In addition, from time to time, we may begin performing on a contract prior to completing contract negotiations. Uncertainties in final contract terms, quantity and pricing or loss of negotiating leverage associated with long delays in finalizing contract terms could negatively affect our profitability on those contracts. Certain of our contracts also include options exercisable at the customer’s discretion. The customer may decline to exercise an option, or the customer may exercise an option for which we may incur a loss or perform at a low margin, either of which could adversely affect our results of operations.
Our risk varies by contract type. Fixed-price contracts tend to have more financial risk than cost-type contracts, including as a result of inflationary pressures, labor rates and shortages, challenges in estimating contract revenues and costs, and supplier challenges. In 2025, approximately half of our sales were derived from fixed-price contracts. We have entered into fixed-price contracts more often when costs can be more reasonably estimated based on actual experience, such as for mature production programs. However, our customers have sought, and may in the future seek, fixed-price contracts for development programs, combined development and production programs, or low-rate initial production programs, where the risks are greater. For example, fixed-price contracts for such programs have increased performance and financial risks due to a number of factors, including the following challenges: estimating costs required to complete such contracts, which are subject to significant variability, particularly with respect to development programs, starting and stabilizing manufacturing production and test lines while concurrently validating final design, and managing changes in requirements or capabilities requested by the customer. If we do not achieve our estimates or meet terms in our contracts, our profitability has at times been, and may be, reduced, and we have incurred and may incur losses.
Under cost-type contracts, allowable costs are generally subject to reimbursement plus a fee. We often enter into cost-type contracts for development programs with complex design and technical challenges. These cost-type programs may have award or incentive fees that are uncertain and may be earned over extended periods or towards the end of the contract. In these cases, financial risks include profit recognition or program cancellation, including if cost, schedule, or technical performance issues arise. We also face additional financial risk when solicitations require us to bid on cost-type development work and fixed-price production lots and/or options in one submission, where we must estimate the cost of production before a product has been developed and tested, or cost-type development work requiring us to provide certain items at our expense or with little or no fee. Changes in macroeconomic conditions increase these risks.
Because of the significance of management’s judgments and estimation processes, and the difficulties inherent in estimating future costs, particularly in a challenging and dynamic macroeconomic environment, it is possible that our results could differ materially from our estimates. See “Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates” in MD&A and Note 11 to the consolidated financial statements.