Each year, the federal government allocates substantial funding toward defense and security contracts. Government agencies, such as the Department of Defense and the US Armed Forces, tap into the expertise of multiple companies dedicated to developing and providing cutting-edge solutions for defense and warfare initiatives across various domains, such as land, air, sea, space, and cyber.
Listed below are the companies that secured some of the largest defense government contracts supporting warfighter readiness in 2023.
Note: The chosen contracts are ranked based on value, from largest to smallest. That said, while the contractors mentioned are highly regarded in the industry, plenty of other companies also offer exceptional products and services and have contributed significantly to the government contracting domain.
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Pratt & Whitney Wins a Modification Contract for Enhanced Aircraft Performance and Warfighter Effectiveness
Photo of a F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (Lightning II) jet from www.airforce-technology.com / Official Pratt & Whitney Logo
- Contracting activity: Naval Air Systems Command
- Contract type: Modification (fixed-price-incentive-firm, cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost reimbursable)
- Value: $2 billion
- Contract date: June 5, 2023
On June 5, 2023, Pratt & Whitney, Raytheon Technologies’ subsidiary specializing in aircraft engines and auxiliary power units, secured a hybrid contract to continue manufacturing lot 17 F-35 aircraft engines for US and international defense customers from the Naval Air Systems Command. This agreement is a follow-up to a $4.38 billion contract awarded to Pratt & Whitney on June 14, 2022.
With contract funds worth $2 billion, Pratt & Whitney is tasked with providing hardware, engines, and power modules compatible with F-35 Lighting II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft and Lockheed-manufactured F135 Propulsion systems. The prime objective of upgrading aircraft hardware is to enhance the combat effectiveness of warfighters and bolster threat-mitigation methods for land, sea, and air.
Raytheon’s subsidiary will continue manufacturing these offerings for the Naval Air Systems Command and non-DoD customers until December 2025.
General Atomics Secures Contract for Naval Technological Advancement and Innovation
Photo from www.navair.navy.mil / Official General Atomics Logo
- Contracting activity: Naval Air Systems Command
- Contract type: Modification (firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee)
- Value: $1.2 billion
- Contract date: June 7, 2023
General Atomics, a leading energy and defense company, secured a modification contract from the US Naval Air Systems Command on June 7, 2023. The contract, valued at $1.2 billion, is expected to conclude in September 2032 and is a follow-up to the Aircraft Carrier Launch System Engineering agreement awarded to General Atomics in December 2021.
Under the modification deal, General Atomics is tasked to add scopes for the manufacturing, assembly, testing, and management of hardware, software, logistics, and firmware of the Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) and Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch Systems (EMALS). The development, testing, and management of these aircraft carrier systems strengthen the technologies required by warfighters to maintain a competitive advantage in real-life air combat situations.
Additionally, General Atomics will conduct case studies and developmental research on the potential sales of EMALs and AAGs in the French market. The introduction of these aircraft carrier systems to foreign markets will forge stronger international defense cooperation and effective interoperability between allied nations.
Palantir Technologies Secures US Special Operations Command’s Tech Support Contract
Photo by TippaPatt from Shutterstock.com / Official Palantir Technologies Logo
- Contracting activity: US Special Operations Command
- Contract type: Indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ)
- Value: $463 million
- Contract date: June 5, 2023
On June 5, 2023, Palantir Technologies was contracted by the US Special Operations Command to provide enterprise technology support services to the agency’s Program Executive Office (PEO) Special Operations Forces Digital Applications (SDA) portfolio. Palantir Technologies CEO and Wash100 2023 winner Akash Jain highlighted that through this contract, warfighters are given access to cutting-edge technology that enables them to maintain a competitive advantage on the battlefield.
The IDIQ contract, with a maximum contract value of $463 million, tasked Palantir Technologies to implement large language models, artificial intelligence, and edge processing tools to cover the development and management of the PEO SDA portfolio. Palantir will also manage large amounts of data using USSOCOM’s software platform to enable efficient decision-making processes.
Advanced Technology Leaders Secures Army Technical Assistance Contract to Enhance Warfighting Software Solutions
Photo by Parilov from Shutterstock.com / Official Advanced Technology Leaders Logo
- Contracting activity: US Army Contracting Command
- Contract type: Firm-fixed-price
- Value: $365 million
- Contract date: June 5, 2023
The US Army Contracting Command (ACC) tapped Advanced Technology Leaders’ (ATL) expertise in consulting, management, administrative, and IT support capabilities to execute the firm-fixed-price Army Technical Assistance contract until June 4, 2028.
With a contract value of $365 million, ATL is tasked to provide simulation, training, and instrumentation services to optimize warfighter readiness and other scopes under the Systems Engineering and Technical Assistance program. ATL’s digital capabilities empower soldiers to respond rapidly to emerging threats and continue to be ready for potential combat.
L3Harris Wins Purchase Order to Manufacture Handheld Radios for the US Army
Photo from Official L3Harris Technologies Website / Official L3Harris Technologies Logo
- Contracting activity: US Army
- Contract type: Multi-vendor, IDIQ
- Value: $196 million
- Contract date: June 6, 2023
L3Harris Technologies, a leading weaponry and detection and navigation systems provider, secured a multi-vendor IDIQ contract from the US Army on June 6, 2023. The hybrid agreement is priced at $196 million and tasked L3Harris to manufacture and provide over 4,000 handheld, manpack, and small-fit radios.
