Most assume a healthy industrial base and guess 15. The reality is 2. By 2017 the industry hyper-consolidated down to merely two dominant players: Northrop Grumman and L3Harris. A duopoly kills the free market. The vulnerability is not just at the top. The foundation is rotting. Major defense contractors do not forge every nozzle or mix every propellant from scratch. They rely on a massive web of sub-tier suppliers for specialized parts.