On the Mother Base tab of your iDroid, you will find the Development option, which allows you to develop items of many different types. These include weapons, support weapons such as mines and grenades, and even upgrades for your Buddies and helicopter. To give you an idea of the number of items you can develop, there are around 450 or so across all of the categories.

These items will usually require a few things in order to develop them, with GMP being one thing. Another requirement is usually a unit milestone, such as your default silenced pistol needing a level 7 R&D unit in order to be able to develop it. There are also other prerequisites, such as processed materials, plants, Blueprints and even certain specialist skills. You’ll know you’re able to make an item whenever you see a wrench icon over it; if you can’t, then there will be a lock icon.

Of course, as you’re developing items, you will notice that higher ones will take time to make. Rank 1 and 2 items (the stars) are always created instantaneous, while Rank 3 and higher ones will require some time before they’re finished. The following chart will list the times needed for each of the ranks: