MITRE is a non-profit company that operates Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), which are owned and funded by the federal government and contracted out to companies like MITRE to operate them.
While MITRE does have contracts with DoD (and many other agencies across the federal government as part of the FFRDCs they operate), they are not the same as a stereotypical DoD contractor as their non-profit status motivates them to work in the public interest.
While MITRE does have contracts with DoD (and many other agencies across the federal government as part of the FFRDCs they operate), they are not the same as a stereotypical DoD contractor as their non-profit status motivates them to work in the public interest.