Each aircraft is equipped with standard missiles for both air-to-air and air-to-ground warfare, as well as another special weapon. The player begins the game with the F-16C, and is able to unlock the MiG-21 and F-104C Starfighter after the fourth single-player mission without using MRP, with the F-22A Raptor, Su-57 and the fictional X-02S Strike Wyvern as top-tier aircraft in the tech tree. Players earn an in-game currency, 'Military Result Points,' via gameplay to purchase additional aircraft and equipment through a tech tree. Several aircraft in the game make their series debut such as various members of the Su-30 family as well as upgraded versions of older aircraft like the Gripen E and A-10C Thunderbolt II.

As with previous entries in the series, most of the aircraft are licensed from the real-world, although a set of fictional superplanes are also included. The game features 28 different aircraft, with an additional nine as downloadable content and the F-4E Phantom II offered as a pre-order bonus. The player can also choose Novice or Expert control settings the latter enables the player to execute realistic aircraft maneuvers such as rolls and high-g turns. Like the rest of the Ace Combat series, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown forgoes a realistic flight model in favor of faster, arcade-like gameplay to increase its accessibility to newer players.