San Diego is already playing a major role in U.S. combat operations against Iran, as part of Operation Epic Fury, and the impact could stretch far beyond deployed sailors and Marines.
With more than 130,000 active-duty service members stationed in the region, and billions of dollars tied to defense spending, San Diego’s military footprint and defense industry make it one of the most closely connected regions in the country to overseas conflict.
According to the San Diego Military Advisory Council, or SDMAC, one in six Navy sailors and one in four Marines are in San Diego County.
“We have the largest military concentration in the United States, if not the world,” said David Boone, president and CEO of SDMAC and a retired Navy rear admiral.
USS Abraham Lincoln, based at Naval Air Station North Island, is serving a critical role as one of the few aircraft carriers near Iran, but San Diego’s involvement is not limited to those overseas.
The region is also home to major defense contractors and shipbuilders that support military operations worldwide.
According to SDMAC’s latest economic impact report, more than $39 billion in defense spending flows into the San Diego region each year and contributes to a more than $61 billion gross regional product or GRP. The San Diego Chamber of Commerce says that accounts for roughly one-fifth of the region’s gross product.
The report also said companies such as General Atomics and Northrop Grumman receive the largest share of defense dollars locally. The biggest funded programs include non-nuclear ship repair, engineering and technical support, and unmanned aircraft systems or drones.
Guided missiles, combat ships and military experimental development are listed as receiving relatively smaller amounts as well.
Historically, when the U.S. enters a conflict, federal dollars increase for those types of projects. On Mar. 6, nearly one week after the war against Iran began, Lockheed Martin posted on X, “We have agreed to quadruple critical munitions production. As a result of President @realDonaldTrump’s leadership, we began this work months ago with @SecWar Hegseth and Deputy Secretary Feinberg.”
That could mean an influx of additional federal money into San Diego. However, Boone said any financial boost this fiscal year may offset other challenges.
“The short answer is it does [impact San Diego’s overall economy] but, at the same token, we had a government shutdown to start the year and we’re in a partial government shutdown now so we’ll have to see how all of that balances out,” Boone said.
The partial government shutdown is already affecting some military families. Boone said a Coast Guard group based in San Diego is currently deployed, though it is not clear where, and those service members are navigating the stress of being deployed while also facing uncertainty about pay during the shutdown.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication.