These Military Vehicles Cost More Than Your House

8. The USA's F-35 Lightning II

Manufacturers: BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman, and Lockheed Martin Principal Users: Royal Air Force, US Air Force, US Marine Corps, and US Navy Program Cost: $428.4 billion* (in dollars at the time, to 2044) Cost per unit: $77.9 million* A class of stealthy multirole combat fighter jets with one engine and one seat that can do both strike and air superiority missions is the F-35 Lightning II. There are three versions of the Lightning II jets, which were built by Lockheed Martin with help from Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems: A, B, and C.

US Air Force F-35 Lightning II In 2001, the Lightning II program was awarded the JSF program contract, notably defeating Boeing in the competition. Although NATO and other US partners contributed to the program's funding, the US is the F-35's principal operator. Because of the Lightning II's sophisticated mission systems and sensors, the US Air Force utilizes it for SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defense) operations. Furthermore, the F-35 Lightning II's weaponry is nothing to laugh at. The F-35 is equipped with JDA, Paveway bombs, JSOW, cluster munitions, GBU-39 SDBs, and SPEAR 3 anti-tank missiles. It also has two weapons bays and four weapons stations. The maximum weight capacity for guns and munitions is 2,500 pounds.