5 Expensive Weapons Programs No One Wants

The Abrahams A1 tank - $400 million The Abrahams A1 tank - $400 million

This tank was designed for use in land wars that the military no longer believes they'll be fighting. They've tried to decommission the tank for years. Yet Congress has kept funding the project despite the fact that the tank is likely never to be used again.

REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani

The A-10 Thunderbolt - $212 million The A-10 Thunderbolt - $212 million.

This plane, better known as a Warthog, provides support to ground troops in combat. But it's slow and prone to maintenance problems. The Air Force has been trying to retire the plane for years, but Congress has repeatedly stepped in to save it. The latest effort comes from the Senate, which included a provision in the 2014 defense authorization bill prohibiting the Air Force from getting rid of the plane until 2014.

REUTERS/Joely Santiago/U.S. Air Force/Handout

The C-27J - $1.6 billion

The Air Force says it can no longer afford this cargo plane, arguing that it has been made redundant by the C-130. It had planned to retire the planes to its bone yard in Arizona, but Congress has ordered the Air Force to buy more. DOD has already spent $1.6 billion on 21 planes.

REUTERS/Luke MacGregor

Four Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruisers - $5 billion

The Navy has planned to decommission these ships by the end of the year, arguing that they weren't worth the billions of dollars it would take to repair them. But Congress objected, forcing the Navy to spend money to keep the ships seaworthy, but not suitable for deployment. The Navy has already spent $5 billion on repairs.

REUTERS/Paul Kelly/U.S. Navy photo

The East Coast Missile Defense Shield - $70 million The East Coast Missile Defense Shield - $70 million

Last summer, Congress authorized $70 million for a missile shield on the east coast of the United States. Lawmakers said it was needed to protect from potential long-range missiles fired from North Korea or Iran, despite the fact that neither country has or is near acquiring the capabilities to actually attack the east coast. The Pentagon has said repeatedly that the shield is not needed.

REUTERS/Baz Ratner