The Most Expensive Military Tech Ever Built

In 2023, America’s Department of Defense had a budget of over $800 billion dollars. That’s a lot of tax dollars going to the military. Much of that goes to pay the salary of military personnel, from computer technicians to the Marines. That’s important. It’s also vital that our nation focuses on the defense of its citizens. What you may not know is that a lot of that budget goes towards incredible military tech, and to show you just how wild the spending can get, we’re going to tell you about the most expensive military tech ever built. From missile defense systems to tanks to Air Force One, our armed forces use a lot of fancy equipment to keep us safe, but the tech you know about is likely just the tip of the iceberg.

To find and research the most expensive military tech in the history of our country, 24/7 Tempo scoured the internet for the most top-secret information. We looked into various sources, including the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services and the Government Accountability Office, and we researched information from Air Force experts. We have compiled what we think is the most comprehensive list of costly but important military equipment. Once you get this list done, you can learn about how many powerful weapons were used in the greatest military strategies that changed the course of history.

B-2 Spirit

Source: Senior Airman Keith James, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

• Type of Tech: Stealth Plane
• Cost: $1 Billion+

One of the most expensive planes is the B-2 Spirit stealth plane, which has a cost of over one billion dollars. This jet has it all. It can enter deep into enemy territory without being spotted by infrared, radar, visual, or electromagnetic signals. In addition to not being easily spotted, the plane can also launch an attack from up to 50,000 feet in the air. The B-2 is 69 feet long and 172 feet wide and can fly upwards of 628 mph. The plane, which is made to carry nuclear weapons, can carry 40,000 pounds of weapons.

F-22 Raptor

• Type of Tech: Fighter Plane
• Cost: $350 Million

Another piece of expensive military tech is the F-22 Raptor. It was designed to go against the MIG Fulcrum aircraft that was designed by the Russians. However, it’s still in use today. This jet can fly in all forms of weather, and it’s incredibly stealthy, so it isn’t visible by radar. The jet can conduct ground and electronic welfare, and it’s the go-to tech for aerial combat. Though it’s an incredible fighting machine, since many missions don’t often require its use, the jet isn’t manufactured at this time.

CVN-78 Class Aircraft Carrier

Source: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jackson Adkins, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

• Type of Tech: Aircraft Carrier
• Cost: $9.8 Billion

This aircraft carrier easily has a place amongst the most expensive military equipment, and although one of them is close to $10 billion, there is more than one, and the whole program costs closer to $34 billion. It’s also one of the largest ever made at 4.5 acres and weighing in at more than one hundred thousand tons. The carrier is big enough to hold up to 75 aircraft, and it has plenty of missiles for defense. It’s an incredibly effective transportation device.

F-35 Lightning II

Fighter jets are one of the most expensive and valuable resources the military possesses, outside of the thousands of training hours each pilot puts in.

• Type of Tech: Fighter Jet
• Cost: $122 million

While each plane may cost close to $122 million, the project created to design and manufacture the F-35 Lightning II is closer to $345 billion. This is one scary jet, as it’s equipped with top-rated stealth features and incredible weaponry. It can complete both air and ground maneuvers, and it can take off vertically. The Lighting II houses one pilot in its single seat, and it can fly in all weather. All in all, the military plans to buy 2,663 of these planes, so it will be a pretty penny.

EA-18G Growler

• Type of Tech: Fighter Jet
• Cost: $102 million

While not the most expensive military tech on this list, this $102 million jet is still incredibly impressive. This was a take on the military’s Super Hornet craft, and it has many of the same bells and whistles, including missiles and advanced radar jamming equipment that disrupts enemy communication. The jet is in use by militaries around the world, including the U.S. and Australia. This plane isn’t meant for extreme air combat, but it’s impressive nonetheless.

Joint Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle

Source: Staff Sgt. Nicole Dykstra, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

• Type of Tech: Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle
• Cost: $1 million

At $1 million, this may not seem like the most expensive military tech, but there are many of these in existence, and the whole program is north of $41 billion. The Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle, typically known as a MRAP is an essential vehicle for warfare in places known for roadside bombs, such as Iraq and Afghanistan. This vehicle is bullet-proof and explosion-proof. It’s a machine that’s particularly well-suited for enduring explosions due to its V-shaped design. The vehicles weigh up to 18 tons and towers at over nine feet tall.

