P.M. BRIEFING : McDonnell Still Top U.S. Defense Contractor; Tenneco Rises to 4th

WASHINGTON — McDonnell Douglas Corp. is still the nation’s biggest defense contractor while Tenneco Inc. has vaulted from 13th to fourth position on the list, the Pentagon reported today.

The Defense Department released its fiscal 1988 total of prime contract awards to companies, which showed McDonnell Douglas received $8 billion in work last year to remain at the top of the list. The fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 1988.

The St. Louis-based defense giant builds F-15 and F-18 fighter jets, Tomahawk and Harpoon cruise missiles, Apache helicopters and a wide range of other equipment. The company also topped the list in fiscal 1987, with $7.72 billion in prime military contracts.

General Dynamics Corp. remained in second place and General Electric Co. stayed in third place on the annual list with $6.52 billion and $5.70 billion in prime contracts respectively.

Tenneco owns Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., which builds aircraft carriers and Navy attack submarines. It received $5.05 billion in government contracts.

Rounding out the top 10 last year were Raytheon Co. ($4.05 billion), Martin Marietta Corp. ($3.71 billion), General Motors Corp. ($3.55 billion), Lockheed Corp. ($3.53 billion), United Technologies Corp. ($3.50 billion) and Boeing Co. ($3.01 billion).