Top 100 Companies

The Defense News annual ranking of the largest global defense companies shaping militaries around the world.


  • The Top 100: A return to prosperity?
    The Top 100: A return to prosperity?

    Overall defense revenues for the Top 100 defense companies in the world increased in 2016, ending a five-year slide and signaling that the era of defense austerity may officially be at an end.

  • Chief of New German Sensor House EBS Anticipates Strong Growth, Post Airbus
    Chief of New German Sensor House EBS Anticipates Strong Growth, Post Airbus

    Thomas Müller, EBS CEO, said in an interview with Defense News that strategy is in line with what the German government would like to see from the company following last year’s classification of the business as a “key technology” by the German Ministry of Defence.

  • Bell Helicopter Makes Innovation Top Priority
    Bell Helicopter Makes Innovation Top Priority

    Robert Hastings, executive vice president and chief of staff at Bell Helicopter, in an interview with Defense News, talks about how the Pentagon’s priority to be innovative mirrors the company’s own business strategy: to stay ahead of the curve as it looks to improve helicopters in the US military’s inventory and design a future vertical…

  • American Defense International’s Michael Herson on Hill Priorities, Defense Shifts
    American Defense International’s Michael Herson on Hill Priorities, Defense Shifts

    The head of the Washington, D.C., lobbying and consulting firm weighs in as Congress returns from recess, and explains how the Budget Control Act is tying the hands of the defense industry.

  • Harris CEO Bill Brown on a Very Good Year
    Harris CEO Bill Brown on a Very Good Year

    In February 2015, when Harris first announced its plans to acquire fellow defense company Exelis, CEO Bill Brown called the deal transformational. Nearly 16 months after the deal close, it’s fair to say that’s true.

  • Three Questions with Frank Kendall
    Three Questions with Frank Kendall

    Since May of 2012, Frank Kendall has served as Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (AT&L) – the Pentagon’s top acquisitions official. Defense News asked him to reflect on the state of the defense industry as the Obama administration enters its final months.

  • Top 100: Long Awaited M&A Activity Bears Fruit in 2015
    Top 100: Long Awaited M&A Activity Bears Fruit in 2015

    Overall defense revenues were down in 2015, but there are signs a better future is ahead.

  • Contractors Hope for Movement in Japanese Defense Market
    Contractors Hope for Movement in Japanese Defense Market

    Several nascent procurement plans offer some hope of increased revenues for Japan’s top military contractors.

  • Nordic States Look to Expand Defense Spending
    Nordic States Look to Expand Defense Spending

    Norway and Sweden are leading the charge with increased defense spending.

  • Military Buildups Mirrored on the Russian, NATO Front
    Military Buildups Mirrored on the Russian, NATO Front

    Spooked by President Vladimir Putin’s steady modernization of his military forces, Western military personnel and security experts routinely sound the alarm on Kremlin procurements. Two questions persist: What might Russia do with its increasingly capable hardware, and how will NATO members respond?

  • The Top 100: A return to prosperity?
    The Top 100: A return to prosperity?

    Overall defense revenues for the Top 100 defense companies in the world increased in 2016, ending a five-year slide and signaling that the era of defense austerity may officially be at an end.

  • Chief of New German Sensor House EBS Anticipates Strong Growth, Post Airbus
    Chief of New German Sensor House EBS Anticipates Strong Growth, Post Airbus

    Thomas Müller, EBS CEO, said in an interview with Defense News that strategy is in line with what the German government would like to see from the company following last year’s classification of the business as a “key technology” by the German Ministry of Defence.

  • Bell Helicopter Makes Innovation Top Priority
    Bell Helicopter Makes Innovation Top Priority

    Robert Hastings, executive vice president and chief of staff at Bell Helicopter, in an interview with Defense News, talks about how the Pentagon’s priority to be innovative mirrors the company’s own business strategy: to stay ahead of the curve as it looks to improve helicopters in the US military’s inventory and design a future vertical…

  • American Defense International’s Michael Herson on Hill Priorities, Defense Shifts
    American Defense International’s Michael Herson on Hill Priorities, Defense Shifts

    The head of the Washington, D.C., lobbying and consulting firm weighs in as Congress returns from recess, and explains how the Budget Control Act is tying the hands of the defense industry.

