The U.S. Army relies heavily on its armored vehicles to safely transport its troops and wreak havoc on its foes. Arguably, the Army has some of the most advanced military vehicles on the planet but these come at a great cost. The United States is known for its military defense budget, which stands head and shoulders above any other nation. In order to maintain and build this impressive fighting force, the U.S. regularly has to pay billions of dollars annually to finance its military needs. (This is every U.S. military armored vehicle from oldest to newest.)
Some of the most expensive land combat vehicles that are in the U.S. arsenal include a variety of armored transport vehicles, an armored bulldozer, tanks and other fighting vehicles, and an array of self-propelled weapons systems including rocket launchers, howitzers, and missile launchers. Some are used solely by the Army, while others are also used by the Marine Corps and Special Forces.
To identify the 15 most expensive U.S. military land vehicles, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed a list of active U.S. military vehicles from Military Factory, an online database of military vehicles, aircraft, arms, and more. Vehicles are ranked according to their unit cost, sourced from a number of media and government sites. Unit prices were adjusted for inflation to March 2023 using the CPI inflation calculator from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Information on the role these vehicles play in the military, when they entered service, and their crew size came from Military Factory.
As per its budget, the United States Army spends roughly $5 billion modernizing its ground-based combat vehicles: tanks, artillery, personnel carriers, and other armored vehicles. Out of this lump sum, a portion goes to research and development, but most of the military’s budget goes toward updating its fleet of land vehicles or the procurement of new vehicles. (This is every tank in the history of the U.S. military.)
Here is a look at the most expensive military vehicles in the U.S. Army:
15. Force Protection Cougar
Source: pinemikey / Flickr
- Unit cost (adjusted for inflation): $832,334
- Type: Troop transport / Command and control communications / EOD / Lead convoy vehicle
- First entered service: Troop transport / Command and control communications / EOD / Lead convoy vehicle
- Crew size: 2
14. BAe RG-31 Nyala
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Unit cost (adjusted for inflation): $1,066,551
- Type: Infantry Mobility Vehicle (IMV) / Mine-Resistant, Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicle
- First entered service: Infantry Mobility Vehicle (IMV) / Mine-Resistant, Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicle
- Crew size: 8
13. M1117 Guardian ASV
Source: Rawf8 / iStock via Getty Images
- Unit cost (adjusted for inflation): $1,127,326
- Type: Armored Security Vehicle
- First entered service: Armored Security Vehicle
- Crew size: 3
12. M9 Armored Combat Earthmover (ACE)
Source: 39955793@N07 / Flickr
- Unit cost (adjusted for inflation): $1,427,031
- Type: Military bulldozer / Engineering vehicle
- First entered service: Military bulldozer / Engineering vehicle
- Crew size: 1
11. Force Protection Buffalo H
Source: tomasdelcoro / Flickr
- Unit cost (adjusted for inflation): $1,458,578
- Type: Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle
- First entered service: Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle
- Crew size: 2
10. M88 Hercules
Source: oregonmildep / Flickr
- Unit cost (adjusted for inflation): $4,330,659
- Type: Armored Recovery Vehicle (ARV)
- First entered service: Armored Recovery Vehicle (ARV)
- Crew size: 3
9. M270 MLRS
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Unit cost (adjusted for inflation): $4,344,229
- Type: Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS)
- First entered service: Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS)
- Crew size: 3
8. M777 Ultra-lightweight Field Howitzer (UFH)
Source: Public Domain / United States Marine / Wikimedia Commons
- Unit cost (adjusted for inflation): $4,776,868
- Type: 155mm Lightweight towed artillery
- First entered service: 155mm Lightweight towed artillery
- Crew size: 7
7. M2 Bradley
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Unit cost (adjusted for inflation): $4,811,844
- Type: Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV)
- First entered service: Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV)
- Crew size: 3
6. General Dynamics Stryker
Source: Photo by General Dynamics / Getty Images
- Unit cost (adjusted for inflation): $5,533,620
- Type: 8×8 wheeled multirole Armored Fighting Vehicle (AFV)
- First entered service: 8×8 wheeled multirole Armored Fighting Vehicle (AFV)
- Crew size: 3
5. M3 Bradley
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Unit cost (adjusted for inflation): $5,820,508
- Type: Cavalry Fighting Vehicle (CFV) / Armored reconnaissance scout tracked combat vehicle
- First entered service: Cavalry Fighting Vehicle (CFV) / Armored reconnaissance scout tracked combat vehicle
- Crew size: 5
4. M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS)
Source: tomasdelcoro / Flickr
- Unit cost (adjusted for inflation): $6,766,010
- Type: Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS)
- First entered service: Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS)
- Crew size: 3
3. M1 Abrams
Source: oregonmildep / Flickr
- Unit cost (adjusted for inflation): $15,037,012
- Type: Main Battle Tank (MBT)
- First entered service: Main Battle Tank (MBT)
- Crew size: 4
2. M109 (Paladin)
Source: Jesse Stephens / iStock via Getty Images
- Unit cost (adjusted for inflation): $17,082,045
- Type: 155mm Self-Propelled Artillery (SPA)
- First entered service: 155mm Self-Propelled Artillery (SPA)
- Crew size: 4
1. MIM-104 Patriot
Source: VanderWolf-Images / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Unit cost (adjusted for inflation): $26,969,800
- Type: Surface-to-Air (SAM) system
- First entered service: Surface-to-Air (SAM) system
- Crew size: 12
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