Exercise Sea Breeze is now underway in its 23rd iteration. The U.S. Navy’s 6th fleet, the Royal Navy, and the Ukrainian Navy are jointly participating in a mine countermeasures exercise launching from Glasgow, Scotland. The U.S. Navy is leading the charge in this exercise as the most advanced navy on earth. (These are the 20 strongest navies on Earth, compared.)
One thing that comes with having such a technologically advanced navy is the literal price tag. It’s no secret that the United States spends more on its military than any other country, and much of this money goes towards its navy. Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at how expensive these warships and submarines really are.
To identify the most expensive warship and submarine classes in the U.S. Navy, 24/7 Wall St. referenced a catalog of naval vessels from Military Factory, an online database of arms, vehicles and aircraft. The warship and submarine classes were ranked in order of their production costs for the lead ship of the class at the time of commissioning. We included supplemental information regarding type, crew size, top speed, armament, and more.
One thing to note about this list is that inflation over the years plays a big factor in how these ships and subs are priced. A Nimitz-class aircraft carrier built in the 1970s, albeit a massive undertaking, would appear to cost less than other ships. However, the dollar value at the time was much less inflated than it is now.
The Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier ranks at the top of this list with a whopping $12.8 billion price tag at its commissioning in 2017. Also, there are a couple more Ford-class carriers on the way that should enter the fleet within the next decade, and these are expected to be even more costly. (These are the U.S. Navy’s newest ships in June 2024.)
Here is a look at the most expensive warship and submarine classes in the U.S. Navy:
Why Are We Covering This?
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Understanding the U.S. Navy and its capabilities gives context to larger national defense strategies and geopolitical relations. Its technological innovations have profound impacts not just on the military but on civilian life as well.
19. Cyclone-class
Source: Public Domain via national_museum_of_the_us_navy / Flickr
- Price tag: $31 million
- Type: Patrol ship
- Year introduced: 1993
- Crew size: 30
- Top speed: 40.3 mph
- Displacement: 335 tons
18. Avenger-class
- Price tag: $85 million
- Type: Mine countermeasures ship
- Year introduced: 1987
- Crew size: 81
- Top speed: 16.1 mph
- Displacement: 1,367 tons
17. Whidbey Island-class
Source: Alexandre Tziripouloff / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Price tag: $110 million
- Type: Amphibious assault ship
- Year introduced: 1985
- Crew size: 927
- Top speed: 23.0 mph
- Displacement: 16,360 tons
16. Blue Ridge-class
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia
- Price tag: $126 million
- Type: Command ship
- Year introduced: 1970
- Crew size: 842
- Top speed: 26.5 mph
- Displacement: 18,875 tons
15. Harpers Ferry-class
- Price tag: $156 million
- Type: Amphibious assault ship
- Year introduced: 1995
- Crew size: 923
- Top speed: 23.0 mph
- Displacement: 16,601 tons
14. Los Angeles-class
- Price tag: $270 million
- Type: Nuclear submarine
- Year introduced: 1976
- Crew size: 134
- Top speed: 34.5 mph
- Displacement: 6,072 tons
13. Independence-class
- Price tag: $360 million
- Type: Corvette
- Year introduced: 2010
- Crew size: 75
- Top speed: 50.6 mph
- Displacement: 3,300 tons
12. Freedom-class
- Price tag: $362 million
- Type: Littoral combat ship
- Year introduced: 2008
- Crew size: 125
- Top speed: 54.1 mph
- Displacement: 3,000 tons
11. Wasp-class
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Price tag: $750 million
- Type: Amphibious assault ship
- Year introduced: 1989
- Crew size: 3,275
- Top speed: 26.5 mph
- Displacement: 41,182 tons
10. Ticonderoga-class
Source: Public Domain via the United States Navy / Wikimedia Commons
- Price tag: $1 billion
- Type: Cruiser
- Year introduced: 1986
- Crew size: 330
- Top speed: 37.4 mph
- Displacement: 9,800 tons
9. Nimitz-class
Source: United States Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Price tag: $1 billion
- Type: Aircraft carrier
- Year introduced: 1975
- Crew size: 5,680
- Top speed: 34.5 mph
- Displacement: 97,000 tons
8. Arleigh Burke-class
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Price tag: $1.1 billion
- Type: Guided-missile destroyer
- Year introduced: 1991
- Crew size: 323
- Top speed: 34.5 mph
- Displacement: 8,885 tons
7. San Antonio-class
Source: huntingtoningalls.com
- Price tag: $1.3 billion
- Type: Amphibious assault ship
- Year introduced: 2006
- Crew size: 361
- Top speed: 25.3 mph
- Displacement: 25,000 tons
6. Ohio-class
- Price tag: $2 billion
- Type: Nuclear submarine
- Year introduced: 1981
- Crew size: 153
- Top speed: 28.8 mph
- Displacement: 16,765 tons
5. Virginia-class
Source: national_museum_of_the_us_navy / Flickr
- Price tag: $2.5 billion
- Type: Nuclear submarine
- Year introduced: 2004
- Crew size: 134
- Top speed: 40.3 mph
- Displacement: 7,800 tons
4. Seawolf-class
- Price tag: $3 billion
- Type: Attack submarine
- Year introduced: 1997
- Crew size: 116
- Top speed: 20.7 mph
- Displacement: 9,140 tons
3. America-class
- Price tag: $3.4 billion
- Type: Amphibious assault ship
- Year introduced: 2014
- Crew size: 2,745
- Top speed: 25.3 mph
- Displacement: 46,000 tons
2. Zumwalt-class
- Price tag: $4.4 billion
- Type: Guided-missile destroyer
- Year introduced: 2016
- Crew size: 140
- Top speed: 34.5 mph
- Displacement: 14,564 tons
1. Ford-class
Source: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ridge Leoni, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Price tag: $12.8 billion
- Type: Aircraft carrier
- Year introduced: 2017
- Crew size: 4,660
- Top speed: 34.5 mph
- Displacement: 112,000 tons
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