Washington intends to buy 2,443 of these highly advanced fighting systems, at a price tag of $382 billion.

 The Government Accountability Office estimates that an additional $650 billion will be needed to operate and maintain the aircraft.

Thus, the total cost reaches a staggering $1 trillion, the most expensive defense program in history.

 We’re spending more on this plane than Australia’s entire GDP ($924 billion).

Read about it here:  http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/03/the-f-35-a-weapon-that-costs-more-than-australia/72454/

Thanks to Kedmobee for bringing this to the attention of the It’s Interesting community.