Oshkosh to Profit From Afghan War: Poll

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- The war in Afghanistan is the subject of daily fiery debate inside the White House. The central question, of course, is whether to escalate the conflict by sending more troops.

For the defense-contracting industry -- what used to be called, a generation ago, the military-industrial complex -- the prospects of escalation can only mean profit growth.

And so we asked our readers to weigh in on the controversial subject of war profits. The truck manufacturer Oshkosh(OSK) has been an obvious early beneficiary of the U.S. military's refocus from Iraq to Afghanistan, with its all-terrain fighting vehicle, useful in the rugged terrain of Kandahar and environs, fast-tracked into service by the Pentagon.

But there are plenty of others who have benefited from the Pentagon's missions, and plenty who stand to benefit even more if the U.S. sends more soldiers into the war zone.

In our survey, we offered up a menu of six defense contractors, including logistical-service providers and engineering firms such as Fluor(FLR), as well traditional hardware makers, such as Boeing(BA).

The winner was Oshkosh, and it's clear why: With its $3.3 billion-plus M-ATV contract, the company has not only saved itself from financial disaster, but possibly laid the foundation for much more Pentagon business in the future. The venerable Wisconsin manufacturer garnered almost 37% of the survey's votes.