The U.S. military is by far the best-funded fighting force in the world. The federal government spent $754.8 billion on the military in 2021, or around 11% of the total budget. While much of this funding goes to compensating active-duty personnel, $250 billion went to fund the development and procurement of weapons systems.
The U.S. military spends billions each year on new planes, submarines, missile systems, and more. To put this into context, the American military has planes, ships, and submarines that each costs more to develop and build than the entire military budget of almost every other nation. (This is what it costs to make the world’s largest warship.)
To determine America’s most expensive weapons, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the U.S. Department of Defense Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Request. Only items that were procured in fiscal year 2021 were considered and were ranked by their cost per unit — the total amount spent per single vehicle, weapon, or system procured.
Nearly all of the items on this list are vehicles – planes, nuclear submarines, aircraft carriers, armored vehicles, and more. Many of these vehicles are designed to have both transportational and combat capabilities, all while being armored to protect the troops inside.
Some of the most expensive items in the military’s budget are not on this list simply because they are still in development and do not yet have a final price tag. For instance, the military spent over $2.7 billion in 2021 developing the B-21 Raider, a long-range strike bomber plane. The Department of Defense has requested over $5 billion to continue the development and procurement of the planes, but they are not expected to be delivered to bases until “the mid-2020’s” per the budget request.
In the military’s budget request, the costs of any single entry is broken down into two categories: 1. research, development, test, and evaluation; 2. procurement. Scientists are tasked with creating new methods of warfare to give American troops an advantage in any situation. Some of these innovations have uses beyond the battlefield and have since become parts of everyday household items. These are the popular commercial products you never knew were invented by the military.
Click here to see America’s most expensive weapon
21. F-22 Raptor
> Cost per unit: $125.1 million
> Total spent in FY 2021: $1.0 billion
> Quantity procured: 8
> Requested funds for FY 2023: $1.3 billion
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20. AMPV Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle
> Cost per unit: $132.1 million
> Total spent in FY 2021: $132.1 million
> Quantity procured: 1
> Requested funds for FY 2023: $380.7 million
19. F-35 Joint Strike Fighter
> Cost per unit: $132.8 million
> Total spent in FY 2021: $12.7 billion
> Quantity procured: 96
> Requested funds for FY 2023: $11.0 billion
18. VH-92A Presidential Helicopter
> Cost per unit: $139.5 million
> Total spent in FY 2021: $697.5 million
> Quantity procured: 5
> Requested funds for FY 2023: $100.9 million
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17. C-130J Hercules
> Cost per unit: $140.0 million
> Total spent in FY 2021: $2.2 billion
> Quantity procured: 16
> Requested funds for FY 2023: $1.1 billion
16. V-22 Osprey
> Cost per unit: $142.7 million
> Total spent in FY 2021: $2.1 billion
> Quantity procured: 15
> Requested funds for FY 2023: $615.1 million
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15. F-15 Eagle
> Cost per unit: $167.0 million
> Total spent in FY 2021: $2.0 billion
> Quantity procured: 12
> Requested funds for FY 2023: $3.5 billion
14. KC-46A Tanker
> Cost per unit: $172.9 million
> Total spent in FY 2021: $2.8 billion
> Quantity procured: 16
> Requested funds for FY 2023: $2.9 billion
13. CH-53K Heavy Lift Replacement Helicopter
> Cost per unit: $197.3 million
> Total spent in FY 2021: $1.8 billion
> Quantity procured: 9
> Requested funds for FY 2023: $2.3 billion
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12. P-8A Poseidon
> Cost per unit: $197.4 million
> Total spent in FY 2021: $1.8 billion
> Quantity procured: 9
> Requested funds for FY 2023: $241.2 million
11. E-2D Advanced Hawkeye
> Cost per unit: $235.6 million
> Total spent in FY 2021: $1.2 billion
> Quantity procured: 5
> Requested funds for FY 2023: $1.3 billion
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10. LHA America Class Amphibious Assault Ship
> Cost per unit: $521.8 million
> Total spent in FY 2021: $521.8 million
> Quantity procured: 1
> Requested funds for FY 2023: $1.1 billion
9. NSSL & RSLP Launch Enterprise
> Cost per unit: $536.5 million
> Total spent in FY 2021: $1.6 billion
> Quantity procured: 3
> Requested funds for FY 2023: $1.6 billion
8. MQ-4C / RQ-4 Triton/Global Hawk/NATO AGS
> Cost per unit: $605.9 million
> Total spent in FY 2021: $605.9 million
> Quantity procured: 1
> Requested funds for FY 2023: $1.0 billion
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7. GPS III & Projects Global Positioning System Enterprise
> Cost per unit: $875.5 million
> Total spent in FY 2021: $1.8 billion
> Quantity procured: 2
> Requested funds for FY 2023: $1.8 billion
6. FFG(X) Constellation Class Guided Missile Frigate
> Cost per unit: $1.1 billion
> Total spent in FY 2021: $1.1 billion
> Quantity procured: 1
> Requested funds for FY 2023: $1.3 billion
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5. LPD San Antonio Class Amphibious Transport
> Cost per unit: $1.2 billion
> Total spent in FY 2021: $1.2 billion
> Quantity procured: 1
> Requested funds for FY 2023: $1.8 billion
4. DDG 51 Arleigh Burke Class Destroyer
> Cost per unit: $1.9 billion
> Total spent in FY 2021: $3.8 billion
> Quantity procured: 2
> Requested funds for FY 2023: $5.6 billion
3. CVN 78 Gerald R. Ford Class Nuclear Aircraft Carrier
> Cost per unit: $2.8 billion
> Total spent in FY 2021: $2.8 billion
> Quantity procured: 1
> Requested funds for FY 2023: $3.2 billion
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2. SSN 774 Virginia Class Submarine
> Cost per unit: $3.6 billion
> Total spent in FY 2021: $7.2 billion
> Quantity procured: 2
> Requested funds for FY 2023: $7.3 billion
1. SSBN 826 Columbia Class Ballistic Missile Submarine
> Cost per unit: $4.5 billion
> Total spent in FY 2021: $4.5 billion
> Quantity procured: 1
> Requested funds for FY 2023: $6.3 billion
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