AH-64E Apache

• Type of Tech: Helicopter
• Cost: $19.7 Million

This Army helicopter is in high demand. During 2023, close to $700 million of them were made. In 2024, 42 more of them are to be made. The cost will be close to $828 million. Built by the Boeing company, the Apache is ready for battle. It has many weapons on board, it has advanced radar systems, and it has many defensive tricks, including shielding between the two copilots, so if one is hurt, the other can continue to operate the copter. 

C17A Globemaster III

• Type of Tech: Transport Plane
• Cost: $328 Million

This expensive plane is quite useful as it is one of the most advanced transport planes in the world. On any given flight, it can transport 102 soldiers in full gear along with all their equipment. It can also carry huge tanks and hummers and drop them out of the plane at a moment’s notice. The military can essentially bring the battle to anywhere around the world with the Globemaster. This plane is in use by the armies of NATO, United Arab Emirates, Canada, and Australia. Sadly, a new Globemaster hasn’t been in production since 2015.

Air Force One

Source: U.S. Air Force File Photo., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

• Type of Tech: Plane
• Cost: $600 Million

This is the aircraft that the President of the United States takes to travel around the country. It’s a Boeing VC-25. In addition to being among the most expensive military tech to produce, it also costs a fortune to operate. It can cost close to $206,000 an hour to fly it. The plane has a top speed of 629 mph. It can fly at up to 45,100 feet, and it can travel up to 13,000km at one time. The plane has flares to defend against heat-seeking missiles and radar-jamming technology. 

Trident II Missile

• Type of Tech: Missile
• Cost: $30 million

The Trident II Missile program cost a total of $53.2 billion, with each individual missile costing about $30 million. It’s in use by both the British and U.S. Navy. The missile launches from a submarine, and it can hit that target at 13,000 miles per hour. A lot of money has been spent on this program, and the craziest part is that one of these missiles has never been fired. That’s likely because it’s equipped with a nuclear warhead. The $53.2 billion is the money spent by both America and England.

P-8A Poseidon 

• Type of Tech: Navy Plane
• Cost: $290 million

The piece of expensive military tech that strikes fear in enemies is the P-8A Poseidon. It started life as a commercial plane but is now a fully functional military craft. This very scary plane is equipped with many different weapons, from depth charges to anti-ship missiles to torpedoes. One of the main purposes of this plane is to launch attacks over the water, and this is the last thing you want to see coming if you’re an enemy. Other bells and whistles include the ability to drop sonobuoys and the power to conduct anti-submarine warfare.    

Virginia-Class Submarine

Source: U.S. Navy photo by General Dynamics Electric Boat, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

• Type of Tech:
• Cost: $4.3 Billion

Each Virginia-class submarine costs about $4.3 billion, but all in all, the project has cost around $84 billion. The Navy buys two of these each year. This incredibly powerful sub is nuclear-powered. It can operate in the open ocean and near the shore. It’s equipped with a large arsenal of weapons, including Tomahawk missiles, mines, and torpedoes. The sub also has powerful sonar enhancements. The newest models are considered to be among the most heavily armed submarines in Naval history.

VH-71 Kestrel

• Type of Tech: Helicopter
• Cost: $241 million

This extremely expensive military tech was originally conceived to replace the helicopter that transports the President from place to place. However, it never got to that point, as the project was canceled in 2009. Still, the helicopter is impressive. It could carry four crew members and countless pieces of equipment, and it was fast. It could climb into the air at 2,010 feet per minute, and it had a maximum speed of 193 miles per hour. When the project was canceled, the completed copters were sold to Canada to be used as spare parts.

Chengdu J-20 Black Eagle 

• Type of Tech: Stealth Fighter
• Cost: $110 million

This jet is unique because it’s made by the Chengdu Aerospace Corporation in China. It has long-range and air-to-air missiles. It also has internal cannons for close-combat and anti-radiation missiles. There’s also a lot of tech to protect the pilot, including engine management and fire control systems. The Black Eagle can fly at supersonic speeds, reaching up to 1,305 mph and it has a rate of climb of 60,000ft/min. 

Arleigh Burke DDG 51 Destroyer

Source: U.S. Navy photo by Journalist 2nd Class Patrick Reilly, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

• Type of Tech: Destroyer
• Cost: $1.843 billion

Each of these massive destroyers costs over one billion, but the entire fleet of them has cost closer to $101.8 billion. A destroyer is a ship that is fast and highly maneuverable and has a mission of protecting bigger ships from short-range attacks. This ship does not take the term “destroyer” lightly as it has a wide range of weapons, including Tomahawk missiles, anti-surface missiles, 5-inch guns, and mine detectors, among others. This is an expensive ship that packs quite a punch.

