Drones in Aerospace and Defense - Thematic Intelligence

Drones in Aerospace and Defense - Thematic Intelligence

Summary

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)-colloquially known as ‘drones’—have been a much-used part of advanced militaries’ arsenals for many decades. From the RQ-2 Pioneer used in 1991 during Operation Desert Storm, to the MQ-9 Reaper used in current conflicts in Syria, the US, in particular, has led the way in the development and utilization of unmanned capabilities. This has been due in part to the high financial threshold for R&D, and subsequent export controls on US platforms. However, other producers are beginning to develop viable, affordable platforms, subsequently increasing the horizontal proliferation of unmanned capabilities. The growth of drone technology in the wider consumer and commercial markets has further altered the cost calculus of drone operations, facilitating the development of novel concepts and programs focusing on the potential benefits provided by relatively low-cost, ‘attritable’ UAV platforms.

This newfound focus has reinvigorated the development of novel military UAVs such as loitering munitions, as well as research into the dual-use potential of consumer drone technology. Loitering munitions in particular are a rapidly expanding segment within the unmanned systems market, combining the benefits of unmanned autonomy and precision-guided munitions within a single platform. The loitering munitions market will benefit from increased modularity, the use of artificial intelligence (AI), the use of swarm technology, and increased sensor capabilities in the next ten years. Simultaneously, recent conflicts have illustrated the utility of repurposing consumer drone technology for defense applications, with the