Most Expensive Weapons Ever

We've already seen that cheap weapons can be effective. But the United States doesn't believe in that. The US military, seduced as they are by defense contractors prostitutes, believes that no weapon is too expensive - the costlier the better.

Zumwalt destroyer, more modern art than warship

 1. Joint Strike Fighter (F-35)
As mentioned, the R&D alone exceeds the GNP of Colombia, over $400 billion. That's enough money to run the entire New York City education system for sixteen years. What do we get for all this money? The range is 30% less that the F-18 it replaces. It is more dangerous to land on carriers. It is faster than the F-18 -- nine MPH faster which for a supersonic aircraft is a very tiny drop in a very big bucket. And its fancy and expensive stealth technology and computer systems are totally useless against low-tech opponents like ISIS and al-Qaeda.

2. Virginia Class Submarine
Each one of these boats costs $2.4 billion, that enough to fund two months of the Federal School Lunch Program. These are anti-submarine attack subs. The last time the US has fought a war where it used attack subs was the Korean War. The last time anywhere in the world submarines were used in combat was the Falklands War of 1982. Which is more important, feeding children or building boats that serve absolutely no useful function?

3. Ford Class Supercarrier
The most expensive single weapon in the US arsenal. Each one costs $13 billion plus another $100 million a year just to keep these boats afloat. Each one costs the entire budget for the state of Utah. These mobile landing strips have been used a lot as America fights its colonial wars far from its own shores.

4. Zumwalt-class destroyer
Cheap, by US standards at only $3.4 billion each, enough to pay for the entire education system in the state of Idaho. The Zumwalt is a strange looking stealth boat that is significant for being totally useless. It is designed for shore bombardment but, unlike the battleships of bygone years, the Zumwalt is a delicate butterfly of a ship unsuited for combat conditions.