AwardTape / Categories / Research and development / Defense systems R&D
Defense systems R&D: $104B in defense awards
$104B obligated across 31,436 DoD and DHS awards to 7,037 companies, Oct 1, 2023 to Oct 14, 2026, 90% of Research and development. Northrop Grumman Systems Corp leads with $7.6B; Department of the Air Force is the largest buyer at $43.9B.
| Obligated FY2024+ | $104B |
|---|---|
| Awards | 31,436 |
| Companies | 7,037 |
| FY2024 | $39.3B |
| FY2025 | $36.6B |
| FY2026 to date | $27.8B |
| Parent category | Research and development |
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Top companiesObligated FY2024+
Top agenciesObligated FY2024+
| # | Agency | Obligated FY2024+ | Awards | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Department of the Air Force | $43.9B | 7,836 awards | 42% |
| 2 | Department of the Navy | $24.9B | 7,937 awards | 24% |
| 3 | Department of the Army | $15.2B | 3,476 awards | 15% |
| 4 | Missile Defense Agency | $10.3B | 5,863 awards | 9.9% |
| 5 | Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency | $3.3B | 735 awards | 3.2% |
| 6 | Defense Microelectronics Activity | $2.7B | 306 awards | 2.6% |
| 7 | Defense Threat Reduction Agency | $1.0B | 381 awards | 1.0% |
| 8 | Washington Headquarters Services | $614.4M | 84 awards | 0.6% |
| 9 | U.S. Special Operations Command | $592.2M | 171 awards | 0.6% |
| 10 | Defense Logistics Agency | $508.6M | 565 awards | 0.5% |
| 11 | Defense Contract Management Agency | $308.3M | 3,665 awards | 0.3% |
| 12 | Defense Information Systems Agency | $210.5M | 181 awards | 0.2% |
Budget lines in this category, FY2027 requestPentagon budget
| Budget line | FY2025 prior | FY2026 current | FY2027 request | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defense Autonomous Warfare Group Defense-wide Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide 0604539D8Z | FY2025 n/a | FY2026 $225.9M | $54.6B | 242x vs FY2026 |
| Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment Support Defense-wide Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide 0607210D8Z | FY2025 $975.1M | FY2026 $11.3B | $41.8B | +271% vs FY2026 |
| Classified Programs Air Force Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Air Force | FY2025 $18.3B | FY2026 $19.4B | $29.1B | +50% vs FY2026 |
| Classified Programs Space Force Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation, Space Force | FY2025 $5.4B | FY2026 $6.6B | $17.3B | +164% vs FY2026 |
| Classified Programs Defense-wide Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide | FY2025 $8.7B | FY2026 $7.9B | $8.9B | +13% vs FY2026 |
| Golden Dome for America - MDA Defense-wide Golden Dome for America Fund 0604139D8Z | FY2025 n/a | FY2026 $4.0B | $7.2B | +78% vs FY2026 |
| F-47 Air Force Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Air Force 0207110F | FY2025 $2.3B | FY2026 $3.5B | $5.0B | +46% vs FY2026 |
| Golden Dome for America - Space Programs Defense-wide Golden Dome for America Fund 1204159D8Z | FY2025 $9.0M | FY2026 $10.8B | $4.5B | -58% vs FY2026 |
| Ground Based Strategic Deterrent EMD Air Force Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Air Force 0605238F | FY2025 $1.9B | FY2026 $4.8B | $4.5B | -5.9% vs FY2026 |
| Test & Evaluation Science & Technology Defense-wide Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide 0603941D8Z | FY2025 $304.6M | FY2026 $1.7B | $3.8B | +129% vs FY2026 |
Budget lines map to award categories by appropriation and budget activity. Requests come before contract awards; see timing.
