What Dese Research, Inc. does

DESE Research, Inc. is a privately held, founder/family-owned defense contractor founded in 1982 in Huntsville, Alabama, providing advanced engineering, scientific, and technical support to the U.S. Government and major defense primes across the Defense, Energy, Space, and Environment (DESE) domains. The company operates five service lines: Cybersecurity (the Cyber Works division, applying AI/ML to weapon-system and installation defense), Digital Engineering (MBSE, digital twins, digital thread), Modeling & Simulation (large-scale simulation architectures for Ballistic and Theater Missile Defense), Missile Defense (integration and test for PAC-3, THAAD, GMD, Patriot), and Engineering Services. It holds CMMC Level 2 certification (March 2026, 110/100 score), complies with NIST SP 800-171 and DFARS 7012, and maintains 14 NAICS codes and long-standing security clearance relationships with DoD agencies.

DESE generates revenue almost exclusively through U.S. federal contracting, with pricing negotiated contract-by-contract. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting DoD agencies and defense primes, executed through prime contracts (e.g., a 3-year, $95 million SWIFT contract from DEVCOM AvMC in 2024), first-tier subcontracts to primes (Boeing GMD DSC, Lockheed Martin PAC-3/THAAD, Northrop Grumman), and IDIQ positions — most notably a December 2025 selection as a first-round awardee on the Missile Defense Agency's SHIELD IDIQ with a $151B ceiling. Named end customers include the U.S. Army, MDA, NASA, DEVCOM AvMC, and TSMO; industry partners include Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Leidos, Lynx Technologies, and the University of Alabama in Huntsville. The company employs 175+ people across offices in Huntsville, Leavenworth (KS), and Fairfax (VA), led by a second-generation CEO (Michael Kirkpatrick) and a recently professionalized executive team (COO William Hall, CGO Dewey Granger).

The company monetizes primarily through professional services — supplying cleared engineers, scientists, and AI/ML specialists — under cost-plus and firm-fixed-price arrangements, augmented by proprietary tooling such as the Secure MOSA/Zero Trust stack and digital engineering platforms. Recent investment has shifted toward AI-enabled cyber and Zero Trust capabilities for aviation and missile systems, where DESE pairs its 44-year mission history with emerging R&D funding streams such as SWIFT.

Name

Dese Research, Inc.

Legal name

DESE Research, Inc.

Website

https://dese.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

DESE Research, Inc. is a privately held, 44-year-old Huntsville, Alabama defense contractor providing cleared engineering, cybersecurity, digital engineering, modeling & simulation, and missile defense services to U.S. Army, MDA, NASA, and defense primes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Defense Engineering & Cybersecurity Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Other Computer Related Services (541519)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Defense Software, Mission Applications & Open Architecture (MOSA) Systems (IMABAOAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Defense R&D, Test, Evaluation & Innovation (BPAIAHAC)

Keywords

• Defense engineering services
• Cybersecurity solutions
• Model-based systems engineering
• Missile defense integration
• Modeling and simulation

Headquarters

HQ city

Huntsville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Contract Services: DESE Research operates as a knowledge-based defense contractor providing advanced engineering, scientific, and technical support to U.S. Government and industry customers. Revenue is derived from government contracts including IDIQ contracts (e.g., MDA SHIELD IDIQ, SWIFT contract), SBIR Phase III awards, and direct defense program support engagements. The company provides experienced personnel for engineering services and technical support across missile defense, cybersecurity, and systems engineering.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

DESE Research is a knowledge-based defense contractor providing advanced engineering, scientific, and technical support across five capability areas (Cybersecurity, Digital Engineering, Modeling & Simulation, Missile Defense, and Engineering Services) to U.S. Government agencies and major defense primes. The company delivers AI/ML-powered cyber protection, Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), large-scale simulation architectures, and weapon system integration/test services to programs including PAC-3, THAAD, GMD, and SWIFT. Its engineers and scientists are primarily accessed through long-term government contracts such as the $95M DEVCOM AvMC SWIFT award and the $151B-ceiling MDA SHIELD IDIQ.

