Major defense programs
Search DOD acquisition and major defense program records, then open one program to review agency, program summary, source context, and related federal contract awards.
Click Major Defense Programs, or open GovTribe, expand the sidebar if it is collapsed, expand Programs, and click Major Defense Programs.
Major Defense Programs is available on Launch, Launch Plus, Growth, Growth Plus, and Scale.
Search major defense programs
For reusable guidance on quotes, required terms, alternatives, exclusions, grouped terms, and choosing between modes, see Choose a search mode and write queries.
- To find a known fighter aircraft program, search F-35 Lightning II, then compare Federal Agency and AI Summary on the matching card.
- To review a named shipbuilding program, search by the ship or program name, then open the program detail page when you need related federal activity.
- To find missile defense programs by exact wording, search by the missile-defense phrase, then add Federal Agency if a specific DOD component matters.
- To narrow tactical vehicle research to a known program phrase, search by that program wording, then sort by Favored if popularity signals matter.
- To explore air-defense modernization programs without knowing the exact title, search missile defense radar command and control modernization programs, then add Federal Agency if needed.
- To research naval shipbuilding and sustainment programs, search by that mission area, then compare program summaries.
- To find tactical vehicle programs by mission, search by the protected mobility mission, then compare Federal Agency and summary context.
- To review cyber, network, or battle-management efforts, search by the modernization mission, then use Similar on a useful result.
Filters and macros
| Type | Name | Example question |
|---|---|---|
| Macro | Favorited | Which major defense programs have I saved as favorites? |
| Filter | Federal Agency | Which major defense programs are tied to the Department of the Navy? |
Sort options
When Major Defense Programs opens without a search query, filters, or explicit sort, GovTribe may use recent activity and popularity signals to decide which programs appear first. Add search text, filters, or a specific sort when you want the order to match your review criteria.
| Name | Direction choices | Example question |
|---|---|---|
| Favored | Least First / Most First | Which program records have been saved by fewer or more GovTribe users? |
Actions
Page actions
- View Favorites filters the Major Defense Programs search to program records you have saved as favorites. Use it when you want to return to defense programs you already marked for follow-up.
- Export Search Results exports the current program result set after you narrow it to the records you want to review outside GovTribe.
- Share Search shares the current Major Defense Programs result set with another GovTribe user.
- Similar finds records that resemble the selected program. Similar can be unavailable when GovTribe does not have enough similarity context for that program.
- Add Favorite saves the selected program to your favorites and updates the favorite count on the card. When a program is already saved, the action can appear as Remove Favorite.
Result-level actions
- Add Favorite or Remove Favorite marks the open major defense program for later review.
Review a major defense program
Major defense program examples
An F-35 program shows how a DOD acquisition program connects an agency-owned system effort to related federal contract awards. See the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter example in GovTribe.
Agency and program context
Use the Federal Agency, program name, acronym or system wording, summary, and additional information to confirm that the record is the DOD program or system effort you meant to research.
Related federal activity
Use related Federal Contract Awards to review vendors, obligations, award timing, and downstream procurement activity tied to the program. Program pages provide the broader system lens; award pages provide the contract-level detail.
Related tabs
Federal Contract Awards
Federal Contract Awards lists federal contract awards associated with the major defense program.
Common questions
For general fixes for too many results, no results, unrelated results, broad Semantic Search matches, or filters that narrowed the search too much, see Troubleshoot search results.
What is a Major Defense Program in GovTribe?
DOD acquisition program data type records are DOD acquisition program or system-effort records. Use this page when the question is about a defense program, weapon system, acquisition effort, agency owner, or broader program lens for related federal activity. Use Federal contract awards when the question is about awarded contracts, vendors, dollars, dates, or award-level details.
How do major defense programs connect to federal contract activity?
A DOD acquisition program attribute relationship can connect federal contract awards, IDVs, or related procurement records to the larger program or system effort they support. Open a major defense program detail page when you need to review related activity beyond the search-card summary.
Should I search by acronym or full program name?
Use Keyword Search when a widely recognizable acronym or exact system name should appear on the record, such as F-35, DDG 51, or JLTV. Use the full program name when an acronym could be ambiguous. Use Semantic Search when you know the mission or system type but not the official program wording.
Why does the page use Federal Agency as the main filter?
The search page exposes Federal Agency so you can narrow programs by the DOD component or federal agency connected to the program record. Use search text for the system, mission, or program family, and use Federal Agency when the agency relationship is the requirement.
Related articles
- Choose a search mode and write queries: Choose Keyword Search or Semantic Search and write reusable search queries.
- DOD acquisition program data type: Review the GovTribe data type behind Major Defense Program records.
- DOD acquisition program attribute: Understand how procurement records connect to DOD acquisition programs.
- Federal contract awards: Search awarded federal contract records connected to program, agency, vendor, value, and timing research.
- Federal contract record structure: Choose between federal opportunities, vehicles, IDVs, awards, transactions, and sub-awards.
Federal grant programs
Search federal assistance program records, then open one program to review Assistance Listing context, agencies, applicant and beneficiary categories, related opportunities, and related grant awards.
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