The Most Expensive Military Machines Ever Made

Anything from the world's most advanced fighter jets to highly armored tanks makes up some of the world's most expensive machines. These are some of the most expensive military machines that have been manufactured throughout time. 

These are some of the Navy's most significant class destroyers and come with a hefty price tag of $4.2 billion per unit. This advanced new destroyer is designed to keep off of enemy radar using its sloped appearance to dramatically decrease low radar cross-section. The crew for this ship is significantly decreased compared to other destroyers due to its automated firefighting and piping rupture system, giving it a more cost-efficient operation.

Boeing was also contracted to make the wings, avionics integration, aft fuselage, and training systems. The cost of a single F-22 fighter is $150 million per unit and $334 million if you include research and development. Maintenance on these jets is pricey as well coming in at roughly $70,000 per hour of flight.

The cost per unit is $3 billion, making it the most expensive fast-attack submarine in the United States Navy and the second most expensive submarine ever. This class of submarine carries torpedos and up to 50 UGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles. The program for this class of submarine was supposed to build twelve total ships but was stopped at three due to the end of the Cold War.

The Spirit has an average cost of $2.13 billion, and there were only 21 units produced out of the 132 planned. The bomber can carry an armament of up to eighty 500-pound guided bombs, or sixteen 2400-pound B83 nuclear bombs. The B-2 is one of the only aircraft that can carry large air-to-surface weapons within a stealth configuration.

This is considered the world's largest aircraft carrier and warship to ever be constructed. It is powered by two nuclear reactors and has a total of 25 decks. The estimated cost of the project is around $12.8 billion with $4.7 billion in research and development costs. This ship has many improvements over the previous classes of aircraft carriers including better radar and a smaller deck that doesn't require the traditional steam catapults to launch aircraft.

The Hornet had its first flight in 1978 and saw combat in 1986 during the United States bombing of Libya. This aircraft is highly reliable compared to its predecessors and was among the first aircraft to use multifunction displays, which allows pilots to switch between fighter and attack roles. The estimated price of a F/A-18 Hornet in 2006 was around $29 million per unit.

The aircraft is able to take off and land from short runways, making it useful for airstrips that are near frontlines. The simple designs of this aircraft make it easy to interchange parts when needed and even allow parts to be switched to either side of the plane including the two engines. The A-10 is equipped with an Avenger Autocannon which is one of the most powerful cannons to be flown on an aircraft. In 1970, the A-10 cost $1.4 million per unit, which is equivalent to $10.1 million today.

The Black Hawk has many variants and modifications for use with other branches of the military as well as other nations. The many uses of the Black Hawk include transportation of troops, electronic warfare, and even aeromedical evacuation. The manufacturing cost of a Black Hawk can be up to $25 million depending on the type of variant which is built. 

This aircraft has a reinforced airframe as well as de-icing and lightning protection systems that allow it to descend through clouds to provide better views of targets. It is equipped with advanced systems that allow it to take high-definition radar pictures and identify targets based on their speed, location, and classification. The Triton was estimated to have a manufacturing value of $180 million in 2019.

Many armaments can be equipped on this vehicle depending on mission use. A variety of weapons ranging from light machine guns to 30 mm cannons can be equipped. The Boxer is protected by rolled all-welded steel armor that can resist many anti-armor projectiles. The estimated cost that militaries pay per unit ranges from $10 million to $25 million. 

The Type 10 is equipped with a 120 mm smoothbore gun that fires an Armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot round that is designed specifically for this tank. It also has many electronics that are equipped that can communicate within its system to give them information in real time. The Japanese Ministry of Defense paid $7.1 million per unit in 2010.

This aircraft was developed for mostly air superiority but has secondary capabilities for ground attacks, which were rarely used. The F-15 was planned to be entirely replaced by the F-22 but supply and demand required the Air Force to operate the F-15 into the 2020s. The F-15 costs about $87 million per unit and comes with an operating cost of $27,000 per hour.

The X-47B went under extensive flight and operational testing and performed successful land and carrier-based operations. By 2015 the test program was declared completed and the aircraft was intended to become a museum exhibit. The Navy, later on, decided to maintain and keep them in flying condition but were never used in flight operations. There were only two units produced with an estimated cost of $813 million for the entire development program. 

The aircraft first entered service in 2015 and is expected to be used through 2044. It has two internal weapon bays that hold bombs up to 2500 lbs and air-to-air missiles as well as air-to-surface missiles. The F-35 is equipped with an engine that allows the aircraft to hover in its place providing it with the need to take off and land in a vertical direction. The cost per unit ranges from $69 million to $90 million depending on the variant produced.

The P-8A has many intended roles such as anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. This aircraft is armed with torpedos and anti-ship missiles as well as sonobuoys to monitor submarine activity. The German military paid $1.6 billion for five Poseidons, which is an average cost of $320 million per unit. 

Its armament features a 30 mm chain gun and space for Hellfire missiles and Hydra rocket pods. The Apache is the primary attack helicopter of many nations and has seen multiple combat situations around the world. This is considered the most expensive attack helicopter coming in at a cost of $52 million per unit. 

