The US's B-29 bomber was more expensive than the nuclear bomb it dropped on Japan at the end of World War II

Tue, 03/21/2023 - 09:23

b 29 bombing — A B-29 drops bombs on Formosa on October 18, 1944.
US Army Air Forces Birdsall, Stephen via Wikimedia Commons

The Manhattan Project cost about $2 billion, or nearly $30 billion in 2021 dollars.
The US's B-29 bomber program cost $3 billion, or just over $44.5 billion in 2021 dollars.
The B-29 was needed for long-range attacks and to carry heavy payloads — including the nuclear bomb.

The Manhattan Project, America's nuclear bomb program, was one of the most expensive research and development undertakings of WWII. In total, the program cost about $2 billion, or nearly $30 billion in 2021 adjusted for inflation.

However, there was one program that was 50% more expensive than the Manhattan Project. It was pushed through though because it was necessary for the Manhattan Project to work and the war to be won.