We derive a substantial portion of our revenue from the U.S. government, primarily from defense related programs with the United States Department of Defense (U.S. DoD). Levels of U.S. defense spending are very difficult to predict and may be impacted by numerous factors such as the evolving nature of the national security threat environment, U.S. national security strategy, U.S. foreign policy, the domestic political environment, macroeconomic conditions and the ability of the U.S. government to enact relevant legislation such as authorization and appropriations bills. The government may also constrain discretionary spending by instituting enforceable spending caps.
The timeliness of annual appropriations for U.S. government departments and agencies remains a recurrent risk. Congress may fund government departments and agencies with one or more continuing resolutions, which could delay new programs or competitions and/or negatively impact the execution of certain program activities. A lapse in appropriations for government departments or agencies would result in a full or partial government shutdown, which could impact our operations. In the event of a prolonged shutdown, requirements to furlough employees in the U.S. DoD, the Department of Transportation, including the FAA, or other government agencies could result in payment delays, impair our ability to deliver commercial airplanes or perform work on existing contracts, delays in the certification of new aircraft or otherwise impact our operations, negatively impact future orders, and/or cause other disruptions or delays. There is uncertainty regarding which government functions would shut down or continue operations during a lapse in appropriations, and corresponding uncertainty regarding the extent or magnitude of potential impacts to our operations. For additional information on U.S. government appropriations and budgets, see “Management’s Discussion & Analysis - Additional Considerations - U.S. Government Funding” on page 28 of this Form 10-K.
In addition, there continues to be uncertainty with respect to future acquisition priorities and program-level appropriations for the U.S. DoD and other government agencies (including NASA), including changes to national security and defense priorities, and tension between modernization investments, sustainment investments, and investments in new technologies or emergent capabilities. Future investment priority changes or budget cuts, including changes associated with the authorizations and appropriations process, could result in reductions, cancellations, and/or delays of existing contracts or programs or future program opportunities. Any of these impacts could have a material effect on our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows.
As a result of the significant ongoing uncertainty with respect to both U.S. defense spending and the evolving nature of the national security threat environment, we also expect the U.S. DoD to continue to emphasize affordability, innovation, cybersecurity and delivery of technical data and software in its procurement processes, including the implementation of cybersecurity compliance requirements on the Defense Industrial Base, for which the supply chain may not be fully prepared. If we and our suppliers are unable to adjust to these changing acquisition priorities and policies, our revenues and market share could be impacted.