Defense and Homeland Security

With nearly 1.5 million veterans, 30,000 current defense professionals and large numbers of former military and NASA personnel, Florida offers an impressive pool of workers with the skills and security clearances your business needs. The state’s world-class educational institutions are consistently among the nation’s top producers of STEM graduates.

Florida offers the airspace and infrastructure to meet your needs with thousands of square miles of controlled land and over water air space, 300+ days of VFR flight conditions a year and multiple aerospace and defense parks with “through the fence” access. Additionally, defense companies in Florida have access to 100 public-use airports, including 20 commercial airports, and two spaceports to seamlessly operate from Florida.

Florida’s areas of excellence in defense include electro-optics and lasers, simulation and training, logistics/warfighter support, defense electronics and military flight training, among others. Standout defense companies located in Florida include Lockheed Martin, Boeing, BAE Systems, Honeywell, Raytheon, Rockwell Collins and Sikorsky. The state’s strengths in homeland security include the areas of cybersecurity, biometrics, disaster preparedness, response, and recovery, maritime security and more. Select companies operating in this area include General Dynamics, Harris, L-3 Communications and Motorola Solutions.