Defense

Major US DoD Programs

Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAPs) = the highest-tier US weapons programs, costing over $2.79B in development or $13.95B in procurement — these get extra Congressional and GAO oversight. The top 20 active programs as of Q1 2026.
ProgramPrimeDomainLifecycle $BYearsUnitsDeliveredFY26 $BStatus
F-35 Lightning II

DoD's most expensive program ever; F-35A/B/C variants

Lockheed MartinAir$20502007-20442,4561,142$14Production + sustainment
F-47 NGAD

6th-gen air dominance; Boeing won over LMT + NOC

BoeingAir$2502025-20502000$3.5EMD awarded Mar 2025 to Boeing; first flight ~2029
B-21 Raider

Stealth strategic bomber; replaces B-1B + B-2

Northrop GrummanAir$2032025-20401006$4.5Production ramp; first delivery 2024
Golden Dome (Homeland Missile Shield)

Trump admin priority Jan 2025; multi-layer (boost-phase to terminal)

TBD multi-primeSpace/Missile Defense$1752026-20320$13.4FY2026 budget request $13.4B; Israeli Iron Dome-inspired layered architecture
Virginia-class SSN Block V/VI

VPM (Virginia Payload Module) + AUKUS sales to Australia

GD Electric Boat + HIISea$165ongoing3824$9.6Two-per-year build cadence target; AUKUS Pillar I support
Sentinel ICBM (LGM-35A)

Replaces Minuteman III; silo modernization driving cost growth

Northrop GrummanLand$1412026-20506590$5.6Nunn-McCurdy critical breach Jan 2024; restructured Jul 2024; +37% cost growth
Columbia-class SSBN

Replaces Ohio-class; nuclear deterrent backbone

GD Electric Boat (HII partner)Sea$1322021-2042120$9.4First-in-class production; first delivery slipped to 2027
DDG-51 Flight III

Arleigh Burke destroyer; backbone of US surface fleet

HII + GD-BIWSea$86ongoing9673$5.6Flight III with SPY-6 radar; production through 2030s
Ford-class CVN

Ford-class; lead ship had EMALS + AAG issues

HII Newport NewsSea$642008-205841$3.4CVN-79 Kennedy delivery 2025; CVN-80 Enterprise 2029
KC-46 Pegasus

Boeing fixed-price losses ~$7B

BoeingAir$492011-2027179105$2.7Production; refueling boom remote-vision-system fix
Constellation-class FFG

FREMM-derivative; design changes from Italian original drove delays

Fincantieri Marinette MarineSea$222020-2035200$1.6First-in-class FFG-62 USS Constellation construction delayed 2-3 years; delivery 2027-2028
Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW Dark Eagle)

Conventional Prompt Strike; common hypersonic glide body with Navy

Lockheed Martin + DyneticsLand$182023-20302400$1.4First Army battery declared IOC late 2025; production ramp 2026-2027
Next-Generation Interceptor (NGI)

Replaces GBI for homeland missile defense

Lockheed Martin + Aerojet RocketdyneSpace/Missile Defense$182025-2035310$2Critical Design Review 2025; first delivery 2028
Conventional Prompt Strike (Navy)

Naval hypersonic; common glide body with Army Dark Eagle

Northrop Grumman + Lockheed MartinSea$142025-2032960$1.1Zumwalt + Virginia integration; first IOC 2027
Sentinel/Tranche 2 Transport Layer (SDA)

JADC2 backbone; LEO mesh network

Multi-prime (LMT, NG, L3Harris, York, Rocket Lab)Space$142023-20271580$2.5First launches Sep 2024; full constellation Q4 2026
AMPV (Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle)

Bradley-derivative chassis; 5 mission variants

BAE SystemsLand$142014-20352,936280$0.6Production at York PA; replacing M113 family
T-7A Red Hawk

Pilot trainer; Boeing fixed-price contract = $2B+ losses

BoeingAir$112018-20353510$0.7EMD ongoing; ejection seat + flight control redesigns; IOC 2027-2028
Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) Inc 1

Increment 1 awarded Apr 2024; Increment 2 selection 2026

Anduril + General AtomicsAir$62025-20301,0000$1Production representative test articles 2025; IOC 2027-2028
Replicator (Drone Mass)

