B-2 Spirit
Active (Retiring)Bomber · Air Force · Northrop Grumman
Stealth strategic heavy bomber. At $2.1B each, the most expensive aircraft ever built.
Total Cost
$44.8B
Unit Cost
$2.1B per unit
Cost Overrun
+200%
Development
18 years
Planned Units
21
Delivered
21
Start Year
1979
IOC Year
1997
Delivery Progress100% (21 / 21)
Key Details
Originally planned 132 aircraft, cut to 21 after Cold War ended. Cost per flight hour: ~$130,000.
💸 Taxpayer Alert: 200% Over Budget
The B-2 Spirit program has exceeded its original budget by 200%. At $44.8B, this represents billions in cost growth that could have funded schools, healthcare, or infrastructure. This is a pattern across Pentagon weapons programs — the military-industrial complex has little incentive to control costs.
Why Does This Keep Happening? →What Else Could $44.8B Buy?
🏫 2,983 new public schools
🏥 90 community hospitals
🎓 1,278,571 four-year college scholarships
🌉 149 bridge replacements