  • Harris CEO Bill Brown on a Very Good Year
    Harris CEO Bill Brown on a Very Good Year

    In February 2015, when Harris first announced its plans to acquire fellow defense company Exelis, CEO Bill Brown called the deal transformational. Nearly 16 months after the deal close, it’s fair to say that’s true.

  • Three Questions with Frank Kendall
    Three Questions with Frank Kendall

    Since May of 2012, Frank Kendall has served as Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (AT&L) – the Pentagon’s top acquisitions official. Defense News asked him to reflect on the state of the defense industry as the Obama administration enters its final months.

  • Top 100: Long Awaited M&A Activity Bears Fruit in 2015
    Top 100: Long Awaited M&A Activity Bears Fruit in 2015

    Overall defense revenues were down in 2015, but there are signs a better future is ahead.

  • Contractors Hope for Movement in Japanese Defense Market
    Contractors Hope for Movement in Japanese Defense Market

    Several nascent procurement plans offer some hope of increased revenues for Japan’s top military contractors.

  • Nordic States Look to Expand Defense Spending
    Nordic States Look to Expand Defense Spending

    Norway and Sweden are leading the charge with increased defense spending.

  • Military Buildups Mirrored on the Russian, NATO Front
    Military Buildups Mirrored on the Russian, NATO Front

    Spooked by President Vladimir Putin’s steady modernization of his military forces, Western military personnel and security experts routinely sound the alarm on Kremlin procurements. Two questions persist: What might Russia do with its increasingly capable hardware, and how will NATO members respond?

  • The Top 100: A return to prosperity?
    The Top 100: A return to prosperity?

    Overall defense revenues for the Top 100 defense companies in the world increased in 2016, ending a five-year slide and signaling that the era of defense austerity may officially be at an end.

  • Chief of New German Sensor House EBS Anticipates Strong Growth, Post Airbus
    Chief of New German Sensor House EBS Anticipates Strong Growth, Post Airbus

    Thomas Müller, EBS CEO, said in an interview with Defense News that strategy is in line with what the German government would like to see from the company following last year’s classification of the business as a “key technology” by the German Ministry of Defence.

  • Bell Helicopter Makes Innovation Top Priority
    Bell Helicopter Makes Innovation Top Priority

    Robert Hastings, executive vice president and chief of staff at Bell Helicopter, in an interview with Defense News, talks about how the Pentagon’s priority to be innovative mirrors the company’s own business strategy: to stay ahead of the curve as it looks to improve helicopters in the US military’s inventory and design a future vertical…

  • American Defense International’s Michael Herson on Hill Priorities, Defense Shifts
    American Defense International’s Michael Herson on Hill Priorities, Defense Shifts

    The head of the Washington, D.C., lobbying and consulting firm weighs in as Congress returns from recess, and explains how the Budget Control Act is tying the hands of the defense industry.

  • Harris CEO Bill Brown on a Very Good Year
    Harris CEO Bill Brown on a Very Good Year

    In February 2015, when Harris first announced its plans to acquire fellow defense company Exelis, CEO Bill Brown called the deal transformational. Nearly 16 months after the deal close, it’s fair to say that’s true.

  • Three Questions with Frank Kendall
    Three Questions with Frank Kendall

    Since May of 2012, Frank Kendall has served as Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (AT&L) – the Pentagon’s top acquisitions official. Defense News asked him to reflect on the state of the defense industry as the Obama administration enters its final months.

  • Top 100: Long Awaited M&A Activity Bears Fruit in 2015
    Top 100: Long Awaited M&A Activity Bears Fruit in 2015

    Overall defense revenues were down in 2015, but there are signs a better future is ahead.

  • Contractors Hope for Movement in Japanese Defense Market
    Contractors Hope for Movement in Japanese Defense Market

    Several nascent procurement plans offer some hope of increased revenues for Japan’s top military contractors.

  • Nordic States Look to Expand Defense Spending
    Nordic States Look to Expand Defense Spending

    Norway and Sweden are leading the charge with increased defense spending.

  • Military Buildups Mirrored on the Russian, NATO Front
    Military Buildups Mirrored on the Russian, NATO Front

    Spooked by President Vladimir Putin’s steady modernization of his military forces, Western military personnel and security experts routinely sound the alarm on Kremlin procurements. Two questions persist: What might Russia do with its increasingly capable hardware, and how will NATO members respond?