Defense contractor: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

A defense contractor or a military contractor is a business or individual who contracts with a government to provide goods or services used for national security or warfare. Military contractors include weapons manufacturers or a companies participating in weapons research and warfare simulation.

The term "defense contractor" is sometimes criticized because it implicitly may suggest that a contractor makes weapons that will be used for defensive rather than offensive purposes. Nevertheless, defense contractor is by far the more common usage.

See also the list of US defense contractors, arms trade, military-industrial complex, private military contractor