In AC04, every plane has at least two special weapons, with some planes having three. Each special weapon has to be purchased separately. Ace Combat 04 is the second game of the series to have selectable weapons beyond Standard Missiles and the first game of the series to introduce 'Special Weapons', capable of attacking various targets at once or certain targets more effectively than others.

Aircraft Weapons List
A-10A Thunderbolt II - UGBL (12), XAGM (16), CLB (12)
EF-2000 Typhoon - XLAA (16), UGBM (14)
F-2A - UGBM (16), LASM (18), RCL (80)
F-4E Phantom II - UGBM (8), NPB (6)
F-5E Tiger II - UGBS (12), RCL (64)
F-14A Tomcat - XLAA (16), UGBM (10)
F-15C Eagle - UGBM (12), XMAA (16)
F-15E Strike Eagle - UGBL (14), XMAA (10), CLB (14)
F-15 Active - XMAA (24), FAEB (8)
F-16C Fighting Falcon - UGBS (14), XAGM (12)
F-117A Nighthawk - UGBL (14), PGB (14), CLB (14)
F/A-18C Hornet - UGBM (10), LASM (14), XMAA (14)
F-22A Raptor - XMAA (22), PGB (16)
MiG-29A Fulcrum - UGBS (18), RCL (72)
Mirage 2000 - UGBS (16), LASM (10)
Rafale M - SOD (14), XMAA (18), LAGM (16)
Su-35 Super Flanker - XLAA (18), UGBM (16)
Su-37 Terminator - QAAM (8), UGBL (16), LAGM (20)
S-37A Berkut- QAAM (10), UGBL (18)
Tornado IDS - BDSP (12), PGB (8), LASM (12)
X-02 Wyvern - XLAA (26), BDSP (24), QAAM (16)


Special Weapons
BDSP - Bomblet Dispenser
CLB - Cluster Bomb
FAEB - Fuel Air Explosive Bomb
LAGM - Long-Range Anti-Ground Missile
LASM - Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile
NPB - Napalm Bomb
PGB - Precision Guided Bomb
RCL - Rocket Launcher
SOD - Stand-Off Dispenser
QAAM - Quick Air-to-Air Missile
UGBS - Unguided Bomb - Small
UGBM - Unguided Bomb - Medium
UGBL - Unguided Bomb - Large
XMAA - Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile
XLAA - Advanced Long-Range Air-to-Air Missile

The Ace Combat 4 Shattered Skies Original Soundtrack is the most revolutionary of all Ace Combat soundtracks to date. The two composers who remained with the Ace Combat Namco Sound Team Music Staff after AC3, Tetsukazu Nakanishi and Hiroshi Okubo, completely re-invented their previous music styles (such as ambient and electronic used in the previous game), to a mainly orchestral one. All Ace Combat OSTs since AC4's are still composed with orchestral instruments at its core. A choir was used for the first time in an Ace Combat soundtrack. Guitar influences from Air Combat and AC2 were also revived, this time featuring both electric and acoustic guitars in a variety of tracks in the score. However, the most notable event in the soundtrack's production was the hiring of inexperienced composer Keiki Kobayashi to the Namco Sound Team. The AC4 OST was the first major musical production that Keiki Kobayashi participated in, and his work in the soundtrack ultimately assured his promotion as Music Director in the Ace Combat series for the next games to come.