Strengthening the Public-Private Partnership

Cooperation between the U.S. government and private corporations is essential for building and maintaining an effective national security platform. Within the realm of security and defense, partnerships between the public and private sectors, often known as PPPs or P3s, are at the forefront of weapons manufacturing, cyber defense, intelligence assessments, combating extremism, and emergency responses.

1. U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) issued contracts represents the most extensive area of public-private cooperation. According to a Congressional Research Service report released in April, the DoD committed $285 billion to federal contracts in FY14, more than all other government agencies combined. These contracts provide the U.S. military with weapons, equipment, food, uniforms, and operational support. Lockheed Martin, Boeing, General Dynamics, and Raytheon have each procured over $12 billion in contracts from the DoD to provide some of these essential services. The partnership is a two-way street: the government authorizes contracts based on need and corporations contribute innovations to the government.