Gitnux/Report 2026

Military Industry Statistics

The global military expenditure reached $2.887 trillion in 2025, explore company figures, growth indicators, and technology and workforce constraints shaping 2026.
221Statistics
48Sources
12Sections
1Visuals
40mRead
November 12, 2026Updated
Military Industry Statistics
Elena VasquezWritten by Elena Vasquez·Edited by Rajesh Patel·Fact-checked by Nicholas Chambers
Published ·Updated
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Before any source is gathered, an editor locks the question, what qualifies, and how the piece will be judged.

02Source Research

Search agents collect the source set and pull each data point out with its provenance attached.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 26 days

01 Industry overview

The military industry at a glance

Global military expenditure reached $2.887 trillion in 2025, the highest level recorded by SIPRI, as geopolitical tensions, rearmament and modernization continued to expand demand for military equipment and services.

$2.887T[7]
Global military spending, 2025
2.9%[7]
Spending growth, 2025
43%[7]
US arms-export share, 2020–24
$679B[7]
Top 100 arms revenue, 2024
Market size
World military expenditure reached $2.887 trillion in 2025, up 2.9% in real terms and representing 2.5% of global GDP. The SIPRI Top 100 arms-producing and military services companies generated $679 billion in arms revenue in 2024.[7]
Forecast & CAGR
The Business Research Company estimates the global defense market at $506.9 billion in 2025 and forecasts $739.43 billion by 2030, implying an 8.0% CAGR. Its 2026 estimate is $542.72 billion, with a 7.1% CAGR forecast for 2026–30.[41]
Market share & regions
In 2025, Europe accounted for $864 billion of military expenditure and Asia and Oceania for $681 billion. In international arms transfers during 2020–24, Asia and Oceania represented 33% of imports, Europe 28%, and the Middle East 27%.[7]
Segmentation
The industry spans major conventional arms production and military services, including aircraft, missiles, armored vehicles, naval systems, electronics, space systems, cyber capabilities, maintenance and support. SIPRI reported that 77 of the Top 100 companies increased arms revenue in 2024, while 42 recorded double-digit growth.[7]
Key players & concentration
The five largest arms exporters—the United States, France, Russia, China and Germany—accounted for 72% of global exports of major arms in 2020–24. The United States also had 39 companies in the SIPRI Top 100, generating $334 billion in arms revenue in 2024.[7]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Demand is being driven by the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, higher defense budgets, fleet modernization, autonomous systems, missile defense and space capabilities. Supply-side constraints remain significant: GAO identified risks from dependence on foreign suppliers, while industry reports highlight production capacity, workforce and supply-chain bottlenecks.[7][1][42]
Consumer behavior & competition
The principal customers are national governments and allied defense organizations, making procurement policy, interoperability and security alliances more important than conventional consumer demand. Ukraine was the largest importer of major arms in 2020–24, while the United States was the largest exporter with a 43% global share.[7]
M&A
The FTC required Boeing to divest several Spirit AeroSystems assets to address competition concerns in Boeing’s $8.3 billion acquisition of Spirit. The agency said the transaction affected competition in large commercial and military aircraft markets and was reviewed with the Defense Department because of defense-industrial-base implications.[43]
Regulation
The enacted FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act authorized $882.6 billion for activities within the national defense budget function, including $161.7 billion for procurement and $145.7 billion for research, development, test and evaluation. Arms transfers remain subject to national export-control systems and international restrictions, including United Nations arms embargoes.[18][7]
Latest news
SIPRI’s March 2026 Arms Transfers Database update extended coverage through 2025. NATO also reported that European Allies and Canada increased combined defense expenditure by nearly 20% in real terms in 2025 compared with 2024, with more than $571 billion spent on defense at 2021 prices.[7][29]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Military Industry

The leading companies in the military industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 7, 2026 · Next review December 7, 2026

Verdict

Boeing stands out for military aircraft and strategic defense systems because it produces military aircraft, weapons systems, strategic defense systems and satellites, while BAE Systems focuses on combat vehicles, aircraft, ships, weapons and electronics since it develops, manufactures and supports military systems across more than 40 countries.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in military aviation & space

    Boeing

    US

    Ranked #1 · 9.1 · Military aviation & space

    Why we picked it: It produces military aircraft, weapons systems, strategic defense systems and satellites, with revenue growth of 34.4% and R&D at 4% of revenue.

    See in ranking ↓Visit boeing.com ↗

  2. Leader in combat land and naval systems

    BAE Systems

    GB

    Ranked #2 · 8.9 · Combat land and naval systems

    Why we picked it: It develops, manufactures and supports military systems across more than 40 countries, with operating margin of 2.5% and R&D at 4% of revenue.

