Anyone who’s ever read anything about US military spending shouldn’t be surprised that the world’s most expensive aircraft was a Department of Defense project.
Created as part of a secret project in the 1980s, the expensive plane is a design executed with the Soviet Union in mind. The Northrop Grumman ATB (Advanced Technology Bomber) was designated the B-2 Spirit after it was chosen over a Lockheed/Rockwell design in 1981. The stealthy bomber was meant to be able to penetrate even the most impregnable anti-aircraft defenses.
The project didn’t turn out quite as expected, though. A redesign from high-altitude to low-altitude mission profile added two years and $1 billion to the project’s cost, bringing the total expenditure up to a reported $23 billion. Furthermore, the dissolution of the Soviet Union resulted in the production being limited to 20 planes—21 if you count an upgraded test bomber.
Reports on the cost of a single B-2 bomber vary from $737 million to $2.2 billion, but the most often cited figure for the most expensive aircraft in the world is $1.3 billion.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
War is an enterprise indeed. If government had more money why not spend it feeding the poor people?
this is faryab yes you are rite i agree with u . but dis is a tecnologi
GREAT INFO FOR MY REPORT AND YOU HAVE EVERY THING I NEED FOR BIBLIOGRAPHY THNX!
OH AND CHRIS IF YOU COULD BUY TEN OF THESE PLANES THEN UH YOU NEED TO START SPENDING SOME MONEY XD
war also makes some people rich, not all people would be in
getting money from the some pot all i.e getting jobs such as
doctors and get there living.
yes we should make an dangerous & expensive aircraft for security
It does like nice though. I wouldnt like to fly it, I think I would be abit nervous
many people in africa and Asia are dying of hunger why the goverment spending such billions to build a plane instead of funding poor countries
We could also put the funds that educate people like chilikoh there to a much better use…like a new $23 billion aircraft!!
The cost of the B2 is puny compared to the cost of the 2 XB 70 Valkarie Mach 3 bombers.
1.5 billion in 1962 for 2 aircraft works out to about 5.5 billion each
my openion. the government should take a step to heilping the poor people and dnt play a game with us
oh you leave that it is a awesome aircraft.I have started flying it in my dream
this is too much for me to know now that i don't have a dollar but they are planes at this price it is a pity.