Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Best Fulton Cargo: Items Guide

Of all the revolutionary mechanics introduced in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, the Fulton recovery system stands as one of the most iconic and satisfying. That triumphant thwump sound, followed by watching a soldier, vehicle, or even a bear soar into the sky, never gets old. While extracting high-value personnel is the primary path to building your Mother Base, efficiently and intelligently Fulton-ing cargo is the absolute backbone of your economic and military expansion. This guide will break down the best items to prioritize for Fulton extraction, ensuring your Diamond Dogs become the most powerful private force in the world.

Understanding the Fulton Economy

Before diving into specific items, it's crucial to understand why cargo matters. Every container, vehicle, and resource you extract is converted into one of four key resources:

Fuel Resources: Essential for developing vehicles, generators, and fuel-based weapons.
Biological Materials: The core component for developing pharmaceuticals, medical platforms, and certain equipment.
Common Metals: The most frequently used resource, required for nearly every weapon, item, and platform development.
Minor Metals: Rarer and more valuable, critical for high-end developments like advanced weapon grades and key platforms.

Your goal is not to Fulton everything you see, but to prioritize items that offer the highest return on investment for your precious balloons and, more importantly, your mission time.

The Cargo Tier List: What to Prioritize

Based on resource yield, rarity, and importance to development, here’s a breakdown of the best Fulton cargo.

S-Tier: Absolutely Essential. Never Leave Without Them.

Walker Gears: These are the crown jewels of battlefield cargo. A single processed Walker Gear yields a massive 1,000 Fuel Resources and 1,000 Common Metals. They are relatively common in mid-to-late-game outposts and are always worth the high-cost Fulton. If you see one, prioritize it above almost anything else.
Tanks & Armored Vehicles: Similar to Walker Gears, tanks and other armored vehicles provide an enormous boost, primarily in Fuel Resources and Common Metals. They require the Wormhole Fulton upgrade to extract, but the payoff is immense and crucial for funding your end-game developments.
Blueprints: This is non-negotiable. Blueprints are not converted into resources; they directly unlock new weapons and items for development. Missing a blueprint means you will be permanently locked out of that piece of gear until you find it on a repeat visit. Always, always Fulton blueprints immediately.
Specialist Personnel: While not traditional "cargo," they are extracted via the same system. Engineers level up your R&D team, medics upgrade your Medical Team, and so on. A single S-rank combat specialist is more valuable than a stack of resource containers. Their skills directly accelerate every aspect of your progression.

A-Tier: High-Value Resources

Precious Metals Containers: These are the shimmering gold containers often found in high-security areas. They provide a large sum of Minor Metals, the resource that most often bottlenecks your development of top-tier weapons and equipment. Always make room for these.
Fuel Containers: Large, red, and often surrounded by explosive hazards. These provide a substantial amount of Fuel Resources. Given the high fuel cost of developing vehicles and advanced machinery, these are always a high-priority grab.
White Containers (Common Metals): These are the workhorses of Mother Base. While individually they don't provide a colossal amount, Common Metals are used in almost every single development project. You will constantly need more. Fulton them consistently, but prioritize them below S-Tier items if you have limited balloons.

B-Tier: Solid Support Resources

Biological Materials Containers: These green containers are important for developing your Medical Platform and related items. While crucial, they are often needed in slightly lower quantities than Fuel and Common Metals. They are still a very worthwhile extraction.
Vehicles (Jeeps, Trucks): Standard vehicles provide a decent chunk of Common Metals and a smaller amount of Fuel Resources. They are a good source of materials, especially in the early game, but are outclassed by Walker Gears and tanks later on. Use them to fill out your resource stocks.

C-Tier: Situational or Low Yield

Mortars & Anti-Air Emplacements: These static weapons yield a modest amount of Common Metals. They can be worth it if you have spare balloons and are in the area, but they are not worth going out of your way for. Their primary function is often to be destroyed to create diversions.
Crates & Small Containers: These are the small, often wooden boxes scattered around. They yield very small amounts of resources. In the early game, every bit helps, but once you have a steady supply from missions and combat deployments, they become largely irrelevant. Don't waste a balloon on one unless you have absolutely nothing else to extract.

Advanced Fulton Tips for Maximum Efficiency

Upgrade Your Fulton: This is your number one priority in the R&D tab. The basic Fulton can only extract soldiers and small cargo. Upgrade to:
- Fulton Balloons+: Allows extraction of heavy cargo like containers.
- Fulton Upgrade (Wormhole): The ultimate upgrade. It allows for the extraction of any vehicle, including tanks, from any location (even indoors!), consumes no balloons, and is instantaneous. This is a game-changer.
Use the Cargo Scanner: Your Binoculars are your best friend. Tag everything from a distance. The scanner will tell you exactly what resources an item will yield before you extract it. This allows you to plan your route and prioritize high-value targets without wasting time.
Manage Your Balloons: Early on, you have a limited number of balloons per mission. Plan your extractions carefully. Extract the highest-value targets first (Personnel -> Walker Gears -> Precious Metals) before using your remaining balloons on common metal containers.
Combat Deployment: Don't forget to constantly send your combat team on Resource Acquisition missions. This provides a steady, passive income of all resources, reducing the pressure to Fulton every single container you see and allowing you to focus on the truly high-value targets.

By mastering the art of the Fulton and focusing on the best cargo, you will ensure that Mother Base grows at an explosive rate. You'll never be short on the materials needed to develop that new stealth camo, upgrade your favorite assault rifle, or deploy a new battle tank. Now get back out into the field, and make those resources yours.