Cheapest route to the F-35C Lightning II
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 - Surface Target ID Accelerator (SP. W) GND.RELOAD+ARMS50,000
total 900,000 - Long-Range Terrain Scan Accelerator LACM.RELOAD+ARMS45,000
total 945,000 - F-35C Lightning IIJET550,000
total 1,495,000
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 1,587,500 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 - Surface Target ID Accelerator (SP. W) GND.RELOAD+ARMS50,000
total 992,500 - Long-Range Terrain Scan Accelerator LACM.RELOAD+ARMS45,000
total 1,037,500 - F-35C Lightning IIJET550,000
total 1,587,500
Where the MRP goes on the way to the F-35C Lightning II
The route has 15 nodes. F-35C Lightning II is the biggest single cost at 550,000 MRP, 37% of the route. The cheapest part is Aileron Auxiliary Pressurization Device at 7,500 MRP.
| Type | Nodes | MRP | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aircraft | 3 | 1,140,000 | 76% |
| Body parts | 4 | 70,000 | 5% |
| Arms parts | 7 | 245,000 | 16% |
| Misc parts | 1 | 40,000 | 3% |
| Total | 15 | 1,495,000 | 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 16.8% of that larger figure, before parts and extra special weapons.
Upgrade parts you buy on the way
12 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 | 0.5% |
| Lightweight Blisk 軽量型ブレードディスク | ACCEL+ | Body | 7,500 | 0.5% |
| Flap Auxiliary Pressurization Device フラップ用補助加圧装置 | PITCH+ | Body | 10,000 | 0.7% |
| Takeoff Weight Augmentation (MSL) 離陸重量増強改修（標準ミサイル用） | MSL.PAYLOAD+ | Arms | 15,000 | 1.0% |
| Reinforced Mount (Air-to-Ground MSL) 対地ミサイル用強化支持架 | GND.PAYLOAD+ | Arms | 20,000 | 1.3% |
| 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 | 2.3% |
| Bomb Noise Filter 投下兵器用ノイズフィルター | BOMB.RANGE+ | Arms | 30,000 | 2.0% |
| Superior Maneuverability 大規模運動能力向上化改修 | ALL.MOB+ | Body | 45,000 | 3.0% |
| Directional Proximity Fuse (MSL) 指向性近接信管（標準ミサイル用） | MSL.POW+ | Arms | 50,000 | 3.3% |
| Anti-Stealth Microwave Radar 対ステルス用マイクロ波レーダー | ANTI.STEALTH+ | Misc | 40,000 | 2.7% |
| Surface Target ID Accelerator (SP. W) 地表目標識別アクセラレーター（特殊兵装用） | GND.RELOAD+ | Arms | 50,000 | 3.3% |
| Long-Range Terrain Scan Accelerator 遠距離地形スキャンアクセラレーター | LACM.RELOAD+ | Arms | 45,000 | 3.0% |
What the F-35C Lightning II 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.
- FA-36 Game appears after Mission 30. Owning the F-35C Lightning II meets its prerequisite.
- X-40 Nightmare appears after Mission 30. Owning the F-35C Lightning II meets its prerequisite.
F-35C Lightning II special weapons and part slots
The first special weapon comes with the jet. The others are bought separately.
| Special weapon | MRP |
|---|---|
| LACM | Included |
| HCAA | 55,000 |
| 8AGM | 55,000 |
Part slots: body 5, arms 7, misc 3. All extra special weapons together: 110,000 MRP.
Full bill for a complete F-35C Lightning II 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 F-35C Lightning II | 1,495,000 |
| All extra special weapons | 110,000 |
| One wingman copy (1/8 of the first-copy price) | 68,750 |
| Everything above | 1,673,750 |
How many runs to farm 1,495,000 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 | 56 | 9 h 59 min |
| M07 A Lifeline in the Desert S rank | 15:03 | 84,570 | 306,598 | 18 | 4 h 58 min |
| M11 Maximum Payload S rank | 8:52 | 60,860 | 352,244 | 25 | 4 h 19 min |
| M16 Singer S rank | 3:12 | 70,880 | 904,851 | 22 | 1 h 43 min |
| M23 The Destruction of Expo City S rank | 14:56 | 136,020 | 496,625 | 11 | 3 h 1 min |
Mission 16 (Singer) gives the most MRP per hour at about 904,851. It takes 22 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: 11 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 1,495,000 MRP |
|---|---|---|
| 0 min | 1,329,000 | 1 h 10 min |
| 1.5 min | 904,851 | 1 h 43 min |
| 3 min | 685,935 | 2 h 16 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 F-35C Lightning II. It was calculated with the same code that powers the calculator, so both always agree. More detail is on the About page.
Of the 15 links on this route, 9 rated high, 6 rated medium. Prices can still change with game patches. Changes are listed in the changelog.
F-35C Lightning II MRP FAQ
How much MRP does the F-35C Lightning II cost in Ace Combat 8?
The F-35C Lightning II node costs 550,000 MRP, but the cheapest documented route to it costs 1,495,000 MRP once the 14 nodes in front of it are added.
What do I have to unlock before the F-35C Lightning II?
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, Surface Target ID Accelerator (SP. W), Long-Range Terrain Scan Accelerator, F-35C Lightning II.
How much does a wingman copy of the F-35C Lightning II cost?
A wingman copy costs 68,750 MRP, one eighth of the first-copy price.
What does the F-35C Lightning II unlock next?
In the mapped data, after Mission 30 it counts as a prerequisite for the FA-36 Game and X-40 Nightmare.
What is the best mission to farm MRP for the F-35C Lightning II?
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 1,495,000 MRP takes 22 runs there, around 1 h 43 min.