Hydra (GTA)

Updated 2 November 2026 · Fan site. Not affiliated with Rockstar Games or Take-Two Interactive.

The Hydra is a military jet that can take off and land vertically, like a Harrier. It first appeared in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004), where Carl Johnson steals one from a navy ship in the mission Vertical Bird. GTA V's story mode left it out, but it came to GTA Online with the Heists update and sells there for $3,990,000.

What is the Hydra in GTA?

The Hydra is a single-seat fighter jet with vertical take-off and landing, a clear nod to the British Harrier. It made its debut in San Andreas (2004), where the GTA Wiki calls it the first military jet the series let players fly. Its party trick is the switch between hover and forward flight: you can rise straight off a pad, hang in the air while you aim, then tilt the engines and race away.

In San Andreas it carries unguided rockets fired in pairs, a lock-on mode that sends out heat-seeking missiles, and flares that can throw off missiles aimed at it. The GTA Wiki ranks it with the Hunter helicopter as the strongest combat vehicles in the game. Only the Rhino tank shrugs off a direct rocket hit.

How do you get the Hydra in GTA San Andreas?

The jet unlocks through the story. In the mission Vertical Bird, given by Mike Toreno, Carl Johnson slips aboard an amphibious assault ship at the Easter Basin naval station in San Fierro, takes a Hydra and uses it to sink a fleet of spy boats. Toreno sets the job as part of a deal over the release of Sweet from prison.

Once that mission is done, the GTA Wiki lists several places to find one:

Hydras also hunt the player. The GTA Wiki notes that two enemy Hydras come after you when you fly at a four-star wanted level or higher, so a stolen plane can quickly turn into a dogfight. See GTA cheats for the full spawn codes.

Is the Hydra in GTA V?

Not as a playable vehicle in story mode. The GTA Wiki says an early version, then called the Vulkan, shows up in GTA V's first two trailers and in an in-game TV advert, but it cannot be flown in the single-player game. The jet arrived instead in GTA Online with the Heists update, built by the fictional maker Mammoth.

How much is the Hydra in GTA Online?

It is sold on the in-game Warstock Cache & Carry website for $3,990,000. According to the GTA Wiki the price falls to $3,000,000 after the Humane Labs Raid EMP setup is complete. Once bought, it is delivered through Pegasus Lifestyle Management to a runway or helipad nearby.

The Online Hydra keeps the hover-and-fly design. It mounts twin explosive cannons under the body and lock-on missiles. The GTA Wiki notes that the San Andreas Mercenaries update cut the cannon's fire rate and blast radius, so it no longer dominates free mode the way it once did.

Hydra appearances by game

For more military hardware, see the aircraft and vehicles overviews.