A defense contractor (or defence contractor) is a business organization or individual that provides products or services to a defense department of a government. Products typically include military aircraft, ships, vehicles, weaponry, and electronic systems. Services can include logistics, technical support and training and communications support.

Defense contractors do not generally provide direct support of military operations. Under 1949 Geneva Conventions defense contractors engaged in direct support of military operations may be legitimate targets of military attack. Compare to a private military contractor.

Top 10 worldwide defense contractors, 2008[1]
Rank	Name	Country/location	2007 rank	Defense revenue (US$ billion)	% of total revenue
1	Boeing	United States	1	30.5	48.0
2	BAE Systems	United Kingdom	2	29.9	95.0
3	Lockheed Martin	United States	3	29.4	92.0
4	Northrop Grumman	United States	4	24.6	77.0
5	General Dynamics	United States	6	21.5	79.0
6	Raytheon	United States	5	19.5	93.0
7	EADS	European Union	7	13.1	21.3
8	L-3 Communications	United States	8	11.2	81.0
9	Finmeccanica	Italy	9	9.9	53.6
10	Thales Group	France	10	9.4	56.0

[edit] See also

• Arms industry
• Government contractor
• List of NASA contractors
• List of United States defense contractors
• Military-industrial complex

[edit] External links

• The British Library - finding information on the defence industry
• Private Security Transnational Enterprises in Colombia

[edit] References

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