After a slow start to the week Monday, Department of Defense contracts are rolling out with increasing speed as the week progresses. Worth a combined $621 million, 13 contracts were awarded Tuesday and 25 more on Wednesday.

Notable winners (among publicly traded companies) included:

  • Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK), which was awarded a maximum $31.4 million firm-fixed-price contract modification extending the period for its providing logistic support services for Iraqi Air Force Cessna 208s through April 2014.
  • Northrop Grumman (NOC 1.82%), which won a $23 million firm-fixed-price delivery order against a previously issued basic order agreement to supply "software sustainment support" for U.S. Navy E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft. Work on this contract is expected to be complete by Oct. 2014. 
  • Caterpillar (CAT 0.83%) was awarded $19.8 million as a modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract to attach machine-powered mowing systems to U.S. Army Caterpillar 966H wheel loaders. This contract brings the cumulative face value of Caterpillar's underlying contract up to $184.7 million in total.