The most expensive military aircraft ever is the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber. It was projected to cost $737 million but updates ballooned it to $2.1 billion.
Military spending is big business. It’s estimated that the US spent $997 billion on defense in 2024, which is more than the next nine countries spent combined. So, it stands to reason that the most expensive military aircraft ever developed would hail from the land of the free. What might surprise a few folk, though, is the fact that the aircraft in question isn’t some new-fangled fighter jet, but an aircraft that actually hails from 1989.
It is, of course, the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit – a heavy penetration stealth bomber, known and feared the world over for its ability to slip by radar detection systems without being spotted. Despite approaching its 40th birthday, the B-2 Spirit is still wildly impressive. It boasts four General Electric F118-GE-110 non-afterburning turbofans that generate 17,300 pounds of thrust each, giving the stealth bomber a top speed of 628 mph.
It also has a maximum take-off weight of 170,600 kilograms (376,109 pounds) and can carry a payload of up to 40,000 pounds.
