In a defense contracting role, these professionals, including a Defense Contractor Attorney near Greenville SC, can plan and oversee the shipment and transportation of military weapons, supplies and. Prime contractors have direct contracts with defense agencies. They assume full responsibility for delivering the contracted goods or services and must meet all relevant requirements. Subcontractors partner with prime contractors and provide specialized components or services that contribute to the overall scope of the contract. Prime contractors enjoy higher profit margins, direct relationships with government clients, greater control over their work, and gain valuable performance credentials in the past.
Subcontractors benefit from easier market entry, reduced compliance burden, mentoring established defense contractors, and reduced marketing and business development costs. The agency provides contract management services for the War Department, other federal organizations and international partners, and is an essential part of the acquisition process, from the pre-award process to maintenance. Just over 9,800 employees, mostly civilians, work in offices and contractor facilities around the world, divided between five operational commands, licensing offices and the agency's headquarters in Fort Lee, Virginia. Contracting officers are responsible for ensuring the execution of all measures necessary for effective hiring, ensuring compliance with the terms of the contract, and safeguarding the interests of the United States in its contractual relationships.
To fulfill these responsibilities, hiring officers must have ample freedom to exercise their business judgment. Defense contractors offer a variety of offers to military or intelligence agencies, including physical products such as aircraft, vehicles and electronic systems, as well as services such as logistics, technical support, training and engineering assistance. Traditional defense contractors often work with multi-million dollar, large-scale contracts covered by cost accounting (CAS) standards (link). A defense contractor is a business organization or individual that provides products or services to a government's military or intelligence department.
Specialized product contractors provide physical goods to defense agencies, ranging from major weapons platforms and specialized electronic components to computers, network equipment, specialized software, and even basic supplies such as uniforms, construction materials and office equipment. These companies are focused on exploring new technologies with defense applications, creating proof-of-concept solutions for defense challenges, and transferring innovations from the laboratory to operational use. Simply put, a defense contractor is any company, regardless of size, that provides products or services to government military or intelligence departments. The Department of Defense awards at least 20% of its contracts to small businesses, creating significant opportunities for companies of all types in the defense sector.
A defense contract, as defined by the Code of Federal Regulations, is an agreement by which a contractor provides supplies or services to a sub-agency of the Department of Defense. The world of defense contracting is complex; it's important to think about what can be offered to the Department of Defense and the United States. Defense contracts come in several forms, including full and open competition available to all qualified vendors, small business reservations reserved for small businesses, single-vendor awards that are awarded without competition when only one vendor can meet requirements, and other transaction authorities (OTAs) that offer simplified agreements for innovative solutions, especially suitable for non-traditional contractors. Military service members, professional employees of the Department of Defense, and individuals appointed for civilian political reasons are not considered defense contractors. Unlike what Hollywood might suggest, working as a defense contractor doesn't mean manufacturing weapons or deploying security personnel overseas.
Major defense companies, such as Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics, often manage complex, multi-year defense programs that encompass the aerospace industry, defense systems, vehicles, IT and shipbuilding. Several programs support new entrants in defense contracting, including small business innovation research (SBIR) grants for R&D projects, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to adapt commercial technology, innovation centers such as AFWERX, NAVAIR, and Army Futures Command, and mentoring and protégé programs that pair small businesses with experienced contractors. Defense contractors often play an important role overseas, providing deployed troops with services such as language interpretation, perimeter security, maintenance of weapons systems, and oversight of other contractors.
