Price: $737 million
The B-2 Spirit was launched in 1989. The program to develop it was initiated during the Carter administration in the late 1970s. Northrop was chosen to build this fighter plane. The highlight of its design is a technique called “continuous curvature” which deflects radar. In fact, its radar cross-section is just 1.1 square feet – the size of a pigeon. The bomber was first deployed in action in the Kosovo War in 1989 where it flew 50 sorties.
The B-2 costs about $135,000 per hour to operate. It has a flying range of 6,000 nautical miles, and refuels every six hours. The plane has amenities such as a hot plate to prepare food, a bed, and a toilet. One pilot can sleep at a time on long missions, minimizing fatigue during round-the-clock flights. The fighter jet has a quadruple fly-by-wire flight control system, split brake-rudders, and differential thrust to maneuver which keeps its radar cross-section low. Its engines are concealed in the wing, hiding fan blades from radar, and reducing the engine’s heat signature to prevent detection by infrared tracking systems. Finally, the B-2 can hit a top speed of 1,010 km/hour.