The Ōryū is the first submarine in the Soryu-class to be mounted with lithium-ion batteries that help the diesel engine produce power. The submarine is equipped with torpedos and Harpoon missiles as well as electronic warfare technologies. The cost per unit is estimated at about $540 million in USD.

The Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales are the largest warships in the Royal Navy. The ships are powered by two gas turbine engines, four marine diesel engines, and four integrated electric propulsion motors, all of which produce over 200,000 horsepower. The cost of production for both ships was £7.6 billion and they are still in commission today.

The ships are powered by four gas turbines that generate a total of 105,000 brake horsepower. The Arleigh Burke class is among the largest in the fleet and consists of four separate variants referred to as "Flights." Each ship has a cost of $1.843 billion per unit and has a total of 70 active ships in the world.  

The Osprey replaced the Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knights starting in 2007. It was used in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and Kuwait as a transport aircraft and medevac. The price of these aircraft stirred controversy when it came to funding this project with each unit costing around $60 million to produce.

It has many long-range sensors to identify targets from far away, known as the Longbow Fire Control Radar System. It can be equipped with air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles and has enough space to fit Hydra rockets on its hard points. The Viper also has fewer moving parts compared to most four-bladed rotor systems, which makes it easier to maintain. The estimated cost of an AH-1Z Viper is around $31 million per unit.

The Hawkeye is equipped with an APY-9 radar that can detect fighter-sized stealth aircraft. The wings can fold into the sides for use aboard aircraft carriers and is the only carrier-borne aircraft that possesses a large radar dome on its roof. The advanced aircraft can produce a unit cost of around $80 million.

The C-17 is powered by four Pratt & Whitney F117-PW-100 turbofan engines and can carry a payload of up to 170,900 pounds with a maximum takeoff weight of 585,000 pounds. It is also designed to drop paratroopers and their equipment. This multifunctional aircraft draws a hefty price of up to $340 million per unit. 

The gun was the largest caliber rifled weapon to ever be used in combat as well as the heaviest mobile artillery piece to ever be built. The first model that was built required no payment from Germany keeping in model with the Krupp Company tradition. The second and last model developed cost Germany 7 million Reichsmark which accumulates to around $24 million in USD today. The Gustav was destroyed by the Germans in order to prevent its capture by the United States.

The Superfortress featured a pressurized cabin and an analog computer-controlled fire system. This allowed the fire control officer to aim and fire four remote machine gun turrets. The B-29 was also the aircraft that dropped the atomic bombs on Japan and it was the only aircraft to ever drop nuclear weapons in battle. The B-29 program was one of the most expensive during World War II coming in at $3 billion at the time, which is equivalent to $45 million today.

The sight made it easier for pilots to hit their targets, having only a 75-foot circular error probability which was very accurate at that time. The project that developed the bombsight was very secretive during its test phases and it came with a big price of $1.1 billion. The estimated cost of each sight was around $25,000, a very high price but it was necessary for the war effort.

The THAAD has been deployed in many places such as the UAE, Israel, and South Korea. The defense system went under extensive testing programs to achieve its success. It is said that it has a 100% intercept success rate in flight tests. The estimated cost of research and development for the THAAD program is about $1.135 billion.

The initial prototype was meant to carry nuclear weapons during the Cold War but has since changed to using only conventional munitions. The B-52 was very costly, ranging from $60 million to $94 million in today's currency. 

The M113 is highly versatile and provides a wide variety of adaptations depending on the situation. This vehicle was replaced by the M2 and M3 Bradleys but is still used today in a wide variety of different roles. The estimated cost of an M113 is around $300,000 per unit with 80,000 being produced. 

The vehicle can be deployed from an amphibious assault ship and can travel up to eight knots in the ocean with waves up to three feet. The ACV can be equipped with a 50 caliber machine gun and a remote weapon station to mount a Mark 19 grenade launcher. The first phase of vehicles costs around $4 million to produce and the second phase of ACVs costs around $13 million as they are more advanced.

The L-ATV is designed to withstand an IED explosion comparable to that of the MRAP. This vehicle is lighter than the MRAP and has much more off-road capabilities. It can be outfitted with a variety of light and medium caliber weapons as well as anti-tank missiles and grenade launchers. The average cost of an L-ATV is around $344,000 per unit as of 2017 and an order of around 19,000 units was placed in 2022.

The frigate is designed to escort aircraft carrier fleets while also being able to defend itself on independent operations. It is equipped with a minimum of 32 Mark 41 Vertical Launch Systems that are mainly for anti-air warfare. There are 20 total ships planned to enter the fleet with only one being built as of today. The estimated cost of these frigates is $850 million to $950 million each. 

The shape of the Blackbird was intentional for stealth capabilities allowing its flat surface to reduce its radar signature. It was equipped with electronic countermeasures to confuse enemy missiles and avoid getting hit. The SR-71 was retired by the Air Force in 1989 and NASA continued using it until 1999 as a research platform. A total of 32 Blackbirds were produced with an average cost of around $34 million per unit.