    See in ranking ↓Visit baesystems.com ↗

  3. Leader in defense electronics & sensing

    RTX

    US

    Ranked #5 · 8.7 · Defense electronics & sensing

    Why we picked it: Missiles, air defense, sensors and aircraft systems via Raytheon defense products

    See in ranking ↓Visit rtx.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the military industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Boeing

Military aviation & space · US

9.1
2

BAE Systems

Combat land and naval systems · GB

8.9
3

Saab

Military aviation & space · SE

8.7
4

China State Shipbuilding Corporation

Combat land and naval systems · CN

8.7
5

RTX

Defense electronics & sensing · US

8.7
6

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

Launch systems, missiles, spacecraft and strategic systems · CN

8.6
7

Rheinmetall

Armored vehicles, artillery, ammunition and air defense · DE

8.6
8

Lockheed Martin

Aircraft, missiles, space and defense systems · US

8.5
9

Airbus

Military aircraft, helicopters, space and defense systems · NL

8.5
10

HII

Nuclear submarines, aircraft carriers and naval systems · US

7.8

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 7, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Elena Vasquez. (2026, February 27). Top 10 companies in the military industry. In Military Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/military-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Comparison

Revenue of the largest military companies

Boeing leads with $89.5B in annual revenue (group level, converted to USD).

Boeing$89.5B
RTX$88.6B
Lockheed Martin$75.0B
Airbus$74.9B
China State Shipbuilding Corporation$49.6B
BAE Systems$36.0B
source-verifiedinvestors.boeing.com · sec.gov · sipri.org · baesystems.com2025

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

DoD reported 378 AI use cases as of February 2026, while hiring and retention challenges for software development persist across 25 of 53 programs and 23 of 53 programs.

AI in the military industry

  • 378 AI use cases were reported across the U.S. Department of Defense as of February 2026.[1]
  • 25 of 53 Department of Defense weapon programs reported difficulty hiring enough staff to complete software development.[1]
  • 23 of 53 Department of Defense weapon programs reported difficulty retaining staff for software development.[1]
  • 31 of 53 Department of Defense weapon programs reported difficulty finding staff with the expertise required for software development.[1]

Digital transformation in the military industry

  • 4 of 10 selected Department of Defense programs using Agile software development did not use required metrics or management tools.[1]
  • The four largest Department of Defense IT business systems represented 49.7% of the department’s $10.293 billion IT portfolio for fiscal years 2024 through 2026.[1]
  • 10 of 21 selected Department of Defense IT business programs were developing software and using an Agile approach in fiscal year 2024.[1]
  • $9.1 billion was planned for 21 selected Department of Defense IT business programs from fiscal years 2022 through 2024.[1]
  • $64.1 billion was requested for Department of Defense information technology and cyber activities for fiscal year 2025.[2]
  • $47.8 billion of the Department of Defense fiscal year 2025 information technology and cyber request was for unclassified information technology investments.[2]

Technology in the military industry

  • The Army used a FinOps pilot to identify $15.3 million in avoided cloud costs.[2]
  • The Army used a FinOps pilot to achieve $11.3 million in cloud-cost savings.[2]

Innovation in the military industry

  • 450 prototype agreements were awarded by the Defense Innovation Unit from fiscal years 2016 through 2023.[2]
  • 86% of Defense Innovation Acceleration projects transitioned to military department programs of record in fiscal year 2024.[2]
  • 51% of completed Defense Innovation Unit prototypes transitioned to production from fiscal years 2016 through 2023.[2]
  • 79% of projects across the Defense Innovation Acceleration and Rapid Prototyping Program transitioned to military department programs of record in fiscal year 2024.[2]
  • 71% of Rapid Prototyping Program projects transitioned to military department programs of record in fiscal year 2024.[2]
  • $361.4 million was provided in fiscal year 2024 to three Department of Defense prototyping programs: Defense Innovation Acceleration, Rapid Prototyping Program, and Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve.[2]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Analytic Product Teams automated more than 330 Pulse performance metrics in fiscal year 2024, and 30% of performance-improvement metrics were connected to fully automated data pipelines.

