Top 10 Largest Arms & Military Equipment Companies in the World

In a perfectly ideal world, you wouldn’t need them. But since we, unfortunately, do not live in such a perfect world, countries need arms and military equipment to protect themselves against possible outside invaders. Armies first and foremost consist of human soldiers, but, for better or worse, in order to be able to defend their homeland (and in some cases also invade other countries), they need arms and other military equipment to be able to do that.

These arms and military equipment are manufactured by companies that act as defense contractors for their respective governments as well as governments of allied countries. They produce and provide countries with weapons, tanks, missile systems, military helicopters, fighter jets, warships, submarines, and, increasingly, also unmanned vehicles, and other equipment that is useful in war and the defense of countries.

The following ranking lists the Top 10 largest arms and military tech equipment manufacturers/companies in the world by the most recent revenue numbers achieved through their function as defense contractors. Hence only revenue generated by a company’s branches that sells arms and military equipment and devices is relevant for the ranking.

Top 10 Largest Arms & Military Equipment/Tech Companies in the World 2022

top 10 arms and military equipment companies in the world

1. Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin Corporation

Arms / Military tech revenue: ~ $60.3 billion

Founded in: 1995
(through the merger of Lockheed Corporation & Martin Marietta Materials, Inc.)
Based in: Bethesda, Maryland, USA

Manufactured arms & military equipment:
Fighter jets, Transport aircraft, Reconnaissance aircraft, Attack helicopters, UAVs (Drones), USVs (Drone ships), Missiles, Missile systems, Anti-Missile systems, Air defense systems, Radar systems, Naval weapons systems, Turret systems, Bombs, Nuclear weapons

Known military products:
F-16 (fighter jet)
F-35 (stealth fighter jet)
C-130 (transport aircraft)
U-2 (reconnaissance/spy plane)
Sikorsky BLACK HAWK (attack/multi-role helicopter)
Trident (submarine-launched thermonuclear missile)
FGM-148 Javelin (anti-tank missile) (in cooperation with Raytheon Technologies)

2. Raytheon Technologies

Raytheon Technologies Corporation

Arms / Military tech revenue: ~ $45.1 billion

Founded in: 2020
(through the merger of Raytheon Company & United Technologies Corporation)
Based in: Waltham, Massachusetts, USA

Manufactured arms & military equipment:
Missiles, Missile systems, Anti-missile systems, Air defense systems, UAVs (Drones), Radar systems, Sonar systems, Naval weapons systems, Cybersecurity systems, Bombs, Nuclear weapons

Known military products:
Paveway III (laser-guided bomb)
MIM-104 Patriot (surface-to-air missile system)
RIM-161 SM-3 (anti-missile system)
AIM-120 AMRAAM (air-to-air missile)
AGM-65 Maverick (air-to-surface missile)
FIM-92 Stinger (surface-to-air missile)
BGM-109 Tomahawk (cruise missile)
FGM-148 Javelin (anti-tank missile) (in cooperation with Lockheed Martin)

3. Boeing

The Boeing Company

Arms / Military tech revenue: ~ $42.8 billion

Founded in: 1916
Based in: Chicago, Illinois, USA

Manufactured arms & military equipment:
Fighter jets, Bomber aircraft, Transport aircraft, AEW aircraft, Reconnaissance aircraft, Attack helicopters, UAVs (Drones), Missiles, Bombs, Air defense systems

Known military products:
VC-25 (VIP transport aircraft)
AH-64 Apache (attack helicopter)
F-15 (fighter jet)
B-52 (strategic bomber)
RC-135 (reconnaissance aircraft)
ScanEagle (reconnaissance UAV/Drone)
Small Diameter Bomb (precision-guided glide bomb)

4. Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman Corporation

Arms / Military tech revenue: ~ $32.1 billion

Founded in: 1994
(through the merger of Northrop Corporation & Grumman Corporation)
Based in: West Falls Church, Virginia, USA

Manufactured arms & military equipment:
Fighter jets, Bomber aircraft, AEW aircraft, Reconnaissance aircraft, UAVs (Drones), Radar systems, Missiles, Missile systems, Anti-missile systems, Air defense systems, Naval weapons systems, Directed-energy weaponry, Electronic weaponry, Cybersecurity systems, Nuclear weapons

Known military products:
B-1 (supersonic bomber)
B-2 (stealth bomber)
E-2 Hawkeye (AEW aircraft)
GQM-163 Coyote (naval surface-to-air missile)
RQ-4 Global Hawk (reconnaissance UAV/Drone)
RQ-100 (stealth UAV/Drone)

5. General Dynamics

General Dynamics Corporation

Arms / Military tech revenue: ~ $30.4 billion

Founded in: 1899
Based in: Reston, Virginia, USA

Manufactured arms & military equipment:
Warships, Cargo ships, Submarines, Tanks, Armored cars, Guns