Product and Service Codes73 codes
| PSC | Name | Obligated FY2024+ | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|
| AC13 | NATIONAL DEFENSE R&D SERVICES; DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - MILITARY; EXPERIMENTAL DEVELOPMENT | $25.3B | 8,726 awards |
| AC32 | NATIONAL DEFENSE R&D SERVICES; DEFENSE-RELATED ACTIVITIES; APPLIED RESEARCH | $18.1B | 5,751 awards |
| AC24 | NATIONAL DEFENSE R&D SERVICES; ATOMIC ENERGY DEFENSE ACTIVITIES; R&D ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES | $12.3B | 113 awards |
| AC12 | NATIONAL DEFENSE R&D SERVICES; DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - MILITARY; APPLIED RESEARCH | $9.2B | 5,272 awards |
| AC33 | NATIONAL DEFENSE R&D SERVICES; DEFENSE-RELATED ACTIVITIES; EXPERIMENTAL DEVELOPMENT | $8.1B | 1,228 awards |
| AC15 | NATIONAL DEFENSE R&D SVCS; DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - MILITARY; R&D FACILITIES & MAJ EQUIP | $4.5B | 386 awards |
| AC11 | NATIONAL DEFENSE R&D SERVICES; DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - MILITARY; BASIC RESEARCH | $4.4B | 2,051 awards |
| AC23 | NATIONAL DEFENSE R&D SERVICES; ATOMIC ENERGY DEFENSE ACTIVITIES; EXPERIMENTAL DEVELOPMENT | $4.1B | 534 awards |
| AC22 | NATIONAL DEFENSE R&D SERVICES; ATOMIC ENERGY DEFENSE ACTIVITIES; APPLIED RESEARCH | $4.0B | 462 awards |
| AC14 | NATIONAL DEFENSE R&D SERVICES; DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - MILITARY; R&D ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES | $3.0B | 418 awards |
| AC61 | R&D-ELECTRONICS & COMM EQ-B RES | $2.7B | 208 awards |
| AC31 | NATIONAL DEFENSE R&D SERVICES; DEFENSE-RELATED ACTIVITIES; BASIC RESEARCH | $2.4B | 294 awards |
| AC25 | NATIONAL DEFENSE R&D SVCS; ATOMIC ENERGY DEFENSE ACTIVITIES; R&D FACILITIES & MAJ EQUIP | $1.4B | 147 awards |
| AD93 | R&D- DEFENSE OTHER: OTHER (ADVANCED DEVELOPMENT) | $910.9M | 623 awards |
| AC35 | NATIONAL DEFENSE R&D SVCS; DEFENSE-RELATED ACTIVITIES; R&D FACILITIES & MAJ EQUIP | $559.6M | 211 awards |
| AC27 | R&D-MISSILE & SPACE SYS-COMERCLIZ | $522.1M | 2 awards |
| AC54 | WEAPONS (ENGINEERING) | $338.7M | 23 awards |
| AC34 | NATIONAL DEFENSE R&D SERVICES; DEFENSE-RELATED ACTIVITIES; R&D ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES | $256.8M | 176 awards |
| AC56 | R&D- DEFENSE SYSTEM: WEAPONS (MANAGEMENT/SUPPORT) | $243.6M | 8 awards |
| AC21 | NATIONAL DEFENSE R&D SERVICES; ATOMIC ENERGY DEFENSE ACTIVITIES; BASIC RESEARCH | $226.5M | 121 awards |
| AD92 | R&D- DEFENSE OTHER: OTHER (APPLIED RESEARCH/EXPLORATORY DEVELOPMENT) | $218.2M | 1,244 awards |
| AC26 | R&D- DEFENSE SYSTEM: MISSILE/SPACE SYSTEMS (MANAGEMENT/SUPPORT) | $181.2M | 20 awards |
| AC63 | R&D-ELECTRONICS & COMM EQ-ADV DEV | $175.8M | 301 awards |
| AD14 | R&D- DEFENSE OTHER: AMMUNITION (ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT) | $134.4M | 5 awards |
| AC62 | R&D- DEFENSE SYSTEM: ELECTRONICS/COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT (APPLIED RESEARCH/EXPLORATORY DEVELOPMENT) | $112.6M | 333 awards |
| AC64 | R&D- DEFENSE SYSTEM: ELECTRONICS/COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT (ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT) | $106.8M | 197 awards |
| AD26 | R&D- DEFENSE OTHER: SERVICES (MANAGEMENT/SUPPORT) | $66.1M | 104 awards |
| AD96 | R&D- DEFENSE OTHER: OTHER (MANAGEMENT/SUPPORT) | $63.9M | 91 awards |
| AC53 | R&D- DEFENSE SYSTEM: WEAPONS (ADVANCED DEVELOPMENT) | $59.7M | 96 awards |
| AC52 | R&D- DEFENSE SYSTEM: WEAPONS (APPLIED RESEARCH/EXPLORATORY DEVELOPMENT) | $51.9M | 110 awards |
| AD22 | SERVICES (APPLIED/EXPLORATORY) | $42.7M | 71 awards |
| AC93 | R&D- DEFENSE SYSTEM: MISCELLANEOUS HARD GOODS (ADVANCED DEVELOPMENT) | $41.4M | 207 awards |
