"L-3 Communications CEO Michael T. Strianese said that they hope that bad years are behind them and that they are entering the era of increased defense spending," Plekhanov said. "According to Marillyn Hewson, who heads Lockheed Martin, the company is working with Trump's transition team. Leanne Caret, president of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, contemplates spending more time in Washington to stay up-to-date" on key members of the next administration.
Wesley G. Bush, chief executive officer and president of Northrop Grumman, maintained that the Pentagon will invest in rearmament initiatives, Plekhanov noted. Bush is said to have expressed hope that the US Department of Defense will focus on replacing obsolete systems and financing major infrastructure projects.
Raytheon CEO Thomas A. Kennedy mentioned that the Trump administration will pour money into the Third Offset strategy designed to counterbalance technologically-savvy adversaries like Russia and China. Moreover, the government is expected to award more top-secret contracts when it comes to innovative defense capabilities.
"It is too early to discuss specific figures and priority initiatives," the analyst narrated. "Richard A. Cody, Senior Vice President of Washington Operations at L-3 Communications, said that the Pentagon's budget will not drastically change in 2017, but it will grow by 2-3 percent in 2018 and by 4% percent in the next five years."
