Top aerospace and defence companies by market share in 2018: Ranking the 10 biggest companies.

10. BAE Systems

9. Safran SA

8. Raytheon Company

7. Northrop Grumman

6. GE Aviation

5. General Dynamics Corporation

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4. Lockheed Martin Corporation

3. United Technologies Corporation

2. Airbus SE

1. The Boeing Company

10. BAE Systems

The top ten aerospace and defence companies-BAE Systems
BAE Systems serves customers across the air, maritime, land and cyber domains. Image courtesy of Ron Cogswell.

BAE Systems reported revenues of $21.34bn in 2018, primarily driven by the strong performance of its Air and Electronic Systems segments.

Headquartered in Farnborough, UK, BAE Systems operates five principal reporting segments, namely Electronic Systems, Cyber & Intelligence, Platforms & Services (US), Air, and Maritime.

The company offers military and civilian aircraft, warships, submarines, combat vehicles, autonomous systems, armament and ammunition, avionics, cyber and intelligence, electronics and security systems.

9. Safran SA

The top ten aerospace and defence companies-Safran
Safran has its presence in the aircraft propulsion and equipment, space and defence sectors. Image courtesy of Ketounette.

Safran SA recorded revenue of $24.07bn, a 10.4% increase on an organic basis, compared to the previous year. Driven by narrow-body engines and civil aftermarket activities, the Aerospace Propulsion business accounted for approximately half of the total revenue.

Further, the successful acquisition of Zodiac Aerospace and stable performance of Aircraft Equipment, Defence, and Aerosystems business segments contributed to the revenue growth in 2018.

Safran is a leading provider of solutions for the aircraft propulsion, space, and defence markets. Based in Paris, France, the company has more than 91,000 employees.

8. Raytheon Company

The top ten aerospace and defence companies-Raytheon
Raytheon Company offers defence, civil government and cybersecurity solutions for customers in more than 80 countries. Image courtesy of Jpalens.

Raytheon Company’s net sales in 2018 were $27.05bn, a 6.9% increase compared to $25.3bn in 2017. The Missile Systems (MS), Space and Airborne Systems (SAS) business segments contributed to more than 50% of the total revenue.

The company also operates Integrated Defence Systems (IDS), Intelligence, Information and Services (IIS), and Forcepoint business segments, apart from MS and SAS divisions.

Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, command and control systems, electronic warfare, precision weapons, and cybersecurity solutions to defence and government customers.

7. Northrop Grumman

The top ten aerospace and defence companies-Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman has approximately 85,000 employees in more than 25 countries worldwide. Image courtesy of Northrop Grumman Corporation.

Northrop Grumman reported net sales of $30.09bn in 2018, a 16% increase over 2017. More than 80% of the company’s revenue was generated by Aerospace Systems and Mission Systems segments.

The F-35, Triton, Fire Scout and Firebird as well as Sensors and Processing programmes contributed to the growth of the above two segments.

Headquartered in Falls Church, US, Northrop Grumman offers innovative systems, products, and solutions for application in defence, autonomous systems, cybersecurity, C4ISR, and space programmes.

6. GE Aviation

The top ten aerospace and defence companies-GE Aviation
GE Aviation, a division of General Electric, is one of the biggest suppliers of commercial, military and business and general aviation jet and turboprop engines. Image courtesy of Christian Junker.

GE Aviation, an operating division of General Electric (GE), recorded $30.56bn in revenue in 2018, an increase of 13% compared to 2017.

The company’s revenue was primarily driven by the sales of LEAP and F414 engines. GE Aviation produces jet and turboprop engines, avionics, electrical power, and digital systems for civil, military and business aircraft, as well as marine applications.

Headquartered in Cincinnati, US, the company employs approximately 40,000 personnel and operates production, overhaul, and repair facilities worldwide.

5. General Dynamics Corporation

The top ten aerospace and defence companies-General Dynamics
General Dynamics Corporation offers business jets, wheeled combat vehicles, command and control systems and nuclear submarines. Image courtesy of raymondclarke.

