Future Weapons America Is Spending Billions On Research And Development (R&D)

In August 2023, the United States Navy announced it would prolong the service life of four Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, keeping them operational until the 2030s. The decision was made in conjunction with the Navy’s contract with General Dynamics and HII to manufacture nine of the latest variants of Arleigh Burkes, known as Flight III.

Like the latest models of an iPhone or a Ford F-150 truck, each new Arleigh Burke warship is equipped with state-of-the-art technological capabilities resulting from extensive research and development (R&D), testing, and evaluation. However, unlike commercial products, upgrading or introducing new weapons systems is a costly process, often significantly more expensive than building, delivering, and deploying them.

CEOWORLD magazine has identified the 30 weapons that the United States is investing billions of dollars in for research and development. The data was reviewed from the United States Department of Defense Budget FY 2024 Request, which reveals that the Department plans to spend at least $700 million on research, testing, and evaluation for these 30 defense systems in the three fiscal years ending in September 2024. The weapons have been ranked in order of total RDT&E spending for those three years.

In particular, the most advanced weapons programs are the most expensive to maintain. For instance, the RDT&E spending on upgrading an existing system, Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, amounted to over $700 million in the last three years. The U.S. Navy has been purchasing these destroyers since 1985 and has spent a total of $17.3 billion on the program over the last three years, making it the fourth most expensive program. The two most expensive U.S. defense systems, based on total spending over the three financial years ending in 2024, are Lockheed Martin’s Virginia-class attack submarine and the F-35 joint-strike fighter jet.

The U.S Navy has been purchasing two nuclear-powered Virginia-class general-purpose submarines every year since 2011, at a cost of $3 billion per sub. According to the Congressional Research Service, this procurement has totaled almost $25 billion over three years, including nearly $1 billion in research, development, testing, and evaluation expenses.

The largest procurement program of the DOD is the F-35 fighter program, whose planes are used by the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps, as well as the armed forces of several other nations. Total spending on the F-35 program will top $37 billion in the three years ending in 2024, including $6.7 billion in RDT&E spending over that time.

The costliest U.S. defense program based on current RDT&E spending is the Overhead Persistent Infrared Space Based Missile Warning System. The OPIR polar-orbiting satellites will soon replace the existing network of satellite-based infrared sensors. But the system isn’t cheap. RDT&E spending in the three fiscal years through FY2024 will total nearly $11.8 billion for a total spending of $12.2 billion in this three-year period.

Another weapons system the DOD is spending the most on in RDT&E over the three years ending in 2024 is the LGM-35A Sentinel ballistic missile, which will replace the aging LGM-30 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile, which carry nuclear warheads. The DOD RDT&E spending on the Sentinel in FY 2022-2024 is $9.8 billion, for a total program spending during that time of $10.4 billion. The Sentinel ICBM would modernize the land-based leg of the U.S. nuclear triad.

America is spending millions of dollars on the R&D of the following 30 weapons:

