Military and Defense Programs

Florida’s military installations and missions stretch from Pensacola to Jacksonville, through Florida’s high-tech corridor to Miami and Key West.

Explore Florida’s Military Advantages

Florida’s 20 major military installations and defense business presence provide a $94.9 billion annual economic impact.

The installations and missions, long recognized as true national and state assets, contribute more than $95 billion dollars annually to the Florida economy, as a result of salaries and services, defense industries, retirees, and federal programs. This makes defense the 3rd leading economic driver of the state’s economy after tourism and agriculture. Additionally, defense-related spending accounts for more than 914,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs. The high-tech nature of the installations, missions and their defense industries has been a foundation for much of Florida’s businesses involvingaviation and aerospace, photonics, lasers, Cyber and modeling and simulation.

Florida’s military installations and missions exist and are located to support the U.S. national security and defense efforts. Florida must support and enhance the military value of its installations and missions not only to the state and Floridians but also to the nation and all citizens. Because of this criticality, Florida’s structures and policies have long been examples of consistent support to our military.

The Florida model of support to our military and defense includes: the Florida Defense Alliance (FDA), the Florida Defense Support Task Force (FDSTF), the Defense Grants Program and the Governor’s Base Commanders Meetings. These elements of Florida’s government are administered by the Military & Defense Programs team at Enterprise Florida, Inc. (EFI).

Our partners at the state level are the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Military Affairs. The EFI M&D Mission is to administer, support and manage the work of the Florida Defense Alliance and the Florida Defense Support Task Force to achieve protection and enhancement of Florida’s military installations, missions, and servicemembers and their families. View the defense organizations in Florida below: