How do defence contractors usually handle customer perception research?

In defence, most primary research goes through procurement officers and program managers rather than end users directly — so B2B depth interviews with 8-12 stakeholders is usually the go-to approach. NDAs are non-negotiable upfront, and you'll want to keep discussion guides away from anything operationally sensitive. A lot of suppliers also lean on third-party facilitators to add a layer of neutrality and get more candid responses.