The 10 Most Expensive Military Planes

The military in the United States is big business – there's a reason that the US spends somuch more money on defense than any other country in the world. Some would say that reason is because the US has more enemies than any other country, and thus has to spend more on weapons and defense than other countries do. Still others would say it's actually all a profit game, with defense contractors and weapons manufacturers holding way too much power in the public square. No matter your opinion, you'll probably agree on one thing: Our military has some really awesome and insanely expensive planes.

In today's economy, many both inside and outside the government are calling for the government to cut back on defense spending. Some of these people argue that the money could be better spent elsewhere, on things like public schools and aid for the poor. Other still would prefer we spent out budget re-booting the space program which was regrettably shuttered due to lack of funding. Some people would probably say the money would be better spent not at all and should instead be used to pay down our massive national debt.

Public opinion on defense spending has swung swing back and forth since World War II (and probably before then), but there seems to be little that can be done about the system as it is now. President Eisenhower called it the "military industrial complex," which is a term that has stuck over the years to refer to the huge war machine that keeps planes like the ones in the gallery below getting built. So go ahead, browse the most 10 most expensive military aircraft below, you might as well get your money's worth!

The United States' first strike fighter has been around since the 80s, and carries a $94 millionprice tag.

A high-tech riff on the F/A-18, the Growler costs $102 million.

This sort-of hybrid between fighter jet and helicopter costs $114 million.

The 2001 Lockheed Martin contract produced the Lightning II was the most expensive ever at the time, and the plane costs $122 million.

This highly advanced radar plane is in the development stages but it already has a $232 million price tag.

This high-tech miltary helicopter costs $241 million.

Expected to go into action in 2013, the Poseidon costs $290 million.

This transport plane used by the Air Force costs $328 million.

Generally considered the best-ever combat plane, the F-22 Raptor costs $350 million.

The most expensive military airplane ever is the B-2 Spirit, a stealth bomber that costs $2.4 billion!