The U.S. Navy’s Most Expensive Weapons Programs in 2026

The U.S. Department of Defense recently released a report detailing its requested budget for the 2026 fiscal year. Of the Pentagon’s nearly $962 billion in requested funding for the coming year, approximately 40% — or $384.4 billion — will go towards weapons development and procurement. Even though the DOD’s weapons development and procurement budget accounts for less than half of total U.S. defense spending, it is still more than double the entire military budget of nearly every other country in the world — and the bulk of next year’s weapon acquisition spending is earmarked for the U.S. Navy.

According to the report, issued by the Under Secretary of Defense, the DOD has allocated $95.3 billion for naval weapons and equipment procurement, a more than 16% increase from fiscal 2025, and tens of billions of dollars more than the U.S. Air Force or U.S. Army procurement budgets. The U.S. Navy is also set to receive an additional $29.2 billion in funding for weapons research, development, testing, and evaluation — a $3.2 billion increase from 2025. 

The Navy’s unmatched weapons procurement budget directly reflects the branch’s unique geopolitical importance. Essential for sustaining land-based combat operations, U.S. Navy vessels can deliver food, equipment, fuel, and firepower across the world’s oceans. With bases spanning four continents and ships deployed around the world, the Navy can also respond quickly to international crises. Even in peacetime, the U.S. Navy serves as a guarantor of global trade and commerce — 90% of which is transported by ship. The Navy also helps maintain peace by deterring foreign aggressors, both through its forward presence and fleet of submarines armed with nuclear ballistic missiles.

With an eye toward maintaining American naval superiority, at least twenty separate U.S. Navy weapons programs have been outlined for fiscal 2026, 15 of which are expected to cost at least $1 billion.

Using data from DOD’s annual budget request, 24/7 Wall St. identified the U.S. Navy’s most expensive weapons programs in 2026. We considered all Navy and Marine Corps weapons programs detailed in the report for the coming fiscal year and ranked them by cost projections. All supplemental data is also from the DOD’s report. 

The weapon systems on this list include fighter and transport aircraft, offensive missiles and munitions, surface ships and submarines, as well as missile defense systems. The costs listed reflect estimates for procurement, research and development, or a combination of both.

The collective cost of the systems on this list is expected to exceed $60.6 billion — and much of that spending will go to major defense companies that have been contracted by the Pentagon to develop and manufacture these weapons. Companies awarded these contracts include Boeing, General Dynamics, General Electric, Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), Lockheed Martin, and RTX, formerly Raytheon Technologies.

These are the U.S. Navy’s most expensive weapons programs in 2026. 

Why It Matters

The U.S. defense budget is by far the largest in the world, surpassing that of the next nine highest-spending countries combined. Next year, the Defense Department is requesting over $95 billion for naval weapons and equipment procurement alone — more than Germany’s entire defense budget in 2024. Heavy investment in weapons systems for the U.S. Navy directly reflects the branch’s importance to American interests, in times of both war and peace.

20. FFG(X) Constellation Class Guided Missile Frigate

• Procurement budget for fiscal 2026: $84.2 million
• Change in funding, FY 2025 to FY 2026: -88.6% (-$654.5 million)
• Program category: Shipbuilding and Maritime Systems
• Weapon description: Combat vessel with anti-air, anti-submarine, and anti-surface capability
• Program service branch: U.S. Navy
• Primary contractor(s) include: Fincantieri Marinette Marine

19. RAM Rolling Airframe Missile

• Procurement budget for fiscal 2026: $127.0 million
• Change in funding, FY 2025 to FY 2026: -13.4% (-$19.7 million)
• Program category: Missiles and Munitions
• Weapon description: Defensive, surface-to-air and surface-to-surface infrared missile
• Program service branch: U.S. Navy
• Primary contractor(s) include: RTX, RAMSYS GmbH

18. USV Medium and Large Unmanned Surface Vessels

• Procurement budget for fiscal 2026: $129.6 million
• Change in funding, FY 2025 to FY 2026: -27.3% (-$48.6 million)
• Program category: Shipbuilding and Maritime Systems
• Weapon description: Multi-mission, anti-surface warfare unmanned surface vessel
• Program service branch: U.S. Navy
• Primary contractor(s) include: TBD

17. NSM Naval Strike Missile

• Procurement budget for fiscal 2026: $219.1 million
• Change in funding, FY 2025 to FY 2026: -10.6% (-$25.9 million)
• Program category: Missiles and Munitions
• Weapon description: Offensive, long-range, land and maritime anti-surface missile
• Program service branch: U.S. Navy
• Primary contractor(s) include: RTX, Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace

16. Tactical Tomahawk Cruise Missile

• Procurement budget for fiscal 2026: $946.1 million
• Change in funding, FY 2025 to FY 2026: +33.7% (+$238.4 million)
• Program category: Missiles and Munitions
• Weapon description: Medium- to long-range, subsonic, precision strike cruise missile
• Program service branch: U.S. Navy
• Primary contractor(s) include: RTX

15. MQ-25 Stingray

• Procurement budget for fiscal 2026: $1.1 billion
• Change in funding, FY 2025 to FY 2026: +168.7% (+$716.9 million)
• Program category: Aircraft and Related Systems
• Weapon description: Unmanned aerial refueling, intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance drone
• Program service branch: U.S. Navy / U.S. Marine Corps
• Primary contractor(s) include: Boeing, Lockheed Martin

14. SM-6 Standard Missile-6

• Procurement budget for fiscal 2026: $1.3 billion
• Change in funding, FY 2025 to FY 2026: +28.5% (+$279.8 million)
• Program category: Missiles and Munitions
• Weapon description: Maritime, surface-to-air missile carried by cruisers and destroyers
• Program service branch: U.S. Navy
• Primary contractor(s) include: RTX

