General Atomics MQ-1 Predator – Cost: $20 Million

The General Atomics MQ-1 Predator was the answer the United States Department of Defense found after searching for a warfighter that had both reconnaissance and strike abilities. It was first used by the Air Force in 1996 and has since served the military branch well, with the aircraft surpassing one million hours of development and combat in 2011.

Its time in service is not without hiccups, though. In 2017, two MQ-1 Predators crashed within the same week. An accident investigation board determined that the second incident was caused by the loss of a satellite link.