| AD25 | R&D- DEFENSE OTHER: SERVICES (OPERATIONAL SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT) | $29.1M | 167 awards |
| AD24 | SERVICES (ENGINEERING) | $28.9M | 557 awards |
| AC65 | R&D- DEFENSE SYSTEM: ELECTRONICS/COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT (OPERATIONAL SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT) | $23.2M | 157 awards |
| AD94 | OTHER DEFENSE (ENGINEERING) | $16.7M | 76 awards |
| AC55 | WEAPONS (OPERATIONAL) | $10.6M | 13 awards |
| AD23 | R&D- DEFENSE OTHER: SERVICES (ADVANCED DEVELOPMENT) | $9.7M | 60 awards |
| AD64 | R&D- DEFENSE OTHER: CONSTRUCTION (ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT) | $9.6M | 3 awards |
| AD91 | OTHER DEFENSE (BASIC) | $9.1M | 224 awards |
Records on this page96Verified federal records
Largest value shown$104.0BAnnounced or obligated
Platform coverage$1.40TDoD & DHS obligations FY24-26
Expiring recompetes300$126.8B ending by Jun 2028
Largest awards50 per page / search this category
| Award | Company | Obligated FY2024+ | What | Agency | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FA821920C0006 definitive contract | Northrop Grumman Systems Corp | $7.6B | Ground-based strategic deterrent (gbsd) engineering and manufacturing development (emd) and early production and deployment (p&d) | Air Force | Apr 29, 2026 DoD 90d |
| HQ085621C0001 definitive contract | Lockheed Martin Corporation | $3.6B | Design, development, and developmental testing of the next generation interceptor (ngi) all-up-round (aur) | Missile Defense Agency | May 21, 2026 DoD 90d |
| W58RGZ23C0001 definitive contract | Bell Textron Inc | $3.4B | The future vertical lift (fvl) flraa capability set three is a pre-major defense acquisition program (acat 1c) commissioned to develop and field the next generation of affordable vertical lift tactical assault / utility aircraft for the ... | Army | Jun 24, 2026 DoD 90d |
| N0003022C1025 definitive contract | Lockheed Martin Corp | $2.0B | Reserved | Navy | May 15, 2026 DoD 90d |
| FA881018C0005 definitive contract | Lockheed Martin Corp | $1.7B | Next generation overhead persistent infrared geosynchronous earth orbit space vehicle 1-3 phase 1 | Air Force | Jun 4, 2026 DoD 90d |
| ████████████ | ████████████ | $•••.•M | ████████████████ | Navy | Jun 4, 2026 DoD 90d |
| ████████████ | ████████████ | $•••.•M | ████████████████ | Navy | May 19, 2026 DoD 90d |
| ████████████ | ████████████ | $•••.•M | ████████████████ | Air Force | May 20, 2026 DoD 90d |
| ████████████ | ████████████ | $•••.•M | ████████████████ | Navy | Jun 5, 2026 DoD 90d |
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Source: USAspending.gov prime award data (FPDS), DoD and DHS contracts, orders and IDVs with any action since Oct 1, 2023. Obligated FY2024+ sums the obligations on those actions; total obligated is the award's lifetime figure. DoD contract actions publish on USAspending about 90 days after signing (DFARS PGI 204.6), so the latest DoD actions here trail the calendar by about 3 months. Data as of Oct 16, 2026.
Sources
Award recordUSAspendingAward recordUSAspendingAward recordUSAspendingAward recordUSAspendingAward recordUSAspendingAward recordUSAspendingAward recordUSAspendingAward recordUSAspending
Related
Northrop Grumman Systems CorpLockheed Martin CorporationMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyThe Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory LLCLockheed Martin CorporationBell Textron IncLockheed Martin CorpBooz Allen Hamilton IncDepartment of the Air ForceDepartment of the NavyDepartment of the ArmyMissile Defense AgencyDefense Advanced Research Projects AgencyDefense Microelectronics ActivityDefense Threat Reduction AgencyWashington Headquarters Services
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