E-2D Advanced Hawkeye

• Type of Tech: Reconnaissance Plane
• Cost: $232 Million

This large and imposing reconnaissance plane is an upgrade to the previously produced E-2C Hawkeye. The plane has better communications and radar equipment than many facilities down on the ground. The design of the plane allows it to fly in almost every kind of weather and helps the Navy carry out its missions. It can fly up into the air at 2,515 per minute and travel at a maximum speed of 402 mph. It’s a huge piece of tech at 57 feet long and with an 80-foot wingspan.

Aegis Sea-Based Weapons System

Source: U.S. Navy photo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

• Type of Tech: Missile System
• Cost: $17.4 Million

This costly naval missile system uses advanced radars and computers to track enemy weapons and guide our weapons to destroy their targets. As the name suggests, this system can be placed on ships at sea, so it’s mobile and can launch weapons from almost anywhere. With over 70 of these missile systems in production, this project had a cost of over $1.2 billion in 2023 and is forecasted to cost over $835 million in 2024.

C-130J Hercules

• Type of Tech: Military Plane
• Cost: $138 Million

In 2023, there were orders for the production of 21 of this powerful plane, which brought the overall cost of the year to close to $2.3 billion. Produced by Lockheed Martin, the C-130J Hercules is very maneuverable and can fly where many other planes cannot. The planes operate worldwide. There are operators in over 70 countries. 

V-22 Osprey

• Type of Tech: Plane/Helicopter
• Cost: $118 million

This plane/helicopter hybrid is not only among the most expensive military tech, it’s also one of the most unique flying machine’s you’ll see. The plane can fly upwards like a helicopter or fly outward like a plane, so it can escape out of sticky situations. Production for this expensive machine started way back in 1981, and it’s still a valuable weapon today. The V-22 Osprey has been in use in transportation operations in Libya, Iraq, and Afghanistan. This incredible plane can climb to 25,000 feet and get there at 3,160 feet per minute. 

CH-53K Heavy Lift Replacement Helicopter

A CH-53K King Stallion aircraft, left, prepares to land at Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Jupiter, Fla., March 8, 2016. The CH-53K will replace the CH-53E Super Stallion aircraft, currently used by the Marine Corps. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Gabriela Garcia/Released)

• Type of Tech: Helicopter
• Cost: $146 Million 

This helicopter is costly, and there are many in production, which pushes the cost even higher. During 2023, there was $2.3 billion spent on CH-53K’s, and in 2024, another $2.2 billion is on the budget. Granted, this helicopter is impressive. It’s the most powerful helicopter currently used by the Department of Defense. It can carry 27,000 pounds, and it has a flying radius of 110 nautical miles.

KC-46A Tanker

Long trips require mobile gas stations and the Pegasus is a massive, flying fuel tanker.

• Type of Tech: Plane
• Cost: $194 Million

In 2024, the military will spend close to $3 billion on 15 of these powerful KC-46A Tankers. That is up from the $2.5 billion from last year. Known as the Pegasus, this incredible plane has a wingspan of 156 feet, and it can take off with $415,000 pounds on board (including the plane). It can hold both soldiers and equipment. It’s not only for transport either. The plane also has defensive technology and weapons on board to protect the valuable lives and items inside.

UH-60 Black Hawk

U.S. Soldiers assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment conduct air movement training in preparation for their upcoming deployment at the Joint Multinational Training Command’s Grafenwoehr Training Area, Bavaria, Germany, Aug. 13, 2013. (DoD photo by Gertrud Zach, U.S. Army/Released)

• Type of Tech: Helicopter
• Cost: $18.3 Million

Though not the most expensive helicopter on this list, the UH-60 Black Hawk program still costs a total of $1.2 billion in 2023, and 50 are on order for 2024. This is primarily an Army vehicle. The black hawk is capable of carrying large loads. So, many of them are modified for use by civilians and third-party companies. The copter can hold 12 fully-equipped service members. It also has window guns so the soldiers can defend the craft while it’s in the air. 

F/A-18 Hornet

• Type of Tech: Fighter Jet
• Cost: $94 million

This famous and expensive plane is America’s first strike fighter, and it’s an impressive combination of bomber and fighter. That means it can attack enemies on the ground and in the air. This Hornet is in use in militaries around the world, including in Israel, France, Canada, and Switzerland. The Hornet flies at up to 1,190 mph, which is Mach 1.8. The planes we’ve seen on this list are incredibly impressive, but if you want to know what not to do, then check out some of the worst aircraft disasters in military history.