Below are the ten most expensive fighter jets ever built, ranked by approximate unit cost, with one strategic bomber included as a benchmark outlier.
Fighter Jets
Indonesia has officially moved away from its long-standing plan to co-produce the KF-21 Boramae fighter jet with South Korea, marking a significant shift in the country’s defense aviation strategy.
The United Kingdom has cleared a major funding hurdle for the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), paving the way for a new development contract ahead of the Farnborough International Airshow later this month.
US lawmakers revive the F-35 pitch to Spain after the FCAS collapse, as Madrid weighs Turkey’s KAAN fighter instead.
Poland welcomes its first F-35A Husarz fighters into service, becoming NATO’s first eastern flank fifth-gen operator.
USAF F-35A jets arrive at Misawa Air Base in Japan, taking over the Wild Weasel mission for the 35th Fighter Wing.
Germany’s first F-35A Lightning II has reached a major production milestone after receiving its Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 engine at Lockheed Martin’s facility near Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Texas.
From stealth technology and artificial intelligence-powered sensors to massive weapons payloads and supercruise capabilities, modern fighter aircraft represent the pinnacle of military engineering.
US Air Force plans 108 new aircraft in FY2027 as slow industry output limits fighter and tanker fleet growth plans.
Fighter pilot vs airline pilot pay in 2026: a global salary breakdown covering the US, Europe, Japan, and China.