List of Biggest Defence Contractors

The defence indus­try is a huge and impor­tant part of the global econ­omy, with bil­lions of dol­lars spent each year on every­thing from weapons sys­tems to logis­tics and sup­port ser­vices. As such, it is no sur­prise that there are many large and well-known defence con­trac­tors around the world. If you‘re inter­ested in learn­ing more about the biggest play­ers in this indus­try, then read on for our list of the top defence contractors.

1. Lock­heed Martin

Lock­heed Mar­tin is by far the biggest defence con­trac­tor in the world, with annual rev­enues of over $60 bil­lion in 2020. This com­pany is involved in a wide range of activ­i­ties, includ­ing the devel­op­ment and pro­duc­tion of fighter jets, mis­sile defence sys­tems, and intel­li­gence and sur­veil­lance technologies.

2. Boe­ing

Boe­ing is another giant in the defence indus­try, with rev­enues of more than $33 bil­lion in 2020. This com­pany is per­haps best known for its com­mer­cial air­lin­ers, but it also pro­duces a wide range of mil­i­tary air­craft, weapons sys­tems, and other defence technologies.

3. Raytheon

Raytheon is a major player in the defence indus­try, gen­er­at­ing over $29 bil­lion in rev­enue in 2020. This com­pany is involved in the devel­op­ment and pro­duc­tion of every­thing from mis­sile sys­tems to cyber­se­cu­rity soft­ware, and has a strong pres­ence in both the US and inter­na­tional markets.

4. Gen­eral Dynamics

Gen­eral Dynam­ics is a diver­si­fied com­pany that oper­ates in a vari­ety of sec­tors, includ­ing aero­space, marine sys­tems, and defence tech­nolo­gies. With rev­enues of over $37 bil­lion in 2020, it is one of the largest defence con­trac­tors in the world.

5. BAE Systems

BAE Sys­tems is a British multi­na­tional com­pany that is heav­ily involved in the defence indus­try, with rev­enues of over $27 bil­lion in 2020. This com­pany pro­duces a wide range of prod­ucts, includ­ing fighter jets, sub­marines, and elec­tronic war­fare systems.

6. Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grum­man is a major US-based defence con­trac­tor that is involved in the devel­op­ment and pro­duc­tion of mil­i­tary air­craft, mis­sile sys­tems, and unmanned vehi­cles. With rev­enues of over $36 bil­lion in 2020, it is one of the largest com­pa­nies in the industry.

7. Air­bus Defence and Space

Air­bus Defence and Space is a Euro­pean aero­space com­pany that is heav­ily involved in the defence indus­try. This com­pany pro­duces a wide range of prod­ucts, includ­ing mil­i­tary air­craft, satel­lites, and elec­tronic war­fare sys­tems. With rev­enues of over $11 bil­lion in 2020, it is one of the largest defence con­trac­tors in Europe.

8. L3Harris Technologies

L3Harris Tech­nolo­gies is a US-based com­pany that is heav­ily involved in the defence and aero­space indus­tries. With rev­enues of over $18 bil­lion in 2020, it pro­duces a wide range of prod­ucts, includ­ing elec­tronic war­fare sys­tems, unmanned vehi­cles, and satel­lite com­mu­ni­ca­tions technologies.

9. Thales

Thales is a French multi­na­tional com­pany that is heav­ily involved in the defence and aero­space indus­tries. With rev­enues of over $20 bil­lion in 2020, it pro­duces a wide range of prod­ucts, includ­ing mis­sile sys­tems, under­wa­ter sen­sors, and elec­tronic war­fare technologies.

10. Leonardo

Leonardo is an Ital­ian multi­na­tional com­pany that is heav­ily involved in the defence, aero­space, and secu­rity indus­tries. With rev­enues of over $13 bil­lion in 2020, it pro­duces a wide range of prod­ucts, includ­ing mil­i­tary air­craft, heli­copters, and elec­tronic war­fare systems.

In con­clu­sion, the defence indus­try is a mas­sive sec­tor that is dom­i­nated by a few large and well-known com­pa­nies. From Lock­heed Mar­tin to Leonardo, these com­pa­nies are involved in the devel­op­ment and pro­duc­tion of every­thing from fighter jets to mis­sile defence sys­tems. If you‘re inter­ested in work­ing in this indus­try or just want to keep up with the lat­est trends and tech­nolo­gies, be sure to keep an eye on these top defence contractors.