Product overview

DESE Research, Inc. is a knowledge-based defense contractor offering a portfolio of engineering and technical services across five core areas: Cybersecurity (Cyber Works Division), Digital Engineering, Modeling & Simulation, Missile Defense, and Engineering Services. The company operates primarily through government contracts including the SWIFT contract ($95M, 3-year) for cyber survivability and the MDA SHIELD IDIQ contract ($151B ceiling). Key offerings include Digital Twin Development with MBSE integration, AI/ML-powered cyber defense capabilities, and Secure MOSA solutions for aviation systems. DESE also developed the C++ Model Developer (open-source, released 2006) and the Image Enhancement System (Phase III SBIR). The company serves major defense agencies including MDA, DEVCOM AvMC, US Army, and NASA, with industry partners including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cyber Works Cybersecurity Division AI/ML-powered cybersecurity division delivering comprehensive protection for DoD weapon systems including ground combat systems, tactical missiles, ICBM defense, space-based systems, and installation infrastructure; serves U.S. Army, MDA, DEVCOM AvMC, and prime contractors.
• Digital Engineering Services Comprehensive Digital Engineering program design and standup capabilities for complex system engineering projects across defense, aerospace, and manufacturing domains, including Digital Twin development with MBSE model integration aligned with traditional systems engineering processes.
• Modeling and Simulation Services Large-scale simulation architecture development for engineering design and collaboration, including IV&V of simulations, threat analysis, systems engineering, design, analysis, and integration for military systems including Ballistic Missile Defense and Theater Missile Defense.
• Missile Defense Services Integration, test, and analysis activities for weapon system models ranging from small-scale cutting-edge technology solutions to large-scale disparate systems, covering PAC-3, Patriot, THAAD, GMD, BMDS, and other missile defense platforms.
• Engineering Services Broad engineering services spanning concept design through specialized weapon-system lab support, including detailed engineering design and algorithm/software development skills for defense and aerospace customers.
• SWIFT (Secure Weapon-system Integration Framework for Technology) Contract 3-year, $95M contract from DEVCOM AvMC providing cyber survivability technologies, cyber assessment methodologies, and Systems Security Engineering initiatives that leverage AI/ML, Zero Trust Technologies, and quantum resilience algorithms for risk-based mission assurance across Army weapon systems.
• Secure MOSA Solutions Zero Trust architecture solutions for Modular Open Systems Architecture (MOSA) in Army aviation, including unikernel-based microservices for smaller attack surfaces and runtime verification capabilities demonstrated jointly with Lynx Technologies on the Lynx MOSA.ic hypervisor.

Quantifiable outcome

• CMMC Level 2 certification achieved on first attempt with a score of 110/100
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and key.

• Lynx TechnologiescoreTechnology or IntegrationDESE Research and Lynx Technologies have partnered on Secure MOSA (Modular Open Systems Architecture) initiatives, demonstrating that modularity, safety, and security can coexist in a single architecture by deploying avionics microservices as Unikernels on Lynx MOSA.ic™ hypervisor. The partnership focuses on Zero Trust design for Army aviation systems and runtime cyber resilience.
• University of Alabama in Huntsville Center for Cybersecurity Research and EducationkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerDESE Research partners with the University of Alabama in Huntsville Center for Cybersecurity Research and Education on the SWIFT contract, which supports development of Science and Technology solutions to secure mission-critical Aviation and Missile systems through cyber resiliency research and development.
• Aviation Cyber Initiative (ACI)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerDESE Research serves as a sponsor and organizer of the Aviation Cyber Initiative (ACI) Cyber Rodeo, a two-day event bringing together government, industry, and academic partners to strengthen cybersecurity across modern aviation systems, with a focus on Zero Trust architecture.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Parsons Corporation: Public defense and infrastructure firm with significant missile defense, mission solutions, and cyber portfolios serving DoD customers. Comparable on the digital engineering and systems integration axes, but at much larger scale.
• Leidos: Large prime defense contractor with substantial DoD engineering services and cyber portfolios, including Dynetics-derived missile defense work. Both a competitor and a customer/partnership channel for DESE on defense programs.
• SAIC: Large federal services prime with broad DoD engineering, digital engineering, and cyber portfolios across Army, MDA-adjacent, and aviation customers. Competes with DESE on many of the same task order opportunities and RFPs.
• Dynetics (Leidos): Pre-acquisition, Dynetics was a Huntsville-anchored competitor with overlapping missile defense, hypersonics, and digital engineering work. Now part of Leidos, it represents the broader incumbent competitor DESE grew up alongside in the Huntsville industrial base.

Direct peers

• Aegis Technologies Group: Huntsville-based technical services contractor supporting DoD customers in missile defense, space, and special operations. Comparable in scale and customer relationships to DESE, with overlapping missile defense and aviation systems integration offerings.
• DCS Corp: A mid-size DoD engineering services firm with deep U.S. Army customer relationships across DEVCOM, PEOs, and program offices, providing systems engineering, cyber, and software development — overlapping heavily with DESE's mission.
• Torch Technologies: Huntsville-based defense contractor serving the U.S. Army, MDA, and NASA with systems engineering, modeling & simulation, and digital engineering work. Same geography, similar mid-size profile, overlapping missile defense and aviation customer base — the closest direct comparable to DESE.
• COLSA Corporation: Huntsville-originated defense engineering and IT services contractor (now part of HII) focused on missile defense, aviation, and space customers. Same geographic and customer footprint and similar mid-tier engineering services profile.

Emerging players

• IERUS Technologies: Smaller Huntsville-area defense engineering firm focused on RF, electromagnetics, and modeling & simulation. Niche overlap with DESE in M&S work and the same Huntsville customer ecosystem, but smaller and earlier-stage than DESE.

Others

• IERUS Technologies / Torch Technologies corporate family peers: Kforce (and similar cleared-staffing firms) are adjacent ecosystem participants — they supply cleared engineers that flow into both DESE and its peers and compete for the same DoD program staff augmentation dollars, but do not directly compete on prime-led cyber / MBSE work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/deseresearch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dese-research-inc.

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dese Research, Inc.