Pentagon's drone-mass initiative; vendors include Anduril, Saronic, AeroVironment, Skydio

Multi-vendorMulti-domain Autonomy$52024-20261,000350$0.5Iteration 1 fielded thousands of attritable autonomous systems; Iteration 2 underway
Tranche 3 Transport Layer (SDA)

T2 successor; deployment 2028

Multi-prime (LMT $1.1B, L3Harris $843M, Rocket Lab $805M, NG $764M)Space$42025-20291400$1Awarded Dec 2025 ($3.5B total)

Top 20 active US Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAPs) Q1 2026, sorted by lifecycle cost. Sources: DoD Selected Acquisition Reports, GAO Annual Weapons Acquisition Report.

International Defense Programs

Major non-US weapons programs and multinational partnerships. GCAP = Global Combat Air Programme (UK/Italy/Japan 6th-gen fighter); FCAS = Future Combat Air System (France/Germany/Spain equivalent); AUKUS = trilateral Australia-UK-US security pact; MGCS = Main Ground Combat System (French-German tank); KF-21 = South Korea's next fighter.
ProgramPartnersPrimesDomain$B LifecycleIOCStatus
AUKUS Pillar I (Australia SSN)

Largest AUS defense procurement ever; AU$368B program lifetime

US, UK, AustraliaGD Electric Boat, BAE SystemsSea$24520323-5 Virginia-class transferred to RAN early 2030s; SSN-AUKUS class joint design 2030s+
FCAS (Future Combat Air System)

Dassault-Airbus tensions over leadership; €100B+ programme

France, Germany, SpainDassault, Airbus, IndraAir$1202040Phase 1B awarded Dec 2022; technology demonstrator phase ongoing
GCAP (Global Combat Air Programme)

6th-gen fighter; UK Tempest + Japan F-X merged Dec 2022

UK, Italy, JapanBAE Systems, Leonardo, Mitsubishi HeavyAir$1002035Joint venture company Edgewing established Dec 2024; design phase
Rafale (multi-export)

France's flagship export

France, India, UAE, Egypt, Greece, IndonesiaDassaultAir$60ongoingProduction at full rate; 290+ exports orders accumulated
MGCS (Main Ground Combat System)

Leopard 2 + Leclerc replacement; competing with Rheinmetall KF51 Panther

France, GermanyKNDS (KMW + Nexter), RheinmetallLand$452040MoU signed Apr 2024; Phase 1 architecture studies
Polish Modernization Programme

Largest European arms deal post-Ukraine; ~$42B+ committed

Poland, South Korea, USHyundai Rotem, Hanwha, Lockheed MartinMulti$422025K2 tank deliveries began 2022 (180 of 1000 ordered); K9 howitzers + FA-50 fighters + HIMARS + Patriot
Type 26 City-class FFG

Combined fleet 32 hulls (8 UK + 9 AU + 15 CA)

UK, Australia, CanadaBAE SystemsSea$352027First UK ship HMS Glasgow trials 2026; AU Hunter-class + CA River-class derivatives
Eurofighter Typhoon (Tranche 5)

Bridge between Eurofighter and GCAP/FCAS

UK, Germany, Italy, SpainBAE, Airbus, LeonardoAir$252027Continued production; Saudi Arabia + Spain orders 2024-2025
Tempest (UK BCA element)

Distinct from FCAS

UKBAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, Leonardo UKAir$252035Subsumed into GCAP Dec 2022; Team Tempest continues
Boxer / Lynx KF41 (multi-buyer)

Modular wheeled + tracked combat vehicles

Germany, Australia, UK, Slovenia, etc.Rheinmetall, KMWLand$202025Boxer in service multiple countries; Lynx selected by AU for Land 400 Phase 3 (won by Hanwha 2023)
Saab Gripen E/F (orders)

Lower-cost alternative to F-35; export-friendly

Brazil, Sweden, othersSaabAir$82025Brazil F-X2 deliveries continuing; Thai + Colombia interest 2025
Hyundai KF-21 Boramae

4.5-gen fighter; KAI prime; Indonesia partner

South Korea, IndonesiaKAIAir$82026First production batch deliveries late 2025; mass production 2026

Major non-US programs and multinational efforts. IOC = Initial Operating Capability. Sources: program offices, joint program announcements.