Business intelligence in the military industry

  • 13 U.S. Department of Defense performance-supporting organizations received Analytic Product Teams in fiscal year 2024.[3]
  • More than 330 Pulse performance metrics were automated by U.S. Department of Defense Analytic Product Teams in fiscal year 2024.[3]
  • 30% of U.S. Department of Defense performance-improvement metrics were connected to fully automated data pipelines in fiscal year 2024, exceeding the 10% target.[3]

Data analytics in the military industry

  • Seven technology companies reached agreements with the U.S. Department of Defense to provide AI resources for classified computer networks in 2025.[4]
  • 10% was the U.S. Department of Defense fiscal-year-2024 target for performance-improvement metrics connected to fully automated data pipelines.[3]
  • 330-plus performance metrics were automated through U.S. Department of Defense Analytic Product Teams in fiscal year 2024 to support data-driven decision-making.[3]
  • $4.6 billion was the potential value of AI-related U.S. federal contracts in the period leading to August 2023, up from $355 million in the comparable period before August 2022.[5]

Data quality in the military industry

  • One of the U.S. Department of Defense’s primary procurement-data-quality challenges in fiscal year 2023 involved accuracy of a Federal Procurement Data System data element.[2]
  • 72 hours was the Defense Manpower Data Center’s fiscal-year-2024 time to accurately process received data sets.[6]
  • 15 days was the fiscal-year-2024 average time from data receipt to customer availability at the Defense Manpower Data Center.[6]
  • 10% was the amount of redundant data collections reported for the Defense Manpower Data Center in fiscal year 2024.[6]
  • 8 defined data-management processes were reported by the Defense Manpower Data Center for fiscal year 2024.[6]

Data governance in the military industry

  • 10% was the Defense Manpower Data Center’s fiscal-year-2024 level of redundant data collections.[6]
  • 35% was the Defense Manpower Data Center’s fiscal-year-2026 reduction goal for redundant data collections relative to its baseline.[6]
  • 3 data-driven governance processes were implemented by the U.S. Department of the Navy in fiscal year 2024.[3]
  • 25 million annual updates to the Personnel Data Repository were identified in the Defense Manpower Data Center’s data-governance performance plan.[6]
  • 8 data-management processes were defined by the Defense Manpower Data Center in fiscal year 2024.[6]

KPIs in the military industry

  • 18 Army and Marine Corps ground-vehicle types were tracked for availability and sustainment performance in fiscal year 2024.[1]
  • 99.9% was the fiscal-year-2024 system-uptime performance for the U.S. Defense Manpower Data Center’s SCRA and MLA systems.[6]
  • 1,382 applications were recorded for joint-officer data entry in fiscal year 2024.[6]
  • 30% of U.S. Department of Defense performance-improvement metrics were connected to fully automated data pipelines in fiscal year 2024.[3]
  • 330-plus Pulse metrics were automated by U.S. Department of Defense analytics teams in fiscal year 2024.[3]
  • 13 performance-supporting organizations were served by U.S. Department of Defense Analytic Product Teams in fiscal year 2024.[3]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

European combined arms revenues rose 13% in 2024 to $151 billion, and EU defense-equipment procurement was €88 billion in 2024 with 24% collaborative procurement in 2025.

Growth in the military industry

  • 13% was the increase in combined arms revenues of the 26 European SIPRI Top 100 companies in 2024, reaching $151 billion.[7]
  • €17 billion was European Union defense research-and-development spending in 2025.[8]
  • 24% of European Union defense-equipment spending was collaborative procurement in 2025.[8]
  • €88 billion was European Union defense-equipment procurement expenditure in 2024.[8]
  • 26% was the increase in combined arms revenues of the SIPRI Top 100 companies over 2015–24, worldwide.[7]
  • €72 billion was allocated to European Union defense investment in 2023, equal to 26% of total defense expenditure.[8]

Differentiation in the military industry

  • 91% of Lockheed Martin’s 2024 revenue came from arms-related activities, United States.[7]
  • 95% of BAE Systems’ 2024 revenue came from arms-related activities, United Kingdom.[7]
  • 25% of AVIC’s 2024 revenue came from arms-related activities, China.[7]
  • 92% of Northrop Grumman’s 2024 revenue came from arms-related activities, United States.[7]

Mergers and acquisitions in the military industry

  • More than 80% of defense-industry corporate deals in 2025 were valued below $1 billion, according to McKinsey’s analysis, worldwide.[9]
  • 400 defense-industry mergers and acquisitions occurred annually according to the U.S. Department of Defense’s most recently published estimate at the time of the GAO review.[1]
  • At least 147 defense-related mergers and acquisitions occurred annually on average during fiscal years 2018–22.[1]
  • Approximately 400 defense-industry mergers and acquisitions occurred annually according to the U.S. Department of Defense’s most recently published statistics, United States.[1]
  • 40 defense-industry mergers and acquisitions were assessed annually on average by the U.S. Department of Defense during fiscal years 2018–22.[1]
  • 159 government-contracting acquisitions closed in 2024, with defense technology and digital modernization among the leading themes, United States.[10]

