McDONNELL DOUGLAS (MDC) again hung on to its place as the US Government's biggest defence supplier in 1994, but Department of Defense (DoD) figures suggest that the newly merged Lockheed Martin could overtake the group this year.
MDC received the largest single value of prime-contract awards, raising its total to $9.2 billion, but Lockheed and Martin Marietta, which completed their merger earlier this year, together netted a combined total of $9.6 billion. Lockheed ranked second, with $6.5 billion, and Martin Marietta ranked fourth, with $3.1 billion.
The DoD reveals that it awarded a total of $118 billion during 1994, down from nearly $124 billion in 1993. The largest groups increased their share of the total, however, with the top ten accounting for just over one-third of the total.
Northrop's absorption of Grumman helped it to rise from seventh to third place, with a combined total of $5.2 billion in awards.
Defence industry consolidation also showed up, with only 12 aircraft companies making it into the DoD's ranking of the top 100 contractors, against 18 in 1993.
Foreign manufacturers appearing in the ranking were again led by Canada's CAE, the UK's GEC and Israel Aircraft Industries.
Source: Flight International