The Friday File: Airplanes are not only expensive to buy, each B-2 costs $2 billion, they are also expensive to operate. The same B-2 costs $63 million/year to operate, the B-52 Stratofortress costs $25 million/year, and the B-1B Lancer, $24 million/year. Fighters are a bit cheaper to maintain. The F-22 Raptor, $22 million/year, the F-35A/B/C, just $13 million/year, and the F-15E Strike Eagle, a mere $12 million/year. Peace is costly.