Known military products:
USS Zumwalt (destroyer)
USS Winston S. Churchill (destroyer)
USS Columbia (fast-attack submarine)
USS Jimmy Carter (fast-attack submarine)
USNS Cesar Chavez (military cargo ship)
M1 Abrams (tank)
Stryker (armored car)

6. BAE Systems

BAE Systems plc

Arms / Military tech revenue: ~ $25.5 billion

Founded in: 1999
(through the merger of British Aerospace plc & Marconi Electronic Systems Ltd)
Based in: London, England, UK

Manufactured arms & military equipment:
Warships, Submarines, Tanks, Armored cars, Fighter jets, UAVs (Drones), USVs (Drone ships), Missiles, Missile systems, Electronic weaponry, Cybersecurity systems, Guns, Bombs, Nuclear weapons

Known military products:
HMS Duncan (destroyer)
HMS Astute (attack submarine)
HERTI (reconnaissance UAV/Drone)
Fury (combat UAV/Drone)
FV4034 Challenger 2 (tank)
CV90 (tank)
Eurofighter Typhoon (fighter jet) (in cooperation with Airbus & Leonardo)

7. NORINCO

China NORth INdustries COrporation

Arms / Military tech revenue: ~ $17.6 billion

Founded in: 1988
Based in: Beijing, China

Manufactured arms & military equipment:
Guns, Tanks, Armored cars, Missiles, Missile systems, Anti-missile systems, Radar systems, UAVs (Drones), Electronic weaponry, Bombs

Known military products:
Type 99 (tank)
VN-4 (armored car)
QBZ-191 (assault rifle)
QBU-88 (sniper rifle)

8. AVIC

AViation Industry Corporation of China

Arms / Military tech revenue: ~ $16.8 billion

Founded in: 1951
Based in: Beijing, China

Manufactured arms & military equipment:
Fighter jets, Bomber aircraft, Transport aircraft, Reconnaissance aircraft, Attack helicopters, UAVs (Drones)

Known military products:
J-20 (stealth fighter jet)
JH-7 (fighter-bomber)
H-6 (strategic bomber)
Y-20 (transport aircraft)
Z-10 (attack helicopter)
Wing Loong-10 (reconnaissance UAV/Drone)

9. L3Harris Technologies

L3Harris Technologies, Inc.

Arms / Military tech revenue: ~ $14.5 billion

Founded in: 2019
(through the merger of L3 Technologies Inc. & Harris Corporation)
Based in: Melbourne, Florida, USA

Manufactured arms & military equipment:
Directed-energy weaponry, Electronic weaponry, Night vision devices, Precision munitions, Radar systems, UAVs (Drones), USVs (Drone ships), UUVs (Underwater drone)

Known military products:
MAST-13 (USV)
IVER4 900 (UUV)
ENVG-B (Night vision binoculars)
AN/SPS-48 (radar system)

10. Leonardo

Leonardo S.p.A.

Arms / Military tech revenue: ~ $12.3 billion

Founded in: 1948
Based in: Rome, Lazio, Italy

Manufactured arms & military equipment:
Fighter jets, Bomber aircraft, Transport aircraft, Reconnaissance aircraft, Attack helicopters, UAVs (Drones), RUAVs (Helicopter drones), Cybersecurity systems

Known military products:
M-346 Fighter Attack (fighter jet)
AW249 (attack helicopter)
AWHERO (RUAV/Helicopter drone)
CREX-B (UAV/Drone)

The 10 Largest Arms & Military Equipment Companies in the World

(as of 2022)

Top 10 Largest Arms & Military Equipment Companies in the World:
1. LOCKHEED MARTIN Arms / Military tech revenue: ~ $60.3 billion
2. RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES Arms / Military tech revenue: ~ $45.1 billion
3. BOEING Arms / Military tech revenue: ~ $42.8 billion
4. NORTHROP GRUMMAN Arms / Military tech revenue: ~ $30.4 billion
5. GENERAL DYNAMICS Arms / Military tech revenue: ~ $30.4 billion
6. BAE SYSTEMS Arms / Military tech revenue: ~ $25.5 billion
7. NORINCO Arms / Military tech revenue: ~ $17.6 billion
8. AVIC Arms / Military tech revenue: ~ $16.8 billion
9. L3HARRIS TECHNOLOGIES Arms / Military tech revenue: ~ $14.5 billion
10. LEONARDO Arms / Military tech revenue: ~ $12.3 billion

Top 10 arms & military tech equipment manufacturers/companies in the world by revenue generated by the sale of arms and military equipment.

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Tagged with: arms, defense contractors, military, military equipment, military tech