How much does an aircraft carrier cost per day?
David Richardson
Updated on May 27, 2026
Depending on the exact configuration of a carrier strike group, its operational cost is anywhere between $6 million to $8 million per day. In total, the annual cost of operating 11 carriers and 9 air wings is around $21 billion. So, this is how a part of our tax money is spent on the U.S. Navy.
How much does each aircraft carrier cost?
Here's another model illustration of the nuclear-powered carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78). The Ford itself will cost US taxpayers $12.8 billion in materials and labor. This doesn't take into account the $4.7 billion spent in research and development of the new carrier class.How much does a Navy aircraft carrier cost?
The USS Gerald R. Ford cost $13.3 billion for the Navy to build. It's the Navy's most advanced aircraft carrier. But it won't be ready for service until 2022, almost five years behind schedule.How much does it cost to fill up an aircraft carrier?
First commissioned in 1992, the aircraft carrier is close to nearing the middle of its service life and is in need of an over $600 million refueling. So even if the refill is costly, it only needs to be done once every couple of decades or so.How much does 1 gallon of jet fuel cost?
Jet A FuelAs of April 15, 2021, Jet Fuel A was priced at an average of $4.81 per gallon in the United States. If you multiply that by the typical tank size of a commercial aircraft (3,500 gallons), filling up your plane with Jet A fuel may cost you somewhere around $16,835 in total.
How much is the cost for operational of aircraft carrier
How often do carriers refuel?
Refueling and Complex OverhaulThe nuclear reactors that power some aircraft carriers typically use up their nuclear fuel about halfway through their desired 50-year life spans. Because carriers can last so long before being retired, they are refueled and refurbished with an RCOH to extend their usable lifetime.