Everyone is familiar with armed conflict, the manufacturing of weapons and vehicles to be used to fight in wars across the world. But sometimes, it seems as though a government can overboard in what they want made. These are 25 of the most expensive military vehicles in the world to make.
USS Gerald Ford (USA)
In terms of cost for a single vehicle, the USS Gerald Ford may be the most expensive one in the world. It’s an aircraft carrier, 1,106 feet long, and is nearly undetectable by radar. The aircraft carrier is able to deploy weapons 25% faster than the previous best performing platform. Its total price is around $13 billion.
HMS Queen Elizabeth (UK)
The HMS Queen Elizabeth is the largest warship in the United Kingdom’s arsenal. It’s 918 feet in length and 229 feet with, capable of holding 1,600 people as personnel. This aircraft carrier can go up to 10,000 nautical miles before it needs to refuel. It cost $9.3 billion to create.
DDG 1000 Zumwalt-Class Destroyer (USA)
Vehicles of this class have an advanced automation system that cuts in half the number of crew members needed to effectively operate this ship. Not to mention, it carries the U.S. Navy’s new railgun. It cost about $7 million to make.
Mil Mi-24 (Russia)
This helicopter costs between $15-$16 million. 2,648 were built by the Russian manufacturer Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant for a total of $1.953 billion. Mikhail Mil initially attempted to convince Soviet Union officials to allow him to build this helicopter. Eventually he managed to get Soviet Marshal Andrey A. Grechko to hold a panel. And the rest is history.
TAI Anka (Turkey)
The Anka may not look that intimidating, but it’s a particularly dangerous unmanned vehicle. It was made by Turkish Aerospace Industries, with each unit costing around $100,000,000.
F-22 Raptor (USA)
When someone thinks of a military jet, they probably think of the Raptor’s design. Produced between 1996 to 2011, this jet has quite a few hi-tech gadgets. However, that also made it pretty expensive. Each unit costs $150 million to produce, while the entire project cost $67.3 billion.
Seawolf-Class Submarine (USA)
Originally, 29 of these submarines were scheduled to be constructed. However, due to budget constraints and decrease in demand, only three were ever built. Each one costs $5 billion to build, for a project total of $15 billion.
B-2 Spirit (USA)
The B-2 Spirit is known to be one of, if not the, stealthiest planes in the world. At the very least, it is the most stealthy plane of the US, being called out for the most dangerous of missions. It costs $737 million per unit and the program through 2004 cost $44.75 billion.
Queen Elizabeth-Class Aircraft Carrier (UK)
There are only two of these type of aircraft carriers used by the UK Royal Navy. One is named after Queen Elizabeth, herself, while the other is named for the Prince of Wales. Each unit cost $3.6 billion to manufacture, making the total $7.6 billion.
F/A-18 Hornet (Canada)
This jet gets widespread use around the globe, being used by the militaries of Canada, the US, France, Israel, Kuwait, and Switzerland. A famous and reliable plane, each unit costs $70.64 million and the entire program cost $270.53 million.
A-10 Thunderbolt II (USA)
Better known by its nickname, the Warthog, this is a reliable and multi-talented aircraft. 716 of these jets were built between 1972 to 1984, so while they’re not the newest aircrafts they can still be well-used today. Each unit costs $46.3 million and the program cost was $33.15 billion.
Virginia Class Submarine (USA)
These submarines benefit from the newest technologies, so they cost $1 billion less than they would. However, that doesn’t mean they aren’t incredibly expensive to manufacture still. Each unit costs $1.8 billion, while the entire program cost $118.8 billion.
Charles De Gaulle Aircraft Carrier (France)
The flagship of the French Navy, this aircraft carrier’s construction was fraught with setbacks and other complications. It was completed in 2001, five years behind schedule, with the final bill being $3.54 billion.
Astute Class Submarine (UK)
A particularly novel submarine, the Astute Class is used by the British Royal Navy. Out of the seven planned, three have been built. Each one costs $2 billion, while the entire program costs $14 billion.
Cavour Aircraft Carrier (Italy)
The Cavour is the lead ship of the Italian navy. Unlike most military vehicles, this one’s more well-known for its humanitarianism as opposed to seeing combat. It was first dispatched during Operation White Crane, a part of Italy’s relief efforts after a devastating earthquake struck the island. This Ficantieri-built vessel cost $1.64 billion to build.
Black Hawk Helicopter (USA)
This Sikorsky manufactured helicopter is more well-known amongst the general population, and used a fair bit globally. It is used by the US armed forces, Japan Self-Defense Force, and the armed of both South Korea and Colombia. There are different variations used for the navy, air force, or army. In 2012, each unit cost $21.3 million to manufacture, while the entire program cost $85.2 billion.
Soryu Class Submarine (Japan)
This submarine was built by the Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. The program to build all 12 of these submarines cost $5.903 billion, with each unit costing $536.7 million.
Apache Helicopter (USA)
Another well-known American helicopter, this one seems to get less use globally. It’s used by the US Army, Israeli Air Force, Royal Netherlands Air Force, and Egyptian Air Force. While each helicopter costs $35.5 million to produce, the entire program cost $85.2 billion in 2014.
MQ-4C Triton (USA)
A high altitude UAV, this jet was designed for the use of the US Navy. Additionally, it’s used by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). This Northrop Grumman vehicle is an accompaniment to the P-8 Poseidon. It costs $120 million per unit.
8×8 Boxer CRV (Australia)
The Boxer is the replacement for Australian army’s ASLAV fleet, having won the Land 400 Phase contract over their competition. Each tank costs $24.64 million to manufacture.
Type 10 Tank (Japan)
This tank was made by the Mitsubishi subsidiary, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Making many improvements over tanks of the past, this one costs $18.4 million per unit. It might cause competitors such as Toyota to up their game.
INS Vikramaditya Aircraft Carrier (India)
This vessel’s name is Sanskrit for “Brave the Sun”. This aircraft carrier was built by Russia and bought by India in 2004 for $2.35 billion. It took four years for it to be ready for Indian use, as 99% of the structure and 50% of the cabling needing to be completely replaced.
F-15 Eagle C (Israel)
This jet is used by the Israeli Air Force U.S. Air Force, Royal Saudi Air Force, and Japan Air Self-Defense Force. Although, they’re built by Boeing in the US. It’s capable of flying in any kind of weather, built for aerial superiority. Each unit costs $65,000,000.
Typhoon-Class Submarine [Akula class] (Russia)
Akula is the Russian word for “shark”, an apt name for this sub. Built by Sevmash, this is the largest class of submarine in the world. Out of the seven planned, six have been built. And each one costs $700,000,000.
Northrop Grumman X-47B (USA)
Only two of these unique, unmanned jets have been built. While untested for use in pivotal missions, it’s believed to be a major asset to the US military. Each one manufactured costs $405 million.
P-8A Poseidon (India)
This navy transport plane is manufactured by Boeing in the US, but used by the US and Indian Navy, RAAF, and Royal Air Force. The cost for India to procure on of these planes in 2015 was $256.5 million.
Le Terrible Triomphant-Class Submarine (France)
With a name like “The Terrible”, it’s no surprise that this Triomphant-Class sub packs a punch. Le Terrible was a particularly expensive vessel to build, costing $3.1 billion to manufacture.
F-35 Lightning II (USA)
This multirole stealth jet is manufactured by the American companies Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and BAE Systems. With surprisingly powerful engines, despite their small size, it costs $77.9 million per unit to manufacture this vehicle.
