Among the top tier suppliers for the Air Force are the business units like Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and engine manufacturer Rolls Royce, while major firms such as Boeing military aircraft and Northrop Grumman's aerospace system were listed as Tier 2.

The rankings were released Monday in a government statement. The ratings are based on an internal Pentagon data system known as the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System. The Pentagon breaks down the companies by business segment in order to provide a clearer picture, which makes sense because when you consider that companies like United Technologies have widely divergent business units, such as Sikorsky helicopters and engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney.

Business segments ranked in the top tier have some potential advantages over competitors, including the possibility of discussion with military acquisition officials to find ways to "streamline administrative burdens," the statement said.

The statement included quotes from William LaPlante and Heidi Shyu, the respective heads of acquisition for the Air Force and Army.

Shyu said being named Tier 1 is "a big deal. There's a huge amount of pride when you worked your butt off." LaPlante added that "frankly, we owe it to the taxpayer and the companies to show where people are."

Future rankings are expected to be releaseds annually in the late spring or early summer.

The rankings for 2015:

Air Force — Tier 1 business segments:

  • BAE Systems Electronic Systems
  • Boeing Commercial Aircraft
  • General Dynamics Aerospace
  • L-3 Communications Systems
  • Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
  • Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Solutions
  • Lockheed Martin Mission Systems & Training
  • Lockheed Martin Space Systems
  • Northrop Grumman Information Systems
  • Rockwell Collins Commercial Systems
  • Rolls Royce
  • Sierra Nevada Corp
  • United Technologies Pratt & Whitney

Air Force — Tier 2 business segments:

  • Boeing Military Aircraft
  • Boeing Global Services & Support
  • Boeing Network & Space Systems
  • GE Aviation
  • Honeywell International Aerospace
  • L-3 Aerospace Systems
  • L-3 National Security Solutions
  • Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control
  • Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems
  • Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems
  • Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems
  • Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems
  • Textron Aviation
  • United Technologies UTC Aerospace Systems

Air Force -- Tier 3 business segments:

  • BAE Systems Intelligence & Security
  • Exelis C4ISR Electronics and Systems
  • Exelis Information & Technical Services
  • General Atomics Technology Corp Aeronautical Systems
  • General Dynamics Information Systems and Technology
  • Jacobs Engineering Tybrin
  • L-3 Electronic Systems
  • Leidos Corp (formerly SAIC)
  • Northrop Grumman Technical Services
  • Raytheon Intelligence, Information and Services
  • Raytheon Missile Systems
  • Rockwell Collins Government Systems
  • Textron Systems
  • ULA/ULS
  • United Technologies Sikorsky

Army -- Tier 1 business segments

  • BAE Electronic
  • BAE Global Combat Systems
  • Boeing Global Services & Support
  • Finmeccanica DRS Technologies
  • General Electric Aviation
  • Harris Corporation
  • Lockheed Martin Info. Systems & Global Solutions
  • Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control
  • Lockheed Martin Mission Systems & Training
  • Science Application International Corporation – Research and Development
  • SRC Tech Inc.

Army -- Tier 2 business segments

  • Aerovironment Inc.
  • Boeing Military Aircraft
  • Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.
  • Chemring Group PLC
  • Cubic Inc.
  • General Dynamics Info. Systems and Technology
  • Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems
  • Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems
  • Northrop Grumman Information Systems
  • Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems
  • Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems
  • Science Application International Corporation – Government Services
  • Thales-Raytheon Systems

Army -- Tier 3 business segments

  • Alliant Techsystems Defense Group
  • BAE Systems Land & Armaments
  • Boeing Network & Space Systems
  • CSC North American Public Sector
  • General Atomics Technology - Aeronautical Systems
  • General Dynamics Combat Systems
  • Honeywell International Aerospace
  • Oshkosh Corporation
  • Raytheon Intelligence, Information and Services
  • Raytheon Missile Systems
  • Textron Bell Helicopter
  • Textron Systems
  • United Technologies – Sikorsky
  • United Technologies Aerospace Systems

Email: amehta@defensenews.com

Twitter: @AaronMehta

About Aaron Mehta

Aaron Mehta was deputy editor and senior Pentagon correspondent for Defense News, covering policy, strategy and acquisition at the highest levels of the Defense Department and its international partners.

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