ABSTRACT
The success of any defense corporation in obtaining contracts for its weapons systems depends upon its effectiveness in trading information and applying pressure. Washington representatives gather vast amounts of data on Government activity, the status of legislation, the work of key members of Congress, procurement policy decisions in the Executive branch, plans and programs for research and development, emerging regulatory actions and Federal rule-making. Washington office staffers can become so central to the flow of information that they become the medium for communications between the other two sides of the “iron triangle.” The Washington office’s direct liaison with the Executive branch and Congress is supplemented by contacts with trade associations, which supply useful information and support the industry’s goals, the foreign diplomats often critical to a company’s overseas marketing efforts, and others.
