As the military technology advances, these most expensive military aircraft in the world were created.
For the need of more powerful means of defense, flying military technology is/was developed.
Even
creating a highly cost military equipment is not debatable by some
people as it’s wasting government’s money, but the show must go on.
Here’s the Top 10 most expensive military aircraft ever made in the
world.
B-2 Spirit: $2.4 billion
The B-2 bomber was so costly that Congress cut its initial 1987 purchase order from 132 to 21...
(A
2008 crash leaves the current number at 20.) The B-2 is hard to detect
via infrared, acoustic, electromagnetic, visual or radar signals. This
stealth capability makes it able to attack enemy targets with less fear
of retaliation. In use since 1993, the B-2 has been deployed to both
Iraq and Afghanistan.
F-22 Raptor: $350 million
First
conceived during the Cold War as an airframe to vie with Soviet
aircraft that was never built, the F-22 is touted by manufacturer
Lockheed Martin as the best overall combat plane in the world — not to
mention the most expensive. It can shoot down enemy cruise missiles, fly
long distances at supersonic speeds and avoid nearly all types of radar
detection. But the Senate debate over whether to build seven more — at a
taxpayer cost of $1.67 billion — eventually came down to the plane’s
job-creating abilities. The axed project would have employed 25,000
Americans.
C17A Globemaster III: $328 million
The
Air Force military-transport plane is used to move troops into war
zones, perform medical evacuations and conduct airdrop missions. There
are 190 C17As in service; the aircraft is propelled by four turbofan
engines (of the same type used on the twin-engine Boeing 757) and can
drop 102 paratroopers at once. In operation since 1993, it has been used
to deliver troops and humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and Iraq.
P-8A Poseidon: $290 million
Boeing’s
spruced-up military version of its 737 jet will be used by the Navy to
conduct anti-submarine warfare and gather intelligence. It can carry
torpedoes, missiles, depth charges and other weapons. The P-8A is
expected to go into service in 2013.
VH-71 Kestrel: $241 million
This
high-tech helicopter project, intended to replace the President’s aging
chopper fleet, was running more than 50% over budget by the time Barack
Obama took office. Soon after his Inauguration, the President announced
plans to scrap the helicopters because of cost overruns. On July 22,
however, the House Appropriations Committee unanimously approved
restoring $485 million to fund the Kestrels.
E-2D Advanced Hawkeye: $232 million
A
major step forward for surveillance and reconnaissance, the Advanced
Hawkeye’s powerful new radar system will increase the range of territory
an aircraft can monitor by 300%. “It can probably watch the pistachios
pop in Iran,” an analyst for the think tank Lexington Institute told
National Defense in July. Though development of the plane is on track
and two test versions have been delivered to the Navy, budget cuts may
keep the planes grounded for at least a year longer than planned.
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