Strategic partnerships in the military industry

  • 303 acquisition-related international arrangements were established by U.S. military departments during fiscal years 2021–25.[2]
  • $64 billion was the combined value of U.S. military-department acquisition-related international arrangements established during fiscal years 2021–25.[2]
  • 9 Lockheed Martin directors had mergers-and-acquisitions expertise in 2024, United States.[11]
  • 87% was the decline in the value of U.S. military-department acquisition-related international arrangements between fiscal years 2021 and 2025.[2]
  • 58 acquisition-related international arrangements were established by U.S. military departments in fiscal year 2025.[2]
  • 10 Lockheed Martin directors had international-business-expansion expertise in 2024, United States.[11]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

DoD requested 771,852 civilian full-time-equivalents for fiscal year 2026, 42,795 below the fiscal year 2025 enacted level, while cumulative attrition reached 9% in fiscal year 2024.

Hiring in the military industry

  • 59,456 fewer civilians were hired by the U.S. Department of Defense in 2025 than the historical average for the same months from 2016 through 2024.[2]
  • The Department of Defense planned to increase its civilian full-time-equivalent workforce by 0.4% from fiscal year 2023 to fiscal year 2024.[6]
  • The Department of Defense’s fiscal year 2026 civilian workforce request was 771,852 full-time-equivalent employees.[6]
  • The Department of Defense fiscal year 2026 civilian workforce request was 42,795 full-time equivalents below the fiscal year 2025 enacted level.[6]
  • The Department of Defense’s civilian workforce was planned at 795,027 full-time-equivalent employees for fiscal year 2024.[6]

Employee retention in the military industry

  • The Department of Defense’s average use of retention incentives was 1% in fiscal year 2024.[3]
  • 87 aircraft mechanics at the Department of the Air Force received retention incentives in fiscal year 2024.[1]
  • 43 engineering-equipment operators at the Department of the Air Force received retention incentives in fiscal year 2024.[1]
  • The Department of Defense’s fiscal year 2024 hiring-manager satisfaction score was 78.1%.[3]
  • Cumulative Department of Defense civilian workforce attrition was 9% in fiscal year 2024.[3]

DEI in the military industry

  • Historically disadvantaged racial or ethnic groups represented 30.95% of the Department of Defense civilian workforce in fiscal year 2012.[1]
  • Historically disadvantaged racial or ethnic groups represented 32.62% of the Department of Defense civilian workforce in fiscal year 2021.[1]
  • White employees represented 66.79% of the Department of Defense civilian workforce in fiscal year 2021.[1]
  • The Department of Defense’s remaining DEI workforce in July 2024 comprised 25 military positions and 16 civilian positions.[1]
  • The Department of Defense maintained 41 positions with primary diversity, equity and inclusion duties as of July 2024.[1]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Customer feedback shows lower responsiveness and experience: Coast Guard average response rate was 16% in 2022, and 80% of respondents rated enterprise IT user experience average or below average.

Customer experience in the military industry

  • 16% was the Coast Guard’s average response rate to transportation customer surveys in 2022, down from 36% in 2019.[2]
  • 86 was Darley Defense’s Net Promoter Score in its 2026 defense customer survey.[12]
  • 3.40 out of 5 was the average rating from more than 3,000 suppliers in the Defense Logistics Agency’s 2024 supplier survey.[13]
  • 29% of service members receiving transportation surveys responded on average in calendar year 2023.[2]
  • 80% of respondents to a survey of 20,000 Joint Service Provider customers rated their enterprise IT user experience as average or below average.[14]

Customer acquisition in the military industry

  • 20% of defense-acquisition professionals said adopting modern digital technologies would most improve acquisition speed, responsiveness, or efficiency in 2025.[15]
  • 21% of defense-acquisition professionals said reducing bureaucracy would most improve acquisition speed, responsiveness, or efficiency in 2025.[15]
  • 57% of defense-acquisition professionals identified inflexible and complex acquisition processes as the most significant participation challenge in 2025.[15]

Lead generation in the military industry

  • More than 3,000 Marines are selected as recruiters at any given time by the Marine Corps Recruiting Command.[2]
  • 26 talent-acquisition groups conduct local marketing and recruiting activities for the U.S. Navy.[2]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Marketing in the military industry

  • 26 Navy talent-acquisition groups conduct local marketing and recruiting activities across the eastern and western recruiting regions.[2]
  • 35% of Americans held favorable views of the U.S. military in 2021, down from 46% in 2016, shaping the military services’ marketing environment.[2]

Social media in the military industry

  • 26 U.S. Navy talent-acquisition groups use local marketing activities, including social-media engagement, to support recruiting.[2]
  • More than 3,000 Marine recruiters receive training in digital content creation and use social media to reach prospective recruits and mentors.[2]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Acquisition timelines remain long, with an estimated 122-month cycle time in a 2022 assessment and an estimated 149 months for programs without initial operational capability in 2026.

