Largest Defense Budget Ever Has Room for Small Business

An article on ThomasNet outlines areas of opportunity for small businesses within the $680 billion 2010 U.S. defense budget. Shifting away from large programs like Future Combat Systems will increase focus on the military's science and technology investment strategy.

"As military research and development spending increasingly shifts toward newer technologies and more advanced systems, such as individualized communication and computing networks or reactive materials engineering for weapons and structures, more manufacturers — including small businesses — may soon be seeing the benefits of defense innovations."

As identified previously on Defense Ventures, the death of FCS has not eliminated the Army's need for better integrated communications reaching down to the small unit level. Obviously there are strong small business opportunities there, including direct particpation in military R&D programs. 

Somewhat less heralded but perhaps more intriguing will be the advanced materials sector. ThomasNet points to a Danger Room piece calling this a "reactive materials revolution."