13. LSM Medium Landing Ship

• Procurement budget for fiscal 2026: $2.0 billion
• Change in funding, FY 2025 to FY 2026: +5,435.3% (+$1.9 billion)
• Program category: Shipbuilding and Maritime Systems
• Weapon description: Maneuverable, intra-theater, amphibious warfare ship
• Program service branch: U.S. Navy
• Primary contractor(s) include: TBD

12. F/A-18 Super Hornet

• Procurement budget for fiscal 2026: $2.0 billion
• Change in funding, FY 2025 to FY 2026: +19.4% (+$322.1 million)
• Program category: Aircraft and Related Systems
• Weapon description: Carrier-based multi-role tactical fighter and attack aircraft
• Program service branch: U.S. Navy / U.S. Marine Corps
• Primary contractor(s) include: Boeing, General Electric

11. T-AO 205 John Lewis Class Fleet Replenishment Oiler

• Procurement budget for fiscal 2026: $2.0 billion
• Change in funding, FY 2025 to FY 2026: +690.9% (+$1.8 billion)
• Program category: Shipbuilding and Maritime Systems
• Weapon description: Fuel and cargo delivery vessel
• Program service branch: U.S. Navy
• Primary contractor(s) include: General Dynamics

10. E-2D Advanced Hawkeye

• Procurement budget for fiscal 2026: $2.1 billion
• Change in funding, FY 2025 to FY 2026: +263.7% (+$1.5 billion)
• Program category: Aircraft and Related Systems
• Weapon description: Carrier-based, twin-engine, early-warning radar aircraft
• Program service branch: U.S. Navy / U.S. Marine Corps
• Primary contractor(s) include: Northrop Grumman, Rolls-Royce, Lockheed Martin

9. CVN Refueling Complex Overhaul

• Procurement budget for fiscal 2026: $2.3 billion
• Change in funding, FY 2025 to FY 2026: +52.9% (+$787.3 million)
• Program category: Shipbuilding and Maritime Systems
• Weapon description: Modernization of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers
• Program service branch: U.S. Navy
• Primary contractor(s) include: HII (Huntington Ingalls Industries)

8. CH-53K Heavy Lift Replacement Helicopter

• Procurement budget for fiscal 2026: $2.5 billion
• Change in funding, FY 2025 to FY 2026: -16.9% (-$505.3 million)
• Program category: Aircraft and Related Systems
• Weapon description: Marinized heavy-lift helicopter
• Program service branch: U.S. Navy / U.S. Marine Corps
• Primary contractor(s) include: Sikorsky, General Electric

7. LPD 17 San Antonio Class Amphibious Ship

• Procurement budget for fiscal 2026: $2.8 billion
• Change in funding, FY 2025 to FY 2026: +70.1% (+$1.2 billion)
• Program category: Shipbuilding and Maritime Systems
• Weapon description: Transport dock ship
• Program service branch: U.S. Navy
• Primary contractor(s) include: HII (Huntington Ingalls Industries)

6. CVN 78 Gerald R. Ford Class Nuclear Aircraft Carrier

• Procurement budget for fiscal 2026: $3.6 billion
• Change in funding, FY 2025 to FY 2026: +64.6% (+$1.4 billion)
• Program category: Shipbuilding and Maritime Systems
• Weapon description: Aircraft carrier
• Program service branch: U.S. Navy
• Primary contractor(s) include: HII (Huntington Ingalls Industries)

5. Trident II Trident II Ballistic Missile Modifications

• Procurement budget for fiscal 2026: $3.7 billion
• Change in funding, FY 2025 to FY 2026: +56.4% (+$1.3 billion)
• Program category: Missiles and Munitions
• Weapon description: Nuclear-capable, submarine launched ballistic missile
• Program service branch: U.S. Navy
• Primary contractor(s) include: Lockheed Martin

4. LHA America Class Amphibious Assault Ship

• Procurement budget for fiscal 2026: $4.0 billion
• Change in funding, FY 2025 to FY 2026: +1,760.1% (+$3.8 billion)
• Program category: Shipbuilding and Maritime Systems
• Weapon description: Large-deck support craft for ground forces
• Program service branch: U.S. Navy
• Primary contractor(s) include: HII (Huntington Ingalls Industries)

3. DDG 51 Arleigh Burke Class Destroyer

• Procurement budget for fiscal 2026: $5.9 billion
• Change in funding, FY 2025 to FY 2026: -31.2% (-$2.7 billion)
• Program category: Shipbuilding and Maritime Systems
• Weapon description: Anti-air, anti-submarine, and anti-surface capable destroyer vessel
• Program service branch: U.S. Navy
• Primary contractor(s) include: General Dynamics, HII Industries

2. SSBN 826 Columbia Class Ballistic Missile Submarine

• Procurement budget for fiscal 2026: $11.5 billion
• Change in funding, FY 2025 to FY 2026: +15.9% (+$1.6 billion)
• Program category: Shipbuilding and Maritime Systems
• Weapon description: Ballistic missile nuclear deterrent submarine
• Program service branch: U.S. Navy
• Primary contractor(s) include: General Dynamics, HII Industries

1. SSN 774 Virginia Class Submarine

• Procurement budget for fiscal 2026: $12.2 billion
• Change in funding, FY 2025 to FY 2026: -12.1% (-$1.7 billion)
• Program category: Shipbuilding and Maritime Systems
• Weapon description: Nuclear-powered attack submarine
• Program service branch: U.S. Navy
• Primary contractor(s) include: General Dynamics, HII Industries

The post The U.S. Navy’s Most Expensive Weapons Programs in 2026 appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..