Process optimization in the military industry

  • 122 months was the current estimated cycle time for a U.S. defense acquisition program assessed in 2022, compared with 98 months in its first full estimate.[1]
  • $131.4 billion was the estimated cost of aircraft-related programs among 36 U.S. major defense acquisition programs assessed in fiscal year 2025.[1]
  • 149 months was the estimated average cycle time for 17 U.S. major defense acquisition programs that had not yet achieved initial operational capability in 2026.[1]
  • $36 billion was the reported one-year cost increase for the U.S. Air Force LGM-35A Sentinel missile program after a critical cost-growth breach.[1]
  • $792.2 billion was the estimated development and production cost of 36 current U.S. major defense acquisition programs in fiscal year 2025.[1]

Operational efficiency in the military industry

  • 18 Army and Marine Corps ground vehicles were reviewed for availability, sustainment challenges and maintenance costs in fiscal year 2024.[1]
  • 65% is the fleetwide fully-mission-capable-rate objective for the F-35 sustainment strategy by 2030.[2]
  • 76 months was the cumulative reported delay in the U.S. Air Force KC-46A tanker program’s initial capability, according to the 2024 assessment.[1]
  • 15 of 25 U.S. major defense acquisition programs assessed by GAO in 2024 had experienced schedule delays during the preceding year.[1]
  • More than $2.3 billion was spent by the U.S. Army and Marine Corps on ground-vehicle depot maintenance in fiscal year 2023.[1]

Quality management in the military industry

  • $12.992 billion was Northrop Grumman Defense Systems’ sales in 2025.[16]
  • $477 million was Northrop Grumman Defense Systems’ loss provision on the low-rate initial-production phase of the B-21 program in 2025.[16]
  • 6.3% was Northrop Grumman Defense Systems’ operating margin in 2025, down from 10.0% in 2024.[16]
  • $4.5 billion was the combined one-year increase attributed to schedule delays, development challenges and production challenges across 30 U.S. major defense acquisition programs.[1]
  • 25% was the F-35 fleet’s fully-mission-capable rate reported in 2025 coverage of the latest GAO assessment.[2]

Supply chain in the military industry

  • $4.9 billion was the fiscal-year 2024 increase in U.S. Department of Defense contract awards to small businesses supporting the defense industrial base.[17]
  • $7 billion was the amount of F-35 materials the Joint Program Office was expected to depend on industry partners to deliver.[2]
  • More than 200,000 suppliers support the U.S. Department of Defense in producing advanced weapon systems and noncombat goods, according to a 2025 GAO report.[1]
  • 479 new entrants joined the DLA Weapons Support supplier base in fiscal 2025, exceeding its small-business goal of 375 by 28%.[13]
  • More than 200,000 suppliers support the U.S. Department of Defense in producing weapons and noncombat goods.[1]

Outsourcing in the military industry

  • More than 200,000 suppliers are part of the U.S. Department of Defense’s outsourced industrial network for weapons and noncombat goods.[1]
  • 49% of U.S. Department of Defense contract obligations were for services in fiscal year 2022.[18]
  • 51% of U.S. Department of Defense contract obligations were for goods or products in fiscal year 2022.[18]
  • $4.9 billion was the fiscal-year 2024 increase in U.S. Department of Defense contract awards to small businesses supporting the defense industry.[1]
  • 47,000-plus firms comprise the U.S. Department of Defense contractor pool, including almost 35,000 small businesses.[1]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Contract structuring varies, with 60% or more of U.S. DoD contract obligations using fixed-price contracts every year from 2000 through 2012 in the dataset.

Pricing strategy in the military industry

  • 56% of the estimated price of U.K. qualifying defence contracts used firm pricing in 2021/22.[19]
  • 288 U.K. qualifying defence contracts used firm pricing for at least part of their contract price in 2021/22.[19]
  • 60% or more of U.S. Department of Defense contract obligations used fixed-price contracts in every year from 2000 through 2012.[20]
  • 72 U.K. qualifying defence contracts used cost-plus pricing for at least part of their contract price in 2021/22.[19]
  • 33% was the share of estimated contract price associated with firm pricing for U.K. qualifying defence contracts across the six-year dataset.[19]

