Numerous cutting-edge fighter jets exist around the world today, recognised for their speed, weapons capability, and stealth technology. Yet, it is the American F-22 Raptor that has gone down in history as the most expensive fighter jet in the world. Designed by leading US defence contractor Lockheed Martin, this fifth-generation stealth fighter jet strikes fear into adversaries with its remarkable capabilities. When accounting for the cost of manufacturing a single aircraft along with the research and technological development behind it, the price of each F-22 Raptor runs into thousands of crores.
Typically, manufacturing a single F-22 Raptor costs around 143 million dollars, or roughly ₹1,200 crore in Indian currency. However, when the costs of research, design, and field-level testing for the project are also factored in, the total cost of producing each aircraft rises to approximately 330 to 350 million dollars — nearly ₹3,000 crore in Indian currency. Although the US Air Force had initially planned to procure 750 of these aircraft, budget constraints meant that only 195 were eventually built. With production numbers reduced, the entire research cost of the project ended up being spread across this limited number of aircraft, causing the price of each jet to shoot up dramatically.
The primary reason behind the F-22 Raptor’s steep cost lies in the advanced technology built into it. The jet’s most defining feature is its “stealth capability” — even to the most powerful enemy radars, it appears as nothing more than a small bird rather than being identifiable as a fighter aircraft. It is also capable of flying at supersonic speeds without relying on fuel-guzzling afterburners. With the help of its thrust-vectoring engines, it can execute sharp, complex manoeuvres in the air, allowing it to easily evade attacks from enemy aircraft.
Beyond the cost of purchasing or manufacturing the aircraft itself, keeping it continuously operational is an equally expensive affair. Constant specialised inspections and repairs are required to ensure the F-22 Raptor’s stealth coating remains undamaged. The US Air Force spends millions of dollars annually on spare parts and servicing for the aircraft. While the United States exports its other fifth-generation jet, the F-35, to allied nations such as Japan, Britain, Australia, and Italy, it has imposed a strict ban on the export of the F-22 Raptor.