Hawaii's Defense Economy

Brings $7.9B in annual defense spending to Hawaii

Image credit: PH2(NAC) John T. Parker

Hawaii's Defense Economy

Accounts for 8.3% of Hawaii’s GDP

Image credit: Eric Tessmer

Hawaii's Defense Economy

Provides over 20,000 civilian jobs and 31,000 contractor jobs to our community

Image credit: Senior Airman John Linzmeier

Data Tools & Reports

Utilize comprehensive, real-time data analysis tools and reports about Hawaii’s defense economy spending insight and impact.

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Hawaii Defense Alliance

Check out this new organization of defense sector stakeholders and their collaborative efforts to increase DoD opportunities and promote resiliency of Hawaii’s defense economy.

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Hawaii Defense Economy

A Community and Business Resource

With billions of dollars in U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) funding invested in Hawaii each year, any changes in defense spending could have a major impact on the State’s economy. The Hawaii Defense Economy project was initiated to increase understanding and support for the defense sector and help build economic resiliency for the State.

The multi-phased project is managed by the State of Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism’s (DBEDT) Business Development and Support Division, and funded by the DoD’s Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation.

Project Update

DBEDT has launched Phase III of the Hawaii Defense Economy project with two Hawaii-based contractors, Referentia’s eResilience division and the Military Affairs Council (MAC) of the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii. For more information about the contractor initiatives, scroll down.

Latest Hawaii Defense News

New job board seeks workers for Hawaii’s defense industry

The Hawaii Defense Alliance has launched a new online job board to recruit local talent for the defense sector.

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DBEDT Bolsters Hawaii's Defense Economy with New Projects

The State of Hawaii’s Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) is pleased to announce three new projects that will focus on strengthening and growing Hawaii’s second largest economic driver – the defense sector.

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Pacific Shipyards International awarded $50M Navy contract

The U.S. Navy recently awarded a multi-million dollar contract to Hawaii-based Pacific Shipyards International, or PSI, to service up to three Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers.

May 3, 2021

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Rep. Kai Kahele Wants New Missile Defense Radar System On Kauai — Not Oahu

The military is weighing putting a $1.9 billion defense radar on Oahu or Kauai after Hawaii’s congressional delegation thwarted a Pentagon attempt to defund the project last year.

March 21, 2021

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Hawaii Wants To Form A Defense Industry Alliance For Local Buisnesses

Hawaii officials want to form a new organization to get more local businesses in on lucrative defense contracts — and to find ways to use military money to grow other sectors of the state’s economy.

February 9, 2021

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Defense spending ‘incredibly important’ for Hawaii during COVID-19 pandemic

Defense spending in Hawaii — about $5 billion annually in payroll and $2 billion-plus in contracts — has been “an incredibly important stabilizing force” in the state with an economy otherwise wracked by COVID-19.

January 10, 2021

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Many reasons to support Pohakuloa Training Area

The Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce, Japanese Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Hawaii and the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce fully support the U.S. military’s training mission at Pohakuloa Training Area.

November 1, 2020

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Hawaii companies awarded $337M in military contracts in August

The largest was a $245 million contract shared by six companies, including four from Hawaii, for Navy construction projects over the next five years.

August 28, 2020

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Navy expedites waterborne drones to close gap with China

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