1. OPIR Space Based Missile Warning Systems
   R&D, testing, and evaluation budget, FY 2022-2024: $11.8 billion
   Total program spending, FY2022-FY2024: $12.2 billion
   Type: Warning system
   Service branches: Space Force
   Primary contractor(s): Integrated Defense Systems
2. LGM-35A Sentinel
   R&D, testing, and evaluation budget, FY 2022-2024: $9.8 billion
   Total program spending, FY2022-FY2024: $10.4 billion
   Type: Ballistic missile
   Service branches: Air Force
   Primary contractor(s): Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, Boeing Defense
3. Satellite Communications (SATCOM) Projects
   R&D, testing, and evaluation budget, FY 2022-2024: $9.1 billion
   Total program spending, FY2022-FY2024: $11.0 billion
   Type: Satellite
   Service branches: Space Force
   Primary contractor(s): Boeing
4. B-21 Raider
   R&D, testing, and evaluation budget, FY 2022-2024: $8.9 billion
   Total program spending, FY2022-FY2024: $13.0 billion
   Type: Plane
   Service branches: Air Force
   Primary contractor(s): Oshkosh Defense, AM General
5. Cyberspace Activities
   R&D, testing, and evaluation budget, FY 2022-2024: $8.2 billion
   Total program spending, FY2022-FY2024: $10.7 billion
   Type: Cybersecurity
   Service branches: Joint Service
   Primary contractor(s): Various
6. Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD)
   R&D, testing, and evaluation budget, FY 2022-2024: $7.3 billion
   Total program spending, FY2022-FY2024: $7.3 billion
   Type: Missile defense system
   Service branches: Joint Service
   Primary contractor(s): Raytheon Missiles & Defense
7. F-35 Joint Strike Fighter
   R&D, testing, and evaluation budget, FY 2022-2024: $6.7 billion
   Total program spending, FY2022-FY2024: $37.4 billion
   Type: Fighter jet
   Service branches: Joint Service
   Primary contractor(s): Lockheed Martin
8. Global Positioning System Enterprise
   R&D, testing, and evaluation budget, FY 2022-2024: $3.0 billion
   Total program spending, FY2022-FY2024: $5.0 billion
   Type: GPS
   Service branches: Space Force
   Primary contractor(s): Various
9. B-1, B-2, B-52 Bombers
   R&D, testing, and evaluation budget, FY 2022-2024: $2.7 billion
   Total program spending, FY2022-FY2024: $3.3 billion
   Type: Plane
   Service branches: Air Force
   Primary contractor(s): Northrop Grumman
10. Long Range Stand-Off Weapon (LRSO)
    R&D, testing, and evaluation budget, FY 2022-2024: $2.4 billion
    Total program spending, FY2022-FY2024: $2.5 billion
    Type: Missile
    Service branches: Air Force
    Primary contractor(s): Raytheon
11. Aegis Sea-Based Weapons System
    R&D, testing, and evaluation budget, FY 2022-2024: $2.4 billion
    Total program spending, FY2022-FY2024: $5.3 billion
    Type: Missile system
    Service branches: Joint Service
    Primary contractor(s): Boeing
12. F-22 Raptor
    R&D, testing, and evaluation budget, FY 2022-2024: $1.9 billion
    Total program spending, FY2022-FY2024: $3.9 billion
    Type: Fighter jet
    Service branches: Air Force
    Primary contractor(s): Boeing
13. Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV)
    R&D, testing, and evaluation budget, FY 2022-2024: $1.7 billion
    Total program spending, FY2022-FY2024: $1.7 billion
    Type: Vehicle
    Service branches: Army
    Primary contractor(s): To be determined
14. PATRIOT / PAC–3 PATRIOT Advanced Capability
    R&D, testing, and evaluation budget, FY 2022-2024: $1.5 billion
    Total program spending, FY2022-FY2024: $2.8 billion
    Type: Missile system
    Service branches: Army
    Primary contractor(s): Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman
15. E-2D Advanced Hawkeye
    R&D, testing, and evaluation budget, FY 2022-2024: $1.2 billion
    Total program spending, FY2022-FY2024: $3.5 billion
    Type: Plane
    Service branches: Navy / Marine Corps
    Primary contractor(s): Northrop Grumman, Rolls-Royce, Lockheed Martin
16. E-7A Airborne Warning and Control System Replacement
    R&D, testing, and evaluation budget, FY 2022-2024: $1.1 billion
    Total program spending, FY2022-FY2024: $1.1 billion
    Type: Plane
    Service branches: Air Force
    Primary contractor(s): Boeing
17. SSBN 826 Columbia Class Ballistic Missile Submarine
    R&D, testing, and evaluation budget, FY 2022-2024: $1.1 billion
    Total program spending, FY2022-FY2024: $17.6 billion
    Type: Submarine
    Service branches: Navy
    Primary contractor(s): Bechtel National
18. Standard Missile-6
    R&D, testing, and evaluation budget, FY 2022-2024: $1.1 billion
    Total program spending, FY2022-FY2024: $3.3 billion
    Type: Missile
    Service branches: Navy
    Primary contractor(s): Boeing Defense and Space
19. VC-25B Presidential Aircraft
    R&D, testing, and evaluation budget, FY 2022-2024: $1.0 billion
    Total program spending, FY2022-FY2024: $1. billion
    Type: Plane
    Service branches: Air Force
    Primary contractor(s): Boeing
20. SSN 774 Virginia Class Submarine
    R&D, testing, and evaluation budget, FY 2022-2024: $994.7 million
    Total program spending, FY2022-FY2024: $25.0 billion
    Type: Submarine
    Service branches: Navy
    Primary contractor(s): General Dynamics, Huntington Ingalls
21. F/A-18 Super Hornet
    R&D, testing, and evaluation budget, FY 2022-2024: $916.8 million
    Total program spending, FY2022-FY2024: $6.1 billion
    Type: Fighter jet
    Service branches: Navy / Marine Corps
    Primary contractor(s): Sikorsky Aircraft, General Electric
22. F-15 Eagle
    R&D, testing, and evaluation budget, FY 2022-2024: $848.9 million
    Total program spending, FY2022-FY2024: $8.8 billion
    Type: Fighter jet
    Service branches: Air Force
    Primary contractor(s): Lockheed Martin
23. Trident II Ballistic Missile Modifications
    R&D, testing, and evaluation budget, FY 2022-2024: $825 million
    Total program spending, FY2022-FY2024: $5.2 billion
    Type: Ballistic missile
    Service branches: Navy
    Primary contractor(s): Lockheed Martin
24. MQ-4C / RQ-4 Triton/Global Hawk/NATO AGS
    R&D, testing, and evaluation budget, FY 2022-2024: $796.5 million
    Total program spending, FY2022-FY2024: $2.6 billion
    Type: Drone
    Service branches: Joint Service
    Primary contractor(s): Northrop Grumman
25. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)
    R&D, testing, and evaluation budget, FY 2022-2024: $774.6 million
    Total program spending, FY2022-FY2024: $1.6 billion
    Type: Missile defense system
    Service branches: Joint Service
    Primary contractor(s): Lockheed Martin
26. National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program and Rocket System Launch Program (RSLP)
    R&D, testing, and evaluation budget, FY 2022-2024: $761.7 million
    Total program spending, FY2022-FY2024: $7.0 billion
    Type: Launch service
    Service branches: Space Force
    Primary contractor(s): To be determined
27. Medium and Large Unmanned Surface Vessels (USV)
    R&D, testing, and evaluation budget, FY 2022-2024: $756.6 million
    Total program spending, FY2022-FY2024: $0.8 billion
    Type: Vessel
    Service branches: Navy
    Primary contractor(s): To be determined
28. MQ-25 Stingray
    R&D, testing, and evaluation budget, FY 2022-2024: $732.7 million
    Total program spending, FY2022-FY2024: $2.5 billion
    Type: Drone
    Service branches: Navy / Marine Corps
    Primary contractor(s): Boeing, Lockheed Martin
29. Precision Strike Missile
    R&D, testing, and evaluation budget, FY 2022-2024: $713.8 million
    Total program spending, FY2022-FY2024: $1.4 billion
    Type: Missile
    Service branches: Army
    Primary contractor(s): Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control
30. DDG 51 Arleigh Burke Class Destroyer
    R&D, testing, and evaluation budget, FY 2022-2024: $702.7 million
    Total program spending, FY2022-FY2024: $17.3 billion —
    Type: Ship
    Service branches: Navy
    Primary contractor(s): General Dynamics, Huntington Ingalls

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