Cost reduction in the military industry

  • $4 billion in financial benefits came from U.S. Department of Defense actions addressing cost and schedule risks in a classified acquisition.[1]
  • $2.3 billion was spent by the U.S. Army and Marine Corps on ground-vehicle depot maintenance in fiscal year 2023.[1]
  • $4 billion in financial benefits came from U.S. Department of Defense actions addressing cost and schedule risks in a classified acquisition program during fiscal year 2025.[1]
  • $140 million per year was the net sustainment saving from reducing the number of U.S. Army weapon-system components reaching beyond-repair condition.[2]
  • $140 million per year was the estimated net sustainment saving from reducing U.S. Army weapon-system components reaching beyond-repair condition.[2]

Profitability in the military industry

  • $679 billion was the combined arms revenue of SIPRI’s 100 largest arms-producing and military-services companies in 2024, up 5.9% in real terms from 2023.[7]
  • 8.6% was the operating margin of DRS’s Advanced Sensing and Computing segment in 2024.[21]
  • 10.0% was Northrop Grumman Defense Systems’ operating margin in 2024.[16]
  • $5.336 billion was Lockheed Martin’s net earnings in 2024, down from $6.920 billion in 2023.[21]
  • 25.0% was the 2025 operating margin reported for a military-market segment in the 2025 company filing.[22]

Financial planning in the military industry

  • $176.0 billion was Lockheed Martin’s year-end backlog in 2024, including $107.8 billion of funded backlog.[21]
  • $44 billion per year was the average projected acquisition cost for U.S. defensewide programs from 2024 through 2028 in the 2024 Future Years Defense Program.[23]
  • $194 billion was Lockheed Martin’s record backlog at the end of 2025, representing more than two and a half years of sales.[21]
  • 10% higher total projected acquisition costs resulted over 2029–2038 when CBO applied independent cost-growth factors to large weapons programs.[23]
  • $369.3 billion was the estimated cost of the U.S. Navy’s 36-program major defense acquisition portfolio assessed in fiscal year 2025.[1]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Sustainment and lifecycle costs stay central: Army depot-level overhauls fell from 1,285 in fiscal year 2015 to 12 in fiscal year 2024, and a revised weapon system service life reached 42 years.

Product development in the military industry

  • $105.8 billion was obligated by the U.S. Department of Defense for development activities in fiscal year 2022, including advanced technology, major systems and operational system development, United States.[24]
  • 16% was the increase in research and development performed within U.S. Department of Defense facilities in fiscal year 2025 compared with fiscal year 2024, United States.[24]
  • $679 billion was the combined arms revenue of the world’s 100 largest arms-producing and military-services companies in 2024, the highest level recorded by SIPRI.[7]
  • $2.4 trillion is planned for developing and acquiring 106 of the U.S. Department of Defense’s costliest weapon programs, according to a 2025 assessment.[1]
  • $10.2 billion was obligated by the U.S. Department of Defense for basic and applied research in fiscal year 2022, United States.[24]

Product lifecycle in the military industry

  • 16 of 18 selected Army and Marine Corps ground vehicles had lower mission-capable rates in fiscal year 2024 than in fiscal year 2015.[1]
  • Army depot-level overhauls fell from 1,285 in fiscal year 2015 to 12 in fiscal year 2024.[2]
  • 42 years was the revised service life for one U.S. weapon system, up from 22 years, contributing to critical operating-and-support cost growth.[1]
  • $300 million in research, development, test and evaluation or $1.8 billion in procurement defines a covered major acquisition threshold for certain U.S. weapon-system sustainment reviews.[2]
  • 5% was the approximate share of asset life-cycle cost attributed to research and development in a defense-industry life-cycle cost illustration.[25]

After-sales in the military industry

  • 84.4% was the reported supply-fulfillment figure for the Ballistic Missile Defense System in the Defense Logistics Agency’s annual-report metrics.[13]
  • $106.6 million was VSE Corporation’s military aftermarket-product sales in 2025, up 16.2% from 2024.[21]
  • $40.6 billion was requested for U.S. Department of Defense depot-maintenance activities in fiscal year 2025, covering all armed services and components, United States.[26]
  • $183.1 million was Triumph Group’s military aftermarket revenue in fiscal year 2024.[21]
  • 50% is the statutory ceiling on the share of annual U.S. Department of Defense depot-level maintenance funds that may be spent on contracts with nonfederal entities, United States.[26]

Value proposition in the military industry

  • 39% of VSE Corporation’s aerospace and advanced-technologies segment sales came from military markets in 2025.[21]
  • 34% of VSE Corporation’s aerospace and advanced-technologies segment sales came from aftermarket customers in 2025.[21]
  • €100 billion was the annual turnover generated by Europe’s defense industry, according to the European Defence Agency.[8]
  • $679 billion was the 2024 arms revenue of the 100 largest global arms-producing and military-services companies, indicating the scale of the industry’s customer value proposition.[7]
  • $297.5 million was VSE Corporation’s military original-equipment sales in 2025.[21]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Operational energy demand fell from 85.5 million to 78.4 million barrels between 2017 and 2021, and Scope 1 emissions reported by UK Defence Equipment & Support totaled 22,632 tonnes in 2024–25.