Foreign Military Sales Pipeline

FMS = Foreign Military Sales, the channel through which the US government sells weapons to allied countries (rather than the contractor selling direct). Each notification from DSCA (Defense Security Cooperation Agency) flags Congress to a potential sale and sets a dollar ceiling — actual sales are usually smaller and arrive months later.
AnnouncedBuyerSystemValueUnitsPrime
2026-04PhilippinesF-16V$5.5B20Lockheed Martin
2026-03Saudi ArabiaTHAAD batteries$12.0B7Lockheed Martin
2026-02Czech RepublicF-35A$5.5B24Lockheed Martin
2026-01NorwayP-8A Poseidon$2.1B4Boeing
2025-12AustraliaTomahawk Block V$1.3B200RTX
2025-11GreeceF-35A$8.6B20Lockheed Martin
2025-09JapanTomahawk Block IV/V$2.4B400RTX
2025-08TaiwanF-16V Block 70 + munitions

Sustainment + munitions package; F-16V deliveries previously approved

$5.4B0Lockheed Martin
2025-06Saudi ArabiaPAC-3 MSE batteries$14.5B6Lockheed Martin
2025-03Ukraine (USAI + presidential drawdown)Combined munitions package$3.8BMulti
2025-01South KoreaAEW&C aircraft (E-7A Wedgetail)$5.3B4Boeing
2024-11IsraelF-15IA + munitions$18.8B50Boeing + RTX
2024-10RomaniaF-35A$7.2B32Lockheed Martin
2024-08GermanyF-35A$8.4B35Lockheed Martin
2024-03PolandApache AH-64E$12.0B96Boeing

Major FMS notifications 2024–Q1 2026. Notifications represent intent and ceiling, not final actuals — some expire without sale. Sources: DSCA congressional notifications.

Program Cost Overruns

Major US weapons programs that blew through their budget by 20%+ from 2020-2026. A Nunn-McCurdy breach is a statutory threshold (25% over baseline) that automatically triggers Congressional notification and a potential program restructuring or cancellation.
ProgramPrimeOriginal $BCurrent $BGrowthStatus
F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

Lifetime O&S cost projections continue to grow

Lockheed Martin$233$412+77%Multiple breaches over program history; sustainment cost concerns ongoing
Sentinel ICBM

Cost growth from silo modernization scope expansion

Northrop Grumman$95.8$140.9+47%Critical breach Jan 2024; restructured Jul 2024; certified to continue
Constellation FFG

GAO reports of significant performance shortfalls

Fincantieri$16$22+38%First-of-class delivery delayed 2-3 years to 2027; design changes from Italian FREMM origin
Columbia-class SSBN

Budget pressures + workforce constraints

GD Electric Boat$109$132+21%First-of-class delivery slipped to 2027 from 2027 baseline; submarine industrial base capacity issue
T-7A Red Hawk

Boeing fixed-price contract = ~$2B+ losses

Boeing$9.2$11+20%Multiple delays; ejection seat redesign + flight controls; IOC slipped to 2028
Tactical Tomahawk Block V

Cost growth from production rate increases + supplier base

RTX$4$4.6+15%Production; demand surge from Ukraine + Houthi engagements
B-21 Raider

Tightly classified; cost data limited

Northrop Grumman$80$80+0%On baseline; first 21 LRIP units delivered; NG absorbing some losses on first lots
Next-Generation Interceptor

LMT-led after Northrop Grumman team eliminated 2024

Lockheed Martin$17.7$17.7+0%On baseline; first delivery 2028
Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA)

Won by Bell V-280 Valor over Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 Defiant 2022

Bell Textron$70$70+0%EMD ongoing; first flight 2026; Black Hawk replacement
KC-46 Pegasus

Boeing fixed-price contract = ~$7B total losses; cost growth absorbed by contractor

Boeing$51$49+-4%Boeing absorbed losses; remote-vision-system fix in progress; production continues

Programs with cost growth ≥20% or Nunn-McCurdy breaches 2020-2026. Sorted by growth %. Sources: GAO Annual Weapons Acquisition Report, DoD Selected Acquisition Reports.

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Defense - Programs | Sterling