Global Heavyweights: Top 5 GovCons to Watch

The world’s leading GovCons don’t just build ships, planes or software. They shape global security, economics, technology investments and even diplomacy.

The international reach of these leading GovCon firms affects billions of local taxpayer dollars and wields influence far beyond the battlefield. Their contracts impact jobs, innovation and geopolitical stability.

Potomac Officers Club dug into the leading GovCons with international reach. We selected these five firms for their international revenue size, influential international contracts and investments in cutting-edge technologies. Read more to learn about these leading companies and how their influence extends beyond U.S. shores.

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Lockheed Martin and the F-35

Perhaps the best known example of the global reach of a leading GovCon is Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter. The world’s pre-eminent fifth generation fighter jet has 19 international customers and eight partner nations who have their leading aerospace and defense companies contributing to the aircraft’s development.

For example, Italy, which is buying 75 F-35A conventional and 40 F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing models, is producing parts and regional sustainment work and final aircraft assembly for the program.

Japan is also a major international contributor to the global F-35 effort. Not only is Japan buying 127 total F-35s, the most of any international customer, it is hosting one of three final assembly and checkout facilities.

Switzerland’s domestic aerospace industry is benefiting from its involvement in the F-35 program. Pilatus earlier this year announced it would partner with Lockheed Martin on the development of avionics and training functionality for its next generation advanced pilot training system.

This will allow Pilatus to offer a custom pilot training service to users of the F-35 and other fifth-generation fighters. Pilatus develops the PC-21, a turboprop advanced trainer aircraft.

Amentum and Nuclear Power In the U.K.

A world leader in cutting-edge engineering and technology services, Amentum announced on Thursday that its plans to support the UK’s defense and nuclear power efforts would create 3,000 new jobs there.

A lead delivery partner for the U.K.’s new nuclear power stations at Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C, Amentum will also provide pivotal project and technical services for fusion research and small modular reactors.

Amentum’s work in the UK doesn’t end with nuclear power. The GovCon is also contributing technology and safety services for the Royal Navy’s nuclear-powered submarines. It is additionally maintaining and managing training for the Defence Infrastructure Organization and engineering and program management support for Atomic Weapons Establishment.

The company has more than 6,000 employees in the UK and is a big supplier of safety case, project management and engineering design at Sellafield and other UK nuclear decomissioning sites. Furthermore, Amentum runs the UK’s largest private sector facility of engineering test facilities and nuclear labs in Warrington.

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Sikorsky and Black Hawk Helicopters in Poland

International partnerships have been critical to the success of Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, for decades. Its most well-known global partnership is having built the export version its flagship S-70 Black Hawk utility helicopter and components in Poland for over 15 years.

Sikorsky acquired PZL Mielec for $84 million in 2007 and invested $170 million to improve the company’s production facilities. Pylons, cabins and tail cones produced by PZL Mielec are shipped to Sikorsky’s Black Hawk helicopter facility in the U.S. PZL Mielec has also developed 80 S-70i and S-70M Black Hawk airframes and delivered them to over 10 different international customers. 

PZL Mielec also produces airframes and components for fixed-wing aircraft. The company develops the M28 05 short takeoff and landing light utility aircraft and builds components and assemblies for the F-16 Block 70/72 program.

Sikorsky often has PZL Mielec take the lead role in providing international Black Hawk customers with parts and equipment. The company is serving as the supplier for 32 new S-70i variants procured by the Philippine Air Force in 2022, according to AIN. This is the biggest export sale to a single buyer since PZL Mielec started developing the platform.

Oracle’s AI and Cloud Investment in Germany

Oracle has always had a large footprint in Europe and it’s getting even bigger. The company announced in July that it would invest $2 billion over the next five years to expand its Oracle Cloud Infrastructure footprint in Germany, including a major expansion of AI infrastructure in Frankfurt.

This strategic investment will allow more private and public organizations in Germany to leverage Oracle’s industry-leading cloud computing and AI services, such as the latest sovereign AI and multicloud technologies. This expansion will allow critical German industries, such as manufacturing, healthcare and scientific research, move any type of workload to the cloud, modernize their application and utilize Oracle AI Agents.

“With this investment, Oracle is doubling down on its commitment to helping organizations of all sizes and across every industry in Germany innovate with AI to build resilience and unlock new levels of productivity and growth,” said Thorsten Herrman, Oracle senior vice president and Germany country leader.

Oracle’s European influence expands beyond Germany. The company announced on Wednesday that it would make a $5 billion investment in the UK over the next five years to broaden the AI infrastructure and generative AI technologies it provides to the UK government and defense agencies, including new Oracle Cloud Infrastructure capacity.

SAIC and Israel’s UVision

SAIC is well known for its technology integration and consulting services. But the company recently ventured into the loitering munition realm when it signed a production deal with the US subsidiary of Israel’s UVision in 2024.

The two teamed up to build UVision’s Hero 120 platform in South Carolina. The goal is to create a domestic supply chain to help UVision’s US customers avoid international supply chains while benefiting from accelerated delivery timeframes and local training.

The Hero 120 is a cutting-edge mid-range and anti-tank system that can penetrate anti-material, anti-armor and anti-personnel targets. These include vehicles, tanks and other assorted soft targets in urban areas.

While the Hero 120 was the focal point of the agreement with SAIC, it also permits for the production of the smaller Hero 30 and the larger Hero 400, according to Breaking Defense. The Hero 120 weighs 30 pounds and can loiter over a target for more than 60 minutes. The Hero 30, which weighs under nine pounds, can hang in the air for 40 minutes. The Hero 400 weighs more than 100 pounds and can be elevated for more than 120 minutes.