Sustainability in the military industry

  • 5 U.S. Department of Defense initiatives received Presidential Federal Sustainability Awards or honorable mentions in 2024, United States.[27]
  • 51 million metric tonnes of carbon-dioxide equivalent were reported as U.S. Department of Defense emissions in 2021.[28]
  • 3 climate-resilience case-study areas were examined in NATO’s 2024 Climate Change and Security Impact Assessment.[29]
  • 8.3% was the reduction in U.S. military operational-energy demand between 2017 and 2021, from 85.5 million to 78.4 million barrels.[28]
  • 70% of the military carbon footprint was estimated to come from mobile assets or platforms in 2024, according to a UK defence report.[30]

ESG in the military industry

  • 420,626 metric tonnes of Scope 3 capital-goods emissions were reported by Lockheed Martin in 2024, United States.[31]
  • 77% of the world’s largest defense companies showed evidence of a formalized anti-corruption approach in Transparency International’s assessment.[32]
  • 19,310 metric tonnes of Scope 3 fuel- and energy-related emissions were reported by Lockheed Martin in 2024, United States.[31]
  • 330,897 metric tonnes of gross direct greenhouse-gas emissions were reported by Lockheed Martin in 2024.[31]
  • 218,819 metric tonnes of Scope 3 employee-commuting emissions were reported by Lockheed Martin in 2024, United States.[31]

Ethics in the military industry

  • 2,146 complaints alleging reprisal were received by the U.S. Department of Defense Inspector General in fiscal year 2024.[3]
  • 23,300 hotline contacts were received by the U.S. Department of Defense Inspector General in fiscal year 2024.[3]
  • 1,008 complaints involving senior officials were received by the U.S. Department of Defense Inspector General in fiscal year 2024.[3]
  • 75 cases involving whistleblower-reprisal complainants and employers were resolved through alternative dispute resolution by the U.S. Department of Defense Inspector General in fiscal year 2024.[3]

Carbon footprint in the military industry

  • 4.37 billion metric tonnes of carbon-dioxide equivalent was the estimated U.S. military carbon footprint from 2001 through 2024.[33]
  • 22,632 tonnes of carbon-dioxide equivalent were reported as Scope 1 emissions by UK Defence Equipment & Support in 2024–25, United Kingdom.[19]
  • 19,147 tonnes of carbon-dioxide equivalent were reported as Scope 2 emissions by UK Defence Equipment & Support in 2024–25, United Kingdom.[19]
  • 10.3 billion metric tonnes of carbon-dioxide equivalent was the estimated combined military carbon footprint of the 20 largest military spenders from 2001 through 2024.[33]
  • 64,976 tonnes of carbon-dioxide equivalent were reported by the UK Defence Equipment & Support organization for operational and infrastructure emissions in 2024–25, United Kingdom.[19]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

International supply and workforce footprint matter: 95% of DoD obligations for procured goods identified the United States as the place of manufacture in 2020–24, while 98% of microelectronics assembly, packaging and testing was performed overseas.

Globalization in the military industry

  • 43% of global major-arms exports came from the United States during 2020–24, the largest national share, worldwide.[7]
  • 9.6% of global major-arms exports came from France during 2020–24, making it the second-largest exporter, worldwide.[7]
  • 33% of global major-arms imports went to states in Asia and Oceania during 2020–24.[7]
  • 73% of global major-arms exports came from the United States and Western European states during 2020–24.[7]
  • 64% of arms imports by European NATO states came from the United States during 2020–24.[7]

Cultural adaptation in the military industry

  • 186,000 employees worked for RTX across 52 countries at December 31, 2024, supporting a geographically diverse defense workforce.[39]
  • 19% of RTX’s workforce across 31 countries participated in at least one of nine global employee resource groups in 2024.[39]
  • 68% of RTX employees were located in the United States in 2024, while 32% were located elsewhere, indicating a multinational operating model.[39]
  • 41.67% of BAE Systems plc’s board members were women in 2024, United Kingdom, reflecting representation in governance of a multinational defense company.[38]

Supplier management in the military industry

  • DLA contract obligations represented 11.85% of total U.S. Department of Defense obligations in fiscal 2024, United States.[13]
  • 95% of U.S. Department of Defense obligations for procured goods identified the United States as the place of manufacture during fiscal years 2020–24.[2]
  • Less than 10% of suppliers providing F-35 components and raw materials had collected country-of-origin information as of April 2025.[2]
  • 88% of global microelectronics production was performed overseas according to U.S. Department of Defense estimates.[2]
  • 98% of global microelectronics assembly, packaging and testing was performed overseas according to U.S. Department of Defense estimates.[2]

