here (1,495,000 MRP from the start)
EA-18G Growler special weapons and part slots
The first special weapon comes with the jet. The others are bought separately.
| Special weapon | MRP |
|---|---|
| ESM | Included |
| 2AAM | 35,000 (est.) |
| ECM | 35,000 (est.) |
Part slots: body 4, arms 6, misc 3. All extra special weapons together: 70,000 MRP (estimated: 10% of the aircraft price, the pattern seen on verified jets).
Full bill for a complete EA-18G Growler setup
Route cost is the minimum. Extra special weapons and wingman copies are optional and cost more on top.
| Item | MRP |
|---|---|
| Cheapest route to the EA-18G Growler | 850,000 |
| All extra special weapons (estimated) | 70,000 |
| One wingman copy (1/8 of the first-copy price) | 43,750 |
| Everything above | 963,750 |
How many runs to farm 850,000 MRP
Starting from 0 MRP, replaying each mission at the listed rank, with 1.5 minutes of loading and menus per run. The calculator lets you enter your own balance.
| Mission | Clear time | MRP / run | MRP / hour | Runs needed | Time needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M04 The Fall of the Numbered Fleets A rank | 9:12 | 26,850 | 150,561 | 32 | 5 h 42 min |
| M07 A Lifeline in the Desert S rank | 15:03 | 84,570 | 306,598 | 11 | 3 h 2 min |
| M11 Maximum Payload S rank | 8:52 | 60,860 | 352,244 | 14 | 2 h 25 min |
| M16 Singer S rank | 3:12 | 70,880 | 904,851 | 12 | 56 min |
| M23 The Destruction of Expo City S rank | 14:56 | 136,020 | 496,625 | 7 | 1 h 55 min |
Mission 16 (Singer) gives the most MRP per hour at about 904,851. It takes 12 runs of 3:12 each. Mission 23 pays more per run (136,020 MRP) but each run takes 14:56 of play, so it needs fewer, longer runs: 7 in total.
How loading time changes the answer
Short missions lose the most to loading screens and menus. Using Mission 16:
| Loading + menus per run | MRP / hour | Time for 850,000 MRP |
|---|---|---|
| 0 min | 1,329,000 | 38 min |
| 1.5 min | 904,851 | 56 min |
| 3 min | 685,935 | 1 h 14 min |
Compare with other Ace Combat 8 aircraft routes
Node price is what the tree shows. Route cost is what you actually pay from the start.
| Aircraft | Node price | Route cost | Wingman copy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mirage 2000-5 | 130,000 | 152,500 | 16,250 |
| F/A-18E Super Hornet | 240,000 | 410,000 | 30,000 |
| F/A-18F Super Hornet | 240,000 | 410,000 | 30,000 |
| EA-18G Growler | 350,000 | 850,000 | 43,750 |
| F-22A Raptor | 550,000 | 1,100,000 | 68,750 |
| F-35C Lightning II | 550,000 | 1,495,000 | 68,750 |
| FA-36 Game | 750,000 | 1,850,000 | 93,750 |
| EA-36 Barricader | 750,000 | 2,600,000 | 93,750 |
| X-40 Nightmare | 1,000,000 | 2,100,000 | 125,000 |
How this route was worked out
The Aircraft Tree is treated as a graph: each node has a price and each link says which node you must own first. The route above is the cheapest chain from the F/A-18C Hornet to the EA-18G Growler. It was calculated with the same code that powers the calculator, so both always agree. More detail is on the About page.
Of the 12 links on this route, 9 rated high, 3 rated medium. Prices can still change with game patches. Changes are listed in the changelog.
EA-18G Growler MRP FAQ
How much MRP does the EA-18G Growler cost in Ace Combat 8?
The EA-18G Growler node costs 350,000 MRP, but the cheapest documented route to it costs 850,000 MRP once the 11 nodes in front of it are added.
What do I have to unlock before the EA-18G Growler?
The cheapest documented route buys these in order: Aileron Auxiliary Pressurization Device, Lightweight Blisk, Flap Auxiliary Pressurization Device, Takeoff Weight Augmentation (MSL), Reinforced Mount (Air-to-Ground MSL), Air-to-Air Electronic Optical Hybrid Sight, Bomb Noise Filter, Superior Maneuverability, F/A-18E Super Hornet, Directional Proximity Fuse (MSL), Anti-Stealth Microwave Radar, EA-18G Growler.
How much does a wingman copy of the EA-18G Growler cost?
A wingman copy costs 43,750 MRP, one eighth of the first-copy price.
What does the EA-18G Growler unlock next?
In the mapped data, the next nodes on the tree are Surface Target ID Accelerator (SP. W) (50,000 MRP); from here the F-35C Lightning II costs 645,000 MRP more.
What is the best mission to farm MRP for the EA-18G Growler?
By MRP per hour, Mission 16 (Singer) is the best listed option at about 904,851 MRP per hour with 1.5 minutes of loading per run. Farming 850,000 MRP takes 12 runs there, around 56 min.