Who Are the Big 5 Military Contractors? Defense Primes by Revenue, Programs, and Market Share (2026)
The Big 5 defense contractors are Lockheed Martin, RTX, Northrop Grumman, Boeing Defense, and General Dynamics. Together they hold $146B in annual DoD contracts.
The Big 5 Military Contractors
| Rank | Company | DoD Revenue | Employees | HQ | Signature Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lockheed Martin | $50.5B | 122,000 | Bethesda, MD | F-35, THAAD, Aegis, C-130J, GPS III, Orion |
| 2 | RTX (Raytheon Technologies) | $27.8B | 185,000 | Arlington, VA | Patriot, Stinger, Tomahawk, Pratt & Whitney, Collins |
| 3 | General Dynamics | $24.1B | 106,000 | Reston, VA | Abrams tank, Virginia-class subs, Gulfstream, GDIT |
| 4 | Boeing Defense | $22.3B | 170,000 | Arlington, VA | F/A-18, KC-46, Apache, SLS, ATC systems |
| 5 | Northrop Grumman | $21.6B | 95,000 | Falls Church, VA | B-21 Raider, James Webb, Sentinel ICBM, Global Hawk |
Combined annual DoD revenue: $146.3 billion -- roughly 19% of the entire DoD budget.
Each Prime in 60 Seconds
Lockheed Martin -- The Undisputed #1
Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II is the most expensive weapons program in history ($400B+ lifetime). But Lockheed is not just fighter jets:
RTX -- The Merger Giant
Formed from the 2020 merger of Raytheon and United Technologies, RTX combines:
General Dynamics -- The Diversified Powerhouse
GD is unique among the Big 5 for its breadth:
Boeing Defense -- The Embattled Giant
Boeing's defense division is under pressure but still massive:
Northrop Grumman -- The Stealth Specialist
Northrop owns the high end of stealth and nuclear:
Subcontracting Opportunities
Every Big 5 prime is required to subcontract to small businesses. Annual small business subcontracting across the Big 5 exceeds $40 billion:
| Prime | Est. Small Business Subcontracting | Supplier Portal |
|---|---|---|
| Lockheed Martin | $12B+ | suppliers.lockheedmartin.com |
| RTX | $8B+ | rtx.com/suppliers |
| General Dynamics | $6B+ | gd.com/suppliers |
| Boeing | $8B+ | boeing.com/company/key-orgs/supplier |
| Northrop Grumman | $6B+ | northropgrumman.com/suppliers |
FAQ
Who are the big 5 military contractors?
The Big 5 defense contractors are Lockheed Martin ($50.5B), RTX/Raytheon ($27.8B), General Dynamics ($24.1B), Boeing Defense ($22.3B), and Northrop Grumman ($21.6B). Combined they hold $146.3 billion in annual DoD revenue and employ over 678,000 people.
What companies have contracts with the US military?
Over 100,000 companies hold active DoD contracts. The Big 5 primes account for 19% of DoD spending, while the remaining 81% goes to mid-tier contractors, small businesses, and specialty firms. Fed-Spend tracks all DoD contracts searchable by agency, contractor, NAICS, and set-aside type.
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