To be honest, we don't really know how much a military project really costs, so most just means most we could determine. Blame money being hidden in $300 plungers.


Most expensive also doesn't include projects that yielded few positive results, like the theme parks in Vietnam...

10.) General Dynamics Ohio-Class Submarines


The US Navy has 18 of them, and while Russian Typhoon and Borei-class submarines are bigger, the Ohio-class can carry the most (nuclear) missiles. That comes at a price. Stig-a-saw-us wrecks has a costs list:

Ohio Class Submarine. $2 billion per sub x 18 = $36 billion. That's purchase price . It's about $50 Read more

$2 billion per sub x 18 = $36 billion. That's purchase price . It's about $50 million per year to run and these have been around for decades. Pretty dam expensive. Replacement cost is said to be $4 billion per.

Suggested By: Stig-a-saw-us wrecks, Photo Credit: Submarine Group Ten

9.) Austal USA Independence-class


Ships that should be able to kick ass in the littoral zone. The costs? 13 billion dollars according to In a Mini; let them mock me as My Mini Countryman is higher than you.

USNC LCS-ONE Independence, technically you're not supposed to know about it. It's a shallow water… Read more


Suggested By: In a Mini; let them mock me as My Mini Countryman is higher than you, Photo Credit: SurfaceWarriors

8.) Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey


The Marines needed a cool toy too, and it doesn't get much cooler than an Osprey. The project cost north of $50 billion so far, thanks to some teething issues, but the more they build, the lower the unit costs will go, so keep your fingers crossed for Ospreys all over the sky. So far, 160 were made.

Suggested By: Gamecat235, Photo Credit: mashleymorgan

7.) Newport News Nimitz-class aircraft carrier


If you need fast-moving aircraft bases, you have to have deep pockets according to DennyCraneDennyCraneDennyCrane:

There are 10. Each one cost between $4.5 Billion and $6.2 Billion. Let's assume an average of $5.5 Billion, and say the whole fleet ran $55 Billion. Each one will be refueled at least once, at a cost of $2.5 Billion, so another $25 Billion for $80 Billion total. And that's just building and refueling the ten ships. When they're decommissioned, it will cost an estimated $700 Million - $900 Million. Each. I'll be generous and say it's on the low end for a running $87 Billion total. Oh, you need to pay and feed ~5,680 sailors, each, just to keep them operating? For 60 years? And that doesn't include armament, jet fuel, airplanes, logistical operations, support ships, supply ships, and the many other things which exist solely to keep this one boat operating and safe? Uh. Well then...

Suggested By: DennyCraneDennyCraneDennyCrane, Photo Credit: Official U.S. Navy Imagery


6.) Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit


21 were built, each at a cost of around $2 billion. But look at it this way: huskdoc's childhood was much more adventurous thanks to this project:

My mom was on that project when we lived in California. It was so cool to be able to see those things fly over Lancaster/Palmdale and know what it was while everyone else was dumb founded. I guess that is why when I see new planes I don't get a chub because that was my childhood seeing top secret planes fly everyday.


Suggested By: Gamecat235, Photo Credit: Clemens Vasters

5.) The Great Wall Of China


While it's true that labor costs were even lower at the time (people were essentially forced to build the wall), the number of God damn Mongolians around was almost unbearable. Since a huge % of the labor force was used you can imagine that, at least in GDP, it sucked up a ton of costs.

Suggested By: Patrick George, Photo Credit: Keith Roper

4.) The Atlantic Wall


Much smaller but way more powerful than the Chinese original, the Atlantic Wall of defense wasn't enough the save the Nazis and cost something like 3.7 billion DM in 1940s currency. Deutschmarks not well spent.

Suggested By: POD, Photo Credit: Getty Images

3.) The Manhattan Project


Sure, you got much more than three bombs out of this round, but at $26 billion, it still wasn't a walk in the park in any way.

Suggested By: McPherson, Photo Credit: AP Images

2.) Ballistic Missile Defense System


Saracen, Manual Douche Elitist is not a fan of rockets:

The Ballistic Missle Defense System so far has cost over $120 billion, and it's still only in the development stage.


Suggested By: Saracen, Manual Douche Elitist, Photo Credit: United States Department of Defense

1.) Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II


It's awesome, but Rosetto Viacava prefers the F-22 to the $400 billion project as it only cost $72 billion:

Lockheed Martin F-35. Add the costs of incompetent recalls and repairs to the huge and long bill. They was grounded many times. They should've scrapped the whole project and stick to F-22. Suggested By: Rosetto Viacava, Photo Credit: Official U.S. Navy Imagery

Welcome back to Answers of the Day - our daily Jalopnik feature where we take the best ten responses from the previous day's Question of the Day and shine it up to show off. It's by you and for you, the Jalopnik readers. Enjoy!


Top Photo Credit: Official U.S. Navy Imagery