Choctaw Defense

What Choctaw Defense does

Choctaw Defense Manufacturing Group (CDMG), also doing business as Choctaw Manufacturing Group, is a precision defense manufacturer founded in 1989 and wholly owned by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma as a tribally-owned 8(a) small business. The company operates two HUBZone-certified facilities in McAlester and Hugo, Oklahoma, encompassing more than 300,000 square feet of manufacturing space, and is certified to ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D with ITAR compliance. It serves the U.S. Department of Defense across all four major military branches — Navy, Air Force, Army, and Marines — as well as defense prime contractors seeking certified small-business manufacturing partners.

The company manufactures five core product lines: Aviation Components (blade racks for AH-64A Apache, rotary wing racks for CH-47D, yaw pedals for H60 series); Fuel and Water Systems (CAMEL II Water Pod System, Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Units, Field Service Body units for Navy Seabees); Military Ground Support Systems (CROWS integration kits, Improved Army Space Heater); Ordnance Shipping Containers (AMRAAM AIM-120, JSOW, 105mm ammunition, CNU containers); and Tactical Trailers (M1095, MK-593 MTVR, C-17 MLG Lift Truck). Production is supported by in-house capabilities including multi-axis CNC machining (three-, four-, and five-axis centers up to 180-inch X-axis travel), automated and manual welding (AWS-certified robotic GMAW/GTAW/spot), metal fabrication and forming (fiber laser, water jet, HD plasma cutting to ±0.005 inch), chemical finishing (passivation, chromate conversion, CARC coating), assembly, kitting, and a design-build engineering function covering TDP development, rapid prototyping, and reverse engineering. Process discipline is anchored by Lean one-piece flow manufacturing demonstrated at scale on 105mm containers (one unit every 58 seconds, 532 per day) and held to ISO/AS9100D quality systems with a DCMA Quality Assurance Representative on site.

Choctaw Defense generates revenue almost exclusively from U.S. federal defense customers through direct government contracts (RFPs, IDIQ vehicles, sole-source awards) and subcontract work with defense primes. Pricing is contract-driven rather than published, with no commercial/retail distribution channel. Customer concentration is heavily weighted to U.S. military buyers; recent contract awards include a five-year, $5.4 million Navy contract for 350 Improved Weapons Assembly Stands and a $4.6 million Navy add-on for MHU-230 Small Munitions Trailers awarded in January 2025, plus a position on a potential 10-year, $4 billion Air Force IDIQ for base operations support. A new product and geographic vector opened in March 2025 via a partnership with ELW Global to manufacture Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Units, with initial shipments to Misawa Air Base in Japan and rights to commercialize the product to Native American tribes, municipalities, and disaster response organizations.

Name

Choctaw Defense

Legal name

Choctaw Defense Manufacturing Group

Website

https://choctawdefense.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Choctaw Defense Manufacturing Group is a tribally-owned 8(a) precision defense manufacturer serving the US Navy, Air Force, Army, and Marines with ordnance containers, tactical trailers, aviation components, ground support equipment, and water purification systems from two Oklahoma facilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Defense Manufacturing

NAICS

Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (3364), Military Armored Vehicle, Tank, and Tank Component Manufacturing (336992)

SIC

Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760), Ordnance & Accessories, (No Vehicles/Guided Missiles) (3480), Aircraft & Parts (3720)

akta.pro primary industry

Ordnance Components & Subassemblies (Casings, Liners, Guidance Sections) (IMABAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Turrets, Remote Weapon Stations (RWS) & Armament Integration (IMABAJAI)

Keywords

• Defense manufacturing
• Military metal fabrication
• CNC machining services
• Ordnance shipping containers
• Tactical trailers

Headquarters

HQ city

Mcalester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Defense Contracts: Manufacturing products for US military branches including weapon stands, munitions trailers, ordnance shipping containers, ground support equipment, aviation components, and fuel/water systems under government contracts.
2. Commercial Product Sales: Sale of manufactured products such as Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Units to commercial partners and government agencies for disaster response and emergency relief.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Choctaw Defense Manufacturing Group is a tribally-owned 8(a) small business that provides precision manufacturing services for the U.S. Department of Defense and commercial customers. Its offerings span five defense product lines — Aviation Components, Fuel & Water Systems, Military Ground Support Systems, Ordnance Shipping Containers, and Tactical Trailers — supported by in-house capabilities in CNC machining, metal fabrication, welding, chemical finishing, design-build engineering, and kitting. Production is ITAR-compliant and certified to ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D, with deliveries direct to U.S. Navy, Air Force, Army, and Marine Corps installations.

