Most expensive military aircraft (programme)

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning Joint Strike Fighter is the most expensive fighter aircraft programme ever. By 2012, costs had escalated to US $336.1billion – a 52.8% change from 2001 – with some reports putting it as high as $392 billion for the USA. This 50-year, multinational programme has an estimated sustainment cost for the USA of between US $857 billion and US$1.5 trillion over its lifetime. The planned total quantity for the USA stood at 2,457 aircraft in 2012.