General Dynamics Corporation’s net sales in 2018 were $36.19bn, courtesy to constant revenue growth in all five segments. Its net earnings for the year amounted to $3.4bn, while total backlog at the end of the year increased by 7.4% year-on-year, to $67.9bn.

The company operates Aerospace, Combat Systems, Marine Systems, Information Technology, and Mission Systems, with Aerospace and Marine Systems segments contributing to more than 46% of the total revenue.

General Dynamics’ product portfolio includes combat vehicles, munitions, weapons systems, merchant and combat vessels, business aircraft, C4ISR, and information technology.

4. Lockheed Martin Corporation

The top ten aerospace and defence companies-Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin Corporation is a global aerospace, defence and security company with presence across the world. Image courtesy of Coolcaesar.

Lockheed Martin Corporation, a leading aerospace, defence, security and advanced technologies company based in Bethesda, reported revenue of $53.76bn in 2018, a 7.6% increase compared to 2017.

Higher sales volumes were witnessed in Aeronautics, Rotary and Mission Systems, and Missiles and Fire Control segments, which contributed more than 66% of the company’s total revenue.

Lockheed Martin offers military aircraft and helicopters, unmanned aircraft systems, ground vehicles, missiles and guided weapons, missile defence systems, naval systems, sensors, radars, and security systems.

3. United Technologies Corporation (UTC)

The top ten aerospace and defence companies-United Technologies Corporation
Headquartered in Hartford, United Technologies Corporation (UTC) employs Approximately 240,000 personnel. Image courtesy of DanielPenfield.

United Technologies Corporation (UTC) recorded revenues of $66.5bn in 2018, an 11% increase compared to 2017. Net income for the same period was $5.3bn, a rise of 16% against 2017.

The company’s aerospace and defence revenues were primarily driven by Pratt & Whitney, which manufactured more than 1,000 commercial and military engines, and Collins Aerospace Systems, which was formed by UTC through the integration of Rockwell Collins and UTC Aerospace Systems in 2018.

The company offers a range of commercial and military products and services to its customers through Pratt & Whitney, Collins Aerospace Systems, Otis, and UTC Climate, Controls & Security business segments.

2. Airbus SE

The top ten aerospace and defence companies-Airbus
Based in the Netherlands, Airbus offers commercial aircraft, helicopters, military transports, satellites and launch vehicles. Image courtesy of Luis García.

Airbus, the biggest aerospace and defence company in Europe, reported revenues of $72.86bn in 2018, an increase of 8% over 2017.

Majority of the revenue came from the orders of commercial aircraft, followed by helicopters, tanker aircraft, and telecommunication satellites. Some of the popular products offered by the company include A220, A320, A330, A350 and A380 passenger aircraft, as well as H125, H225, H145, H160 and H175 helicopters.

Headquartered in the Netherlands, Airbus serves the military, commercial and security markets through its business segments namely Airbus Commercial Aircraft, Airbus Defence and Space, and Airbus Helicopters.

1. The Boeing Company

The top ten aerospace and defence companies-Boeing
Boeing is a leading manufacturer of commercial and military aircraft, defence, space and security products and systems. Image courtesy of Jack Heddon.

Boeing reported revenues of $101.12bn, witnessing a year-on-year revenue growth of 8% in 2018. The revenue was largely driven by strong growth across its portfolio. The company also had a total backlog of $490bn, including approximately 5,900 commercial aircraft.

Headquartered in Chicago, US, Boeing operates Commercial Airplanes, Defence, Space & Security, Global Services, and Boeing Capital segments. The company offers a range of commercial aircraft such as Boeing 737, 747, 767, 777, and 787 airplanes.

The major military products of the company include EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft, and F/A-18 Hornet and F-15 Strike Eagle fighter jets, CH-47 Chinook, and AH-64 Apache helicopters, P-8 Poseidon maritime aircraft, and a KC-46A tanker.