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Top 10 most expensive military aircraft in the world and the F-22 is only third? – With the development of military technology, these most expensive military aircraft in the world were created.
Top 10 most expensive military aircraft in the world – updated 2020
MilitaryEzyInfo.com – According to the Internet projects “Air Force Technology”, “Money Inc” and “Aero Time”, we present to you the top 10 most expensive military aircraft in the world.
1. Northrop. Grumman B-2 stealth bomber, $2.1 billion per unit
Since its first flight in 1989, the Northrop. Grumman’s B-2 stealth bomber has been around for nearly 30 years, but it still reigns supreme as the world’s most expensive military aircraft. The B-2 cost $737 million per unit when it was first introduced, and its stealth paint is nearly the world’s most expensive aircraft paint. After major improvements and tweaks in 1997, its total cost now stands at $2.1 billion. Every seven years the aircraft undergoes major routine maintenance upgrades at a cost of about $60 million. Its cost per hour of flight is $135,000.
2. U.S. President’s Air Force One, unit price $660 million
Many people know of the existence of Air Force One from the movie, but what they don’t know is that there are actually two Air Force One’s, both of which are Boeing VC-25’s, which are military versions of the Boeing 747-200. Which one is used by the President of the United States and which one will be temporarily called Air Force One? The two VC-25s, which also entered service in 1990, had an initial cost of $325 million and are now worth a total of $660 million after several modifications. The cost of flying the two planes amounts to $206,000 per hour. It has been reported that the United States Government will spend $3.9 billion to develop a new replacement aircraft, based on the Boeing 747-8 mother model, to enter service in 2024.
3. F-22 Raptor fighter, $350 million
Even after two decades of existence, the F-22 is still the most advanced fighter jet in the world, built by Lockheed Martin. The F-22 was introduced in 1997 and reached full operational capability in 2005. The F-22’s all-round stealth capability establishes its unidirectional and transparent air combat advantage, while the AN/APG-77 radar’s agile frequency beam scanning capability makes it undetectable to an adversary.
4. C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft, $328 million
Not only is the C-17 transport aircraft expensive per unit, the program is also the third most expensive to develop in the entire history of U.S. military aircraft, after the B-2 stealth bomber and the E-3 airborne early warning aircraft. It was developed by McDonnell Douglas and is now part of Boeing. After the Kosovo War in 1999, the U.S. Department of Defense recommended in its review report that Congress approve the purchase of 60 additional aircraft, bringing the total fleet to 180. 2004 Iraq During the war, the USAF again proposed to Congress an additional 40 aircraft, bringing the total procurement to 220, the largest transport fleet in the world.
5. P-8A Poseidon, $290 million.
The P-8A Poseidon is a military version of the Boeing 737-800ERX, with speed, range and air-retention capabilities far exceeding those of older propeller-powered patrol aircraft. The P-8A is no longer limited to anti-submarine patrol but is capable of long-range early warning, alert patrol, sea strike, and anti-submarine capabilities. It is also capable of long-range early warning, alert patrol, naval strike, and anti-submarine capabilities. The aircraft flies at a speed of 926 kilometers per hour and has a range of 7,242 kilometers. Although expensive, the U.S. military is open to the international market while procuring it independently, India, Australia, Britain, Norway and South Korea have already procured it, and the future is still on order, bringing lucrative profits for manufacturers.
6. VH-71 helicopter, $241 million
The VH-71 is based on Agusta’s AW101 helicopter, jointly developed by Loma, Bell, and Agusta, and is intended to replace the U.S. Marine Corps’ Marine One presidential transport fleet. Its demands for safety and comfort were so high that the total cost of the planned 28 aircraft came to $13 billion. Due to excessive cost overruns, the project was eventually dismounted and the prototype was sold to Canada for $164 million. The U.S. president and his staff group were still limited to using the old Marine One.
7. Northrop. Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye naval warning aircraft, $232 million
The base model of the E-2 Hawkeye was developed by Grumman in the 1950s and first flew in 1960. It is an iconic piece of equipment and an important force multiplier for U.S. naval aviators. Its various modified versions have equipped Japan, Mexico, France and Egypt. The E-2D aircraft features a new integrated all-glass tactical cockpit, advanced mission computers and tactical workstations, enhanced electronic warfare measures, and a modern communications and data link suite, all designed to meet the challenges of the new century. The advanced equipment allows the aircraft to operate with a crew of only five. Its radar uses the UHF band, which has good detection capability even for stealth fighters. An aerial refueling capability has been added, which will increase its mission time to seven hours. The aircraft’s entry into service gives the U.S. Navy an early warning command capability comparable to that of the Air Force.
8. F-35 Lightning II fighter, $115.5 million
Contractors for the F-35 include Loma, Northrop. Grumman, Pratt & Whitney and BAE, among others. It is currently in use by several countries including the US, Australia, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, Turkey and the UK. Although its price has fallen considerably through various means and mass production cost-sharing, and even President Trump’s personal intervention, it remains the most expensive military aircraft program in existence. The three versions of the aircraft currently cost $89.2 million for the F-35A, $115.5 million for the F-35B and $107.7 million for the F-35C. The average operating cost of each aircraft is about $35,000 per hour. The F-35 has had two crashes this year, raising questions about its reliability and safety.
9. Boeing. Bell V-22 Fishhawk, $118 million.
Bell has now produced 375 Fish Hawks, whose unique tilt-rotor technology symbolizes the U.S. helicopter manufacturer’s global leadership. The V-22 has a vertical takeoff and landing capability similar to that of a helicopter and the range of a fixed-wing aircraft. The V-22 can reach speeds of up to 316 mph and has a range of 1,627 km.The V-22 can carry a crew of four and up to 24 personnel. The V-22 has an overall cost of approximately $118 million per aircraft. 22 costs about $118 million per aircraft, with an overall program of about $35.6 billion. The cost per hour of flight is $11,000.
10. Chengdu J-20, estimated at $110 million
As China’s first stealth fighter to enter service, the J-20 is undoubtedly China’s most expensive military aircraft program. The project is estimated to cost $4.4 billion, with a single aircraft costing about $110 million, roughly equivalent to the cost of a corvette. Since the J-20’s equipment is not yet perfect and its production capacity has not yet been rolled out, it is difficult to estimate the future unit cost of the aircraft. But based on China’s weapons development in recent years, the price of the aircraft could rise further as more advanced equipment is installed.
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