Heatseeker/Planes

A list of all fighter jets available in Heatseeker as both playable planes and enemies. All are unlockable for use by the player.

Each plane also has distinct weapon packs that can be unlocked and equipped for a mission, allowing planes to adapt to different situations. Each weapon pack includes two SRAMs (IC) or SSAMs (Enemy), so these are omitted in weapon pack descriptions.

For information on each weapon type, see Weapons.

International Council Planes
A list of planes used by the IC air force. These planes are usable in Campaign mode once unlocked.

T-45 Goshawk
Manufacturer: Boeing

A trainer aircraft used by the Navy. The T-45 is only usable in the missions The Attack Continues and Search and Destroy.

F-16 Falcon
Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin

A relatively slow but maneuverable dogfighter and strike fighter. The F-16 is a well-rounded aircraft favoring anti-ground over anti-air.

F-15 Eagle
Manufacturer: Boeing

A formidable interceptor with good top speed at the expense of some maneuverability. It specializes in anti-air and gives early access to strong air-to-air missiles, though the V2's anti-ground firepower is not to be overlooked. Notably, the V2 also has access to LRAAMs in one of its weapon packs, giving relatively early access to this powerful weapon.

F/A-18 Hornet
Manufacturer: Boeing

A well-rounded naval strike fighter, the F/A-18 has a good array of anti-ground and anti-ship weaponry. While it has no access to dedicated air-to-air missiles, its maneuverability allows it to still dogfight well. The F/A-18 is also the first plane unlocked with stealth capabilities, though its stealth meter is slow to charge.

F-117 Nighthawk
'''Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin

A stealthy glass cannon, the F-117 Nighthawk boasts good charging rates for its stealth meter and access to very powerful anti-ground weaponry at the expense of low top speed, a small payload, and very low health. As such, it faces stiff competition from the F/A-18 and F-35.

F-35 Lightning II
Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin

A versatile and maneuverable multirole fighter. The F-35 has a good payload and an array of anti-ground weapons to choose from, and can be kitted with a multirole loadout with anti-air weaponry at the expense of heavily weakening its anti-ground power.

F-22 Raptor
Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin

The IC arsenal's best air superiority fighter, the F-22 is fast, maneuverable, and has excellent stealth capabilities. While fitted primarily for anti-air duty and limiting its anti-ground firepower to unguided bombs, the V3 has big enough bombs to be a potent multirole fighter.

Bug: The Circuit Breaker loadout is unusable. Selecting it will equip the Ground Attack loadout instead.

SR-71 Blackbird
Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin

While the real-life SR-71 Blackbird is a reconnaissance aircraft, it was reinterpreted as a powerful interceptor and bomber in Heatseeker. It has the best top speed in the game and an array of powerful weapons, but very poor maneuverability that makes it clunky to use in dogfights or against ground targets that require more than one pass.

Enemy Planes
These planes are used by the various enemy factions faced by the player. Aside from the MiG-29 Fulcrum V2, they cannot be used in Campaign mode until it has been cleared at least once.

MiG-27 Flogger
A more sophisticated foe than the YAK-141, though still fairly basic and outclassed with low health and simple weaponry.

[Version:2]

Yak-141 Freestyle
Manufacturer: Yakovlev

A light jet, Yak-141s are faced as enemies in the first handful of missions. Maneuverable, but otherwise unremarkable in stats and weaponry.

MiG-31 Foxhound
Manufacturer: Mikoyan

A fast and durable air-to-air interceptor, the MiG-31 Foxhound is built like a brick and unfortunately handles like a brick. It has excellent speed but fairly poor maneuverability, making it hard to use for the turning dogfights you will often be engaging in, and its anti-ground firepower is relatively weak, though neither of these problems seem to be exhibited by enemy Foxhounds.

[Versions:2]

MiG-29 Fulcrum
Manufacturer: Mikoyan

A good multirole fighter, the MiG-29 is the backbone of Vertana's air force. It has decent all-round stats and a good selection of weaponry, primarily favoring anti-ground.

[Versions:3]

Su-27 Flanker
Manufacturer: Sukhoi

A supermaneuverable interceptor comparable to the F-15 Eagle and MiG-31 Foxhound in role. While slower than the aforementioned two, it is still decently fast and has excellent handling and good anti-air capabilities, at the expense of being weak against ground targets.

[Versions:2]

Su-34 Fullback
Manufacturer: Sukhoi

A fast and durable fighter-bomber with a heavy anti-ground payload, though enemies will primarily use it for air combat. The Fullback is the most durable plane in the game with good anti-ground firepower, though its maneuverability is lackluster.

[Versions:2]

Su-37 Super Flanker
Manufacturer: Sukhoi

An advanced version of the Su-27, with much better weaponry and even better handling but slower top speed, the Su-37 is used by only the most formidable enemies. It is the most maneuverable plane in the game and has decent stealth capabilities, making it a superb dogfighter. The RKM is particularly effective when paired with the Su-37's handling. It has better anti-ground capabilities than its predecessor, however it is still much better at anti-air than anti-ground.

[Versions:2]

MiG-1.44 MFI
Manufacturer: Mikoyan

An advanced multirole fighter with excellent stealth capabilities and a massive payload, the MiG-1.44 packs the highest anti-ground firepower in the game, while having strong multirole loadouts that let it effectively deal with air enemies without compromising anti-ground capabilities. Likely the best multirole plane in the game.

[Versions:3]

Su-47 Berkut
Manufacturer: Sukhoi

An advanced interceptor whose distinctive forward-swept wings give it excellent handling. Fast, maneuverable, stealthy, and armed with the best anti-air missile in the game, the Su-47 is the game's best air superiority fighter, and is quite capable against ground targets as well even despite its best anti-ground loadout weakening its anti-air capabilities. Appropriately, only a handful of Su-47s are encountered as enemies.

[Versions:3]