See which military aircraft are available in MSFS 2020, from the included F/A-18E to fighters, warbirds, transports, trainers and helicopters.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 includes the Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet, while official expansions and third-party add-ons provide modern fighters, attack aircraft, warbirds, bombers, military transports, trainers and helicopters. Released examples include the F-14, F-16, F-35, Spitfire, P-51, C-17, Hawk T1, CH-47 and V-22.
Which military aircraft comes with MSFS 2020?
The Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet is the main real-world military aircraft supplied with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 once its official updates and content packages are installed. It was added after the original launch, which is why older aircraft lists may omit it.
The optional Top Gun: Maverick content introduced the fictional Darkstar, while Reno Air Races packages include racing versions of military-derived aircraft such as the P-51 Mustang, T-6 Texan and L-39 Albatros. These should not be confused with aircraft included in the original base installation. Our complete breakdown of aircraft supplied with MSFS 2020 separates standard aircraft from optional content.
What military aircraft add-ons are available?
Military add-ons released for MSFS 2020 cover nearly every major aircraft class, although the exact catalogue differs between PC, Xbox and the in-simulator Marketplace.
| Aircraft class | Representative MSFS 2020 aircraft | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Modern fighters and attack jets | F-4 Phantom II, F-14 Tomcat, F-15 Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-22 Raptor, F-35 Lightning II, AV-8B Harrier II, Eurofighter Typhoon, Rafale, Tornado | High-speed flying, avionics, formation flying and carrier operations where supported |
| Warbirds and bombers | P-38 Lightning, P-40, P-51 Mustang, Spitfire, Bf 109, Fw 190, F6F Hellcat, B-25 Mitchell, Avro Vulcan, B-1 and B-2 | Historic flying, engine management and tailwheel handling |
| Military transports and support aircraft | C-17 Globemaster III, C-130 Hercules, C-160 Transall, DHC-4 Caribou and E-2 Hawkeye | Heavy transport, tactical approaches and short-field operations |
| Military trainers | Hawk T1, T-45C Goshawk, MB-339, L-39 Albatros, T-6 Texan and Fouga Magister | Jet training, aerobatics and less demanding systems |
| Helicopters and tiltrotors | AH-64 Apache, UH-60 Black Hawk, CH-47 Chinook and V-22 Osprey | Low-level flying, hovering, tactical transport and ship operations |
These are representative aircraft rather than every livery, variant or product. For the modern combat-jet subset, see our focused guide to fighter jets in MSFS 2020. Historic types are covered separately in our WWII aircraft breakdown.
Do weapons and combat work in MSFS 2020?
MSFS 2020 does not provide a native combat campaign, opposing combat AI or a military damage model. On many aircraft, missiles, bombs and guns are external visual models rather than functional weapons.
Some PC add-ons provide limited weapon animations, displays or visual effects, but those features are product-specific and do not turn MSFS into a dedicated combat simulator. Radar, targeting pods, electronic warfare systems and carrier avionics may also be simplified, especially where reliable real-world data is unavailable.
Carrier capability must be checked separately. A naval aircraft model does not automatically guarantee working launch bars, catapult logic, arrestor hooks or compatibility with a particular carrier add-on.
How do military aircraft differ on PC and Xbox?
PC users can install both Marketplace products and compatible external packages, while Xbox users are limited to aircraft distributed through the in-simulator Marketplace.
- PC: Supports Marketplace purchases, payware installers and manually installed freeware placed in the
Communityfolder. - Xbox Series X and Series S: Supports only Marketplace aircraft approved for Xbox. A product available on PC is not automatically available on console.
- PlayStation: Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 was never released on PlayStation.
PC users can browse our MSFS add-on library for compatible aircraft and related packages. Always confirm that a download supports MSFS 2020; an aircraft labelled only for MSFS 2024 should not be assumed to work in the older simulator.
Which military aircraft should you choose?
Choose according to simulation depth, platform and the kind of flying you want rather than the aircraft name alone.
- No additional aircraft purchase: Start with the included F/A-18E and make sure all official content has been installed.
- Detailed avionics: Check which radar, navigation, autopilot and cockpit controls actually function. Two add-ons depicting the same fighter can differ sharply in systems depth.
- Carrier operations: Confirm explicit catapult and arrestor-hook support, plus compatibility with the carrier package you intend to use.
- Historic flying: Look for realistic engine management, propeller behaviour, tailwheel handling and ground visibility rather than weapon effects.
- Xbox flying: Verify that the Marketplace listing names Xbox as a supported platform before purchasing.
Why does a downloaded military aircraft not appear?
A missing aircraft is usually caused by an uninstalled content package, an incorrectly nested folder or a platform compatibility problem.
- Check Content Manager: Official and Marketplace aircraft must be downloaded, not merely owned. Install any pending aircraft package and restart the simulator.
- Extract PC downloads: Do not place the unopened archive in the
Communityfolder. The actual package folder should normally contain files such asmanifest.jsonandlayout.json. - Remove extra folder nesting: A common mistake is placing a wrapper folder in
Communitywith the real aircraft package another level below it. - Check dependencies: Some aircraft require a separate avionics, effects or shared-library package supplied with the download.
- Confirm simulator and platform support: MSFS 2024-only packages will not necessarily load in MSFS 2020, and externally downloaded PC aircraft cannot be installed on Xbox.