Product overview

Choctaw Defense Manufacturing Group (CDMG) is a tribally-owned 8(a) small business offering precision manufacturing for commercial and military applications. The company operates two HUBZone facilities in McAlester and Hugo, Oklahoma with over 300,000 square feet of manufacturing space. The product portfolio includes five core product lines: Aviation Components (blade racks, rotary wing racks, yaw pedals), Fuel and Water Systems (CAMEL II Water Pod System, ROWPU, Field Service Body units), Military Ground Support Systems (CROWS Integration Kits, IASH), Ordnance Shipping Containers (AMRAAM, 105mm boxes, JSOW, CNU containers), and Tactical Trailers (M1095, MK-593 MTVR, C-17 MLG Lift Truck). Supporting these products are manufacturing capabilities including metal fabrication, CNC machining, chemical finishing, welding, kitting, and design-build engineering services. The company is ITAR compliant and certified to ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aviation Components

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,695 MK-593 modular decks fielded for US Marines
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ELW GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 March 2025Choctaw Defense Manufacturing contracted with ELW Global to build two Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Units (ROWPU), designed to convert potentially hazardous water into drinking water. Through this partnership, Choctaw Defense Manufacturing can market the ELW ROWPU to other Native American Tribes, cities, states and disaster response organizations. Units will be shipped to Misawa Air Base in Japan.
• US Air Force (338th Enterprise Sourcing Squadron)coreOthersChoctaw Defense is one of 19 companies awarded positions on a potential 10-year, $4 billion IDIQ contract for Air Education and Training Command base operations support services.
• National Armaments Consortium (NAC)minorOthersIndustry consortium membership for defense manufacturing collaboration and contract opportunities
• National Advanced Mobility Consortium (NAMC)minorOthersIndustry consortium membership for advanced mobility defense technologies
• Defense Automotive Technologies Consortium (DATC)minorOthersIndustry consortium membership for automotive and ground vehicle defense technologies

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems: Business unit of General Dynamics producing munitions, weapon systems, and ordnance-related hardware for U.S. and allied militaries. Comparable in ordnance products and DoD customer base, though at vastly larger scale and broader portfolio.
• Curtiss-Wright Corporation: Diversified defense and aerospace manufacturer producing precision components, ordnance handling equipment, and ground support systems. Overlaps significantly with Choctaw's ordnance container, trailer, and ground support product lines, but operates as a broad public incumbent.
• Moog Inc. Precision motion control and defense component manufacturer producing high-precision parts for military platforms including missile and ground vehicle systems. Comparable in ITAR-certified precision manufacturing, though at significantly larger scale and broader scope.
• Ducommun Incorporated: Aerospace and defense Tier-2 supplier producing CNC-machined components, assemblies, and electronic subsystems for missiles, aircraft, and ground systems. Comparable in ordnance/aerospace fabrication but operates at much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Koniag Services: Koniag is an Alaska Native Regional Corporation providing defense and government services including manufacturing support. Comparable as a tribally-affiliated 8(a) federal contractor competing in defense manufacturing markets.
• Cherokee Nation Industries: Tribally-owned defense manufacturing subsidiary of Cherokee Nation Businesses, producing metal fabrication, CNC machined parts, and ordnance-related hardware. Operates as a direct peer in precision defense manufacturing for U.S. military branches under 8(a) set-aside contracts.
• Tatitlek Corporation: Alaska Native Village Corporation holding SBA 8(a) status and supporting defense manufacturing, logistics, and federal services. Comparable as a tribally-owned defense manufacturer competing for similar set-aside DoD manufacturing contracts.
• Aleut Federal: Subsidiary of Aleut Corporation providing federal contracting services to DoD and civilian agencies. Comparable tribally-owned 8(a) federal contractor serving similar defense customers with manufacturing, logistics, and technical offerings.
• Tyonek Corporation: Tribally-owned 8(a) Alaska Native Corporation providing defense manufacturing, engineering, and IT services. Closely comparable to Choctaw Defense in regulatory positioning (tribal 8(a)), defense manufacturing focus, and direct contracting with DoD customers.
• Bowhead (UIC / Bowhead Family of Companies): Tribally-owned (UIC) 8(a) defense contractor providing manufacturing, logistics, and technical services to DoD. Highly comparable profile of tribal ownership, 8(a) set-aside contract access, and precision manufacturing for military applications.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/choctawdefensegroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/choctaw-defense

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Choctaw Defense