Stakeholder management in the military industry

  • $111.4 million was the transaction threshold generally triggering U.S. Department of Defense input into antitrust reviews at the time of the GAO review.[1]
  • 17 defense-related mergers and acquisitions above the Hart-Scott-Rodino threshold were not assessed by the U.S. Department of Defense during fiscal years 2018–22.[1]
  • 27% of Lockheed Martin’s 2024 director nominees were veterans, United States.[11]
  • 40 U.S. Department of Defense mergers and acquisitions were assessed annually on average during fiscal years 2018–22.[1]
  • 80% of Leonardo DRS revenue came directly or indirectly from the U.S. government in 2024, United States.[21]

Distribution channels in the military industry

  • $27.191 billion was General Dynamics’ 2024 revenue from the U.S. Department of Defense.[40]
  • $1.063 billion was General Dynamics’ 2024 revenue from foreign military sales.[40]
  • $3.486 billion was General Dynamics’ 2024 revenue from non-U.S. commercial customers.[40]
  • $33.064 billion was General Dynamics’ 2024 revenue from the U.S. government, including foreign military sales.[40]
  • $4.471 billion was General Dynamics’ 2024 revenue from non-U.S. government customers.[40]

Key questions about the Military Industry

What is the current size of global military spending for market sizing?
Global military expenditure reached $2.887 trillion in 2025, the highest level recorded by SIPRI.
How fast is global military spending growing into the late 2020s?
Global military spending rose 2.9% in 2025. The Business Research Company estimates defense market growth to $542.72 billion in 2026 with a 7.1% CAGR forecast for 2026–30.
Which companies lead the military industry?
Boeing stands out for military aircraft and strategic defense systems because it produces military aircraft, weapons systems, strategic defense systems and satellites, while BAE Systems focuses on combat vehicles, aircraft, ships, weapons and electronics since it develops, manufactures and supports military systems across more than 40 countries.
What technology shifts are showing up in Department of Defense software and analytics adoption?
Across DoD, 378 AI use cases were reported as of February 2026, and 330-plus performance metrics were automated in fiscal year 2024. Four of 10 selected DoD programs using Agile did not use required metrics or management tools.
How is the industry structured around major exporters and purchasing governments?
The five largest arms exporters—the United States, France, Russia, China and Germany—accounted for 72% of global exports of major arms in 2020–24. Principal customers are national governments and allied defense organizations.
What does recent acquisition and compliance activity suggest about execution risk and governance?
The FY2026 NDAA authorized $882.6 billion, including $161.7 billion for procurement and $145.7 billion for research, development, test and evaluation. Arms transfers remain subject to national export-control systems and international restrictions, including United Nations arms embargoes.
Reference

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA
Elena Vasquez. (2026, February 27). Military Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/military-industry-statistics
MLA
Elena Vasquez. "Military Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 27 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/military-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Elena Vasquez. 2026. "Military Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/military-industry-statistics.

Sources & references

48 sources cited across this report

  1. gao.gov
  2. files.gao.gov
  3. media.defense.gov
  4. apnews.com
  5. time.com
  6. comptroller.defense.gov
  7. sipri.org
  8. eda.europa.eu
  9. mckinsey.com
  10. washingtontechnology.com
  11. lockheedmartin.com
  12. darley.com
  13. dla.mil
  14. dbb.defense.gov
  15. mitre.org
  16. cdn.northropgrumman.com
  17. business.defense.gov
  18. congress.gov
  19. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
  20. csis-website-prod.s3.amazonaws.com
  21. sec.gov
  22. d18rn0p25nwr6d.cloudfront.net
  23. cbo.gov
  24. ncses.nsf.gov
  25. web-assets.bcg.com
  26. everycrsreport.com
  27. defense.gov
  28. councilonstrategicrisks.org
  29. nato.int
  30. gov.uk
  31. sustainability.lockheedmartin.com
  32. ti-defence.org
  33. tippingpointnorthsouth.org
  34. commerce.gov
  35. strtrade.com
  36. justice.gov
  37. finintegrity.org
  38. baesystems.com
  39. materials.proxyvote.com
  40. gd.com
  41. thebusinessresearchcompany.com
  42. pwc.com
  43. ftc.gov
  44. boeing.com
  45. saab.com
  46. rheinmetall.com
  47. appropriations.senate.gov
  48. ssc.spaceforce.mil