Key takeaways
- The Department of Defense spent $917 billion in fiscal 2026, compared with $868 billion in fiscal 2025, according to the Monthly Treasury Statement.
- Its biggest programs: Military personnel, operations and maintenance, procurement, R&D.
- The Department of Defense buys through seven main components and offices, each with its own contracting staff.
- DoD publishes a procurement forecast of upcoming contracts.
DoD at a glance
| Fact | DoD |
|---|---|
| FY 2026 outlays | $917 billion (4th of the 20 largest agencies) |
| FY 2025 outlays | $868 billion |
| Biggest programs | Military personnel, operations and maintenance, procurement, R&D |
| Main buying components | 7 |
| Procurement forecast | DoD forecast |
Sources: U.S. Treasury, Monthly Treasury Statement for September 2026 (outlays); Acquisition.gov procurement forecast directory; SBA FY 2025 Small Business Procurement Scorecard as reported in June 2026. Since a September 2025 executive order, the department also uses the name Department of War.
Who buys at DoD
Each military department and defense agency runs its own contracting commands, so most selling happens at the command, program office or base level rather than with the department as a whole.
- Department of the Army
- Department of the Navy, including the Marine Corps
- Department of the Air Force, including the Space Force
- Defense Logistics Agency (DLA)
- Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA)
- Defense Health Agency (DHA)
- Missile Defense Agency and other defense agencies
How to start selling to DoD
- Register in SAM.gov. Every federal contractor needs an active SAM registration and Unique Entity ID; see our SAM registration guide.
- Check your NAICS codes and size. Each solicitation is assigned one NAICS code, and its size standard decides whether you can compete as a small business; see SBA size standards and the top NAICS codes for government contracts.
- Read the forecast. DoD's procurement forecast lists contracts planned for the coming year, often before they reach SAM.gov.
- Meet the small business office. DoD's Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (or its equivalent) can explain how the agency buys and connect you with program offices.
- Consider contract vehicles. Many agency buys go through GSA's Multiple Award Schedule and other governmentwide or agency contracts rather than open competition.
- Find the program owner. Contracting officers run the process, but program offices decide what they need; reaching them before a solicitation is released is where deals are shaped.
Large contractors at DoD
These companies from our largest federal contractors list do much of their federal business with the Department of Defense. Many subcontract to smaller firms.
| Company | All federal obligations, FY 2025 | Main federal business |
|---|---|---|
| Lockheed Martin | $81.2B | F-35 fighter, missiles, helicopters and space systems |
| General Dynamics | $37.9B | Submarines, combat vehicles and IT services through GDIT |
| RTX | $37.1B | Raytheon missiles and radars, Pratt & Whitney engines |
| Boeing | $23.0B | Military aircraft, tankers, satellites and space |
| Northrop Grumman | $14.4B | Bombers, missile systems, space and mission systems |
| HII (Huntington Ingalls Industries) | $10.2B | Aircraft carriers, submarines and amphibious ships |
| L3Harris Technologies | $10.1B | Tactical communications, space and electronic systems |
| BAE Systems | $9.3B | Combat vehicles, ship repair, munitions and electronics |
| Atlantic Diving Supply (ADS) | $6.1B | Tactical equipment and supply for the military |
Obligations are each company's total with all federal agencies, not DoD alone. Source: GovTribe FY 2025 parent-company rankings.
Budget and funding timing
- Fiscal year. The federal fiscal year runs Oct. 1 to Sept. 30; see our government fiscal year calendar.
- Fiscal 2027 funding. DoD is operating under a continuing resolution through Dec. 11, 2026, which generally bars new starts; follow it in our FY 2027 appropriations tracker.
- Year-end buying. Agencies obligate a large share of contract dollars in the final quarter of the fiscal year, July through September.
How KSG helps
Kensington Sales Group's SDRs book meetings with public agencies across Federal, SLED, K-12 & Higher Ed, Healthcare, Tribal, Special Districts and Utilities. We map DoD's program offices, track its forecast and get you in front of the people who shape requirements before solicitations drop. See how our federal sales development works.