Defense · Organizations
Defense Contractors
Defense contractors are companies and other organizations paid to provide goods, services, construction, research, or support to military departments and defense agencies. The list below is drawn from Paper Trail’s published organization records connected to defense—not a ranking of the entire industrial base.
How to read this section
- Contract obligations record promised federal spending, not necessarily cash already paid.
- A parent company may receive awards through multiple legal subsidiaries or recipient identifiers.
- Daily contract announcements and USAspending serve different purposes and will not always show identical totals.
Paper Trail records
Connected organizations
These are published records currently connected to the Defense hub and matching this section. The list reflects Paper Trail’s present coverage, not the complete federal universe.
Organization
SpaceX
A private aerospace company providing launch services and satellite communications for NASA and the Department of Defense.
Recorded obligations: $3B
Organization
Northrop Grumman
A leading defense contractor specializing in stealth aircraft, space systems, cybersecurity, and strategic weapons.
Recorded obligations: $12.8B
Organization
General Dynamics
A major defense contractor producing submarines, tanks, combat vehicles, business jets, and information technology services.
Recorded obligations: $10.6B
Organization
L3Harris Technologies
A defense technology company specializing in communications, sensors, electronic warfare, and intelligence systems.
Recorded obligations: $6.8B
Organization
Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII)
America's largest military shipbuilder, constructing aircraft carriers, submarines, and destroyers for the U.S. Navy.
Recorded obligations: $8.8B
Organization
BAE Systems (US)
The U.S. subsidiary of a British defense company providing combat vehicles, naval systems, electronics, and military support services.
Recorded obligations: $368.1M
Organization
General Atomics
A privately owned defense company developing unmanned aircraft, nuclear technologies, and advanced defense systems.
Recorded obligations: $2B
Organization
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is a major defense and aerospace company and one of the federal government's largest contractors.
Recorded obligations: $62.1B
Organization
Boeing Defense
The Boeing Company is a major aerospace and defense contractor that supplies aircraft, satellites, and other systems to the federal government.
Recorded obligations: $29.8B
Primary sources
Research and data resources
Department of Defense
Daily defense contract announcements
Official announcements of contract awards of $7.5 million or more, with recipient, amount, location, and contracting office.
Open source ↗USAspending.gov
Federal award search
Searchable prime-award and transaction data. Figures can differ from budget authority and contract ceiling values.
Open source ↗DoD Office of Small Business Programs
Work with DoD
Official entry points for military-department and defense-agency contracting offices.
Open source ↗