Defence dollars buy the best PR talent.
And the best talent. Period.
I used to work in a DOD-funded project back Stateside. It was an incredible gravy train. Some employees used to actually go watch a movie during lunch break...
One cannot deny that Lockheed-Martin is probably the best aerospace company in existence. Their line of products speaks for itself.
But McDonnell-Douglas and General Dynamics created the F-15 and F-16 respectively. Boeing bought McD-D and Lockheed acquired GD. Still, LM itself created the SR-71, the F-117, the F-22, and the F-35.