The Extender can refuel planes while in flight and also possesses the capability of airlift operations. The fuel is stored within the baggage compartments and can hold up to 356,000 pounds of fuel, a vast improvement over the previous KC-135. There are a total of 60 Extenders produced with a cost of $86.3 million per unit.

The cockpit has room for two pilots and is designed for air-to-air and air-to-ground warfare. The aircraft is well-armored and can withstand hits from 12.7 mm armor-piercing rounds. There are a total of 126 units built with an average cost of around $18 million per unit.

There were more than 3,000 V-2s launched by the Wehrmacht, making it one of the most destructive weapons during World War II. It is estimated that over 9,000 civilians and military personnel were killed by the V-2s. These rockets were very dangerous because there was no effective defense, meaning that if one was fired it was sure to cause destruction and death. The V-2 was estimated to cost 100,000 Reichsmarks which equals to about $250,000 in USD today.

The Tiger was equipped with an 8.8 cm KwK 43 L/71 anti-tank cannon that decimated Allied tanks. The first tanks out of production were unreliable because of short testing phases due to the urgency of war. These tanks were developed late in the war and took 300,000 man-hours to produce; an average cost of $4.6 million in USD today.

It was suspected that the two bombings killed anywhere from 129,000 to 226,000 people. This sad moment in history would go on to end World War II with the Japanese surrendering. Many man-hours were put into the research and development of the two bombs. The total cost of the project cost nearly $2 billion, which equals about $24 billion today. 

The Abrams tank has several advanced technologies that make it one of the most advanced battle tanks today. It is equipped with a Rheinmetall 120 mm L/44 smoothbore tank gun and a Softkill Active protection system that redirects missiles to protect the tank. There are about 10,400 M1 Abrams that have been built with each one costing around $10 million per unit. 

The design of the fighter made it have the thinnest possible cross sections making it achieve a top speed greater than most fighters during its time. The Spitfire had many variations and improvements throughout the war, achieving greater speeds and more firepower. This was one of the most expensive fighters to produce, costing an average of £12,604 which equals just under £800,000 today.

The gunship has a low operating altitude of around 7,000 feet which makes it an easy target. The AC-130 is usually flown on night missions to provide close air support so that it is less noticeable. The cabin is unpressurized and has weaponry mounted on the port side of the fuselage. When the gunship is ready to attack, it performs a pylon turn, circling its targets which provides more time to fire the weapons at the target. The AC-130 can cost $132 million to $190 million depending on the model being made. 

There are different variants of the Bradley that serve different purposes with one of them being a scout armored vehicle. The Bradley is designed to keep up with M1 Abrams tanks in order to keep formation and is usually equipped with a 25 mm chain gun and TOW missiles. There are almost 7,000 units produced with a cost of around $4.35 million per unit. 

The Typhoon is very agile and an effective dogfighter in combat, but can also be outfitted for air-to-surface strikes. It is equipped with two Eurojet EJ200 engines that have low fuel consumption and maintenance costs. Many Typhoons were ordered by NATO countries with an average cost of €90 million per aircraft.

The SU-35 was later developed and upgraded to have more modern capabilities such as a glass cockpit and improved weapons control systems. It is equipped with an internal 30 mm cannon and 12 hardpoint mounting locations to fit a capacity of 17,630 lbs of ordnance. This aircraft was aimed toward an export market and had an average cost of $40 million to $65 million per unit.

The airframe uses a stealth-shaping technique to reduce its radar cross-section. It uses a similar design to the F-22s stealth yielding signature performance. The J-20 is equipped with long-range air-to-air missiles and short-range AAM. This is one of the most expensive fighter jets coming in at $110 million per unit. 

The plane could also be used as an air refueling platform for special operations helicopters. The MC-130 was known for its Fulton surface-to-air recovery system that was used to extract personnel and material while in flight. A helium balloon would be deployed attached to its cargo and the Combat Talon would swoop in and snag the ballon. These special operations planes cost an average of $114 million per unit.

The B-1 program was initially canceled in 1977 due to the high cost and early work on the B-2 stealth bomber. It was later restarted in 1981 due to delays on the B-2 stealth bomber and was introduced as a nuclear bomber in service of the Strategic Air Command. After the Cold War, the bomber was converted into a conventional bomber and served in many operations in the Middle East. The B-1 had an average cost of $317 million per unit.

The E-3 was built to replace the older Lockheed EC-121 which had been in service for more than a decade. The radars that are equipped on the E-3 use pulse-Doppler technology, which is a radar system that determines the range of targets. The estimated cost for an E-3 is about $330 million per unit.

The P-61 has a twin-boom design with four 20 mm autocannons and four 50-inch machine guns in its turret. This aircraft saw many theaters of war in World War II, ranging from the Pacific Theater all the way to the Mediterranean Theater. There were only 706 P-61s built and they cost around $170,000 in 1942, which equals to about $3 million if you adjust for monetary inflation.