Competitions for Pentagon programs have always been cutthroat. But with fewer of them expected in the next decade, each single program is increasingly viewed as a must-win for top Pentagon contractors, driving them to be more creative in their push for a competitive advantage. So much so that bids don't only center on a design's technical prowess, system engineering and program management attributes. More and more, in a quest to get any edge possible, contractors are beefing up their lobbying efforts. And, some are proving better at this than others. A case in point is how Northrop Grumman, one of the Pentagon's top contractors, was politically outfoxed by rivals Boeing and Lockheed Martin, who temporarily scored a tax-incentive leg up in the duel to build stealthy, new bombers for the U.S. Air Force.
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