Practice Areas
Defense
Defense procurement, authorization, and policy are shaped by a small number of members with the access, credibility, and classified knowledge to influence outcomes. Skyline Capitol's leadership held those seats — and those relationships remain active.
Schedule a Consultation"Defense policy isn't shaped in hearings — it's shaped in the years of relationships, classified briefings, and operational experience that determine whose judgment members trust when the cameras are off."
The defense industrial base operates in a policy environment unlike any other — where procurement decisions, authorization language, and budget priorities are determined by a handful of members with specialized access and institutional credibility. Skyline Capitol's president spent twelve years in those rooms, on those committees, with that clearance level. Our defense practice is built on relationships and credibility that cannot be assembled — only earned over decades of genuine service.
What We Do
We help defense contractors, technology companies, and emerging defense firms navigate the authorization, procurement, and policy processes that determine program funding, contract awards, and regulatory requirements.
- Defense authorization strategy — NDAA language, program office engagement, and committee relationship development
- Procurement and acquisition policy — FAR/DFARS navigation and acquisition reform advocacy
- Defense appropriations — program funding, budget justification, and Subcommittee engagement
- Emerging technology integration — positioning novel capabilities within DoD's acquisition pathways
- Intelligence community engagement — IC programs, classified procurement, and oversight dynamics
- Export controls and ITAR/EAR compliance advocacy with Commerce, State, and DoD
- Defense industrial base policy — supply chain security, domestic sourcing requirements, and small business provisions
The Access That Defines This Practice
Defense policy is a credentialed domain. The access, relationships, and institutional knowledge our team brings to this practice cannot be replicated by firms that lack the firsthand Congressional and military service record behind it.
House Armed Services Committee
Twelve years overseeing defense authorization, military readiness, weapons system procurement, and force structure decisions — the legislative process that funds and shapes the entire U.S. defense enterprise.
B-1B Lancer — Combat Pilot
A decorated Air Force combat pilot who set three world records in the B-1B strategic bomber. This operational background provides a ground-level understanding of defense systems, readiness requirements, and military culture that informs every engagement.
House Intelligence Committee
Classified oversight of the nation's intelligence programs — including defense intelligence agencies, signals intelligence, and the intersection of emerging technology with national security — brings a dimension unavailable to firms without this access.
Published Defense Authority
As a New York Times bestselling author on national security and defense topics, our president carries public credibility in the defense policy space that extends well beyond the Hill — into think tanks, academic institutions, and media platforms that shape the broader conversation.
Our Approach
Defense government affairs requires more than policy knowledge — it requires operational credibility, committee access, and the ability to engage in the technical language of acquisition and national security.
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Operational Credibility
Defense contractors and technology companies benefit enormously when their advocates understand the operational context of what they build. Our president's military service isn't a biographical detail — it's a differentiator that shapes every conversation we have with defense-focused members and staff.
02
Committee Architecture
The NDAA, defense appropriations, and intelligence authorization bills are written by a small number of committees with highly structured jurisdictions. We understand that architecture — which subcommittees control which programs, which members have earned which equities, and how to navigate the process at every stage.
03
Long-term Positioning
Defense programs have multi-year acquisition timelines. The most effective government affairs work begins years before a contract award — building the relationships, establishing the credibility, and shaping the requirements documents that determine which companies are positioned to win.
Your Team
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Other Practice Areas
Defense Is a Credentialed Domain. So Are We.
The firms that win in defense aren't always the most technically capable — they're the ones whose advocates understand the acquisition system, speak the language, and have earned the trust of the members who control program funding. Let's talk about where you need to be.
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