Ace Combat 7 named aces are hidden enemy pilots who appear when you replay campaign missions and complete special conditions. Each has its own callsign and distinctive aircraft skin, and shooting them down is part of the Bird of Prey achievement.
There are 24 collectible special pilots across Missions 1 to 19. They don’t appear on your first clear of a mission, and you need to play on Normal difficulty or higher when hunting them. Some are easy to miss because they spawn miles from the marked objective or appear only for a short window.
Ace Combat 7 named aces: all 24 spawn conditions
Use this mission-by-mission checklist when replaying in Free Mission or a later campaign run. A few conditions depend on moving fast, so read what you need to do before launching. This Ace Combat 7 named aces checklist covers the 24 collectible aircraft for the Bird of Prey achievement, rather than regular named story opponents.
| Mission | Named Ace | Spawn requirement |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | PYRO | Destroy the third enemy wave using a multi-lock air-to-air special weapon. |
| 2 | JESTER | Hit the control tower before the UAV launch after clearing radar vehicles. |
| 3 | BAYONET | Shoot down four aircraft in the first 60 seconds; BAYONET appears after the mission update. |
| 4 | RONIN | Stay below 200 metres during the radar flight toward the space elevator. |
| 5 | FANG | Take at least 51% damage while your weapons are disabled; FANG appears after the first three bombers. |
| 6 | KITTEN | Fly through the western base’s mountain tunnel. |
| 7 | FAUCON | Clear the non-target enemies in the opening phase. |
| 8 | GAZELLE | Destroy every oil tank before the first-phase timer expires. |
| 9 | SPIDER | Destroy at least half of the non-target enemies; SPIDER appears as a stealth contact. |
| 10 | LOUVETEAU | Destroy every SAM site in under five minutes. |
| 11 | CHASSEUR | Destroy the aircraft on the northern platform before take-off. |
| 11 | IBIS | Fly through the central gap in either the northern or valley platform. |
| 12 | WALRUS | Defend Stonehenge without allowing it to take damage. |
| 12 | BUFFLE | Shoot down the three incoming A-10 attackers. |
| 12 | FOUDRE | Pass beneath a Stonehenge cannon structure. |
| 13 | COMET | Destroy all missile silos before the countdown falls below four minutes. |
| 14 | GADFLY | Clear the canyon in under two minutes; GADFLY joins the northern reinforcements. |
| 15 | SERPENT | Earn at least 15,000 points during the first mission phase. |
| 15 | BOGEN | Destroy the Aegis Ashore installation. |
| 16 | AXEMAN | Earn at least 10,000 points in the first phase; AXEMAN first appears as UNKNOWN. |
| 17 | MANTIS | Fly just above and along the mass driver rail in the first phase. |
| 18 | LYNX | Destroy enemies along the route and reach Shilage Castle within three minutes. |
| 19 | CALAMITY | Earn around 17,000 points in the first phase, then search far southeast for his stealth Su-57. |
| 19 | TEMPEST | Reach 20,000 points in the first phase before the Arsenal Bird arrives. |
How to find Ace Combat 7 named aces on the radar
When looking for Ace Combat 7 named aces, remember that the aircraft isn’t always sitting beside the other enemies. Many appear near the map edge or after a mission update, so zoom out on the radar once you’ve triggered the relevant action. On some missions, aircraft initially show as UNKNOWN until you identify them. Do not dismiss those contacts without checking.
If an Ace Combat 7 named aces trigger works but the pilot isn’t visible immediately, check the edge of the radar before completing the current objective. You still have to complete the mission successfully after the shootdown for the record to count. Failing the mission means another run.
Ace Combat 7 named aces in the first ten missions
The early Ace Combat 7 named aces teach you the pattern. PYRO in Mission 1 requires you to destroy the third enemy wave using a compatible multi-target missile weapon. You need a suitable aircraft and special weapon to make that run manageable. JESTER in Mission 2 rewards destroying the control tower promptly before the UAV sequence starts, while BAYONET in Mission 3 is a time-sensitive enemy clear.
Later examples are less about your weapons and more about your flight path. RONIN requires low-altitude flying near the space elevator, and KITTEN appears after you fly through the mountain passage at the western base in Long Day. Check your altitude and terrain carefully; crashing while triggering an ace obviously won’t help.
Ace Combat 7 named aces in the larger battles
Fleet Destruction, Mission 11, contains two different Ace requirements. CHASSEUR involves destroying aircraft before they take off from the northern platform, whereas IBIS is tied to flying through a narrow gap in another platform. You can plan a route to attempt both, but there’s no need to squeeze every challenge into one sortie if you’re more confident doing them separately.
Stonehenge Defensive, Mission 12, has three: WALRUS, BUFFLE and FOUDRE. They ask for different things, from defending Stonehenge effectively to hunting specific A-10s and navigating near a cannon. The score and survival demands of the mission still apply, so prioritise keeping Stonehenge safe.
Lighthouse, Mission 19, has two more, CALAMITY and TEMPEST. Both depend on building enough points in the first phase. CALAMITY flies a stealth aircraft and can be difficult to pick up on the radar until you’re close. TEMPEST appears after reaching the higher score milestone. Neither is worth chasing if you are about to fail the main objective.
Ace Combat 7 named aces and Special aircraft skins
Destroying one of these pilots unlocks the matching Special aircraft skin. You can check the game’s Data Viewer and Assault Records to see which names are registered. Once you have defeated every collectible Ace, you unlock the Bird of Prey achievement and the special X-02S Strike Wyvern skin.
Remember that aircraft skins are cosmetic. They don’t increase manoeuvrability or missile damage, so the reward is about completing the collection rather than getting a hidden performance advantage.
Troubleshooting Ace Combat 7 named aces that will not spawn
- First playthrough: finish the relevant mission once, then replay it on Normal or a harder setting.
- No radar contact: search the outer map or wait for the mission update associated with that pilot.
- Wrong weapon: some triggers, particularly PYRO, need a specific kind of multi-target attack.
- Too slow: timing-based triggers can fail even when you eventually destroy all the right targets.
- Record not saved: defeat the pilot and finish the mission rather than failing immediately afterward.
For Ace Combat 7 named aces, the hunt is easier with a plane that can travel quickly and a special weapon suited to the trigger. It also helps to separate skin collecting from S-rank attempts: an Ace might give valuable extra points, but long flights to the map edge can ruin a good time bonus.
For help choosing a jet, see our Ace Combat 7 Best Aircraft guide. The Ace Combat 7 Aircraft Tree explains how to unlock your preferred weapons.
Related Guides
Official source: Bandai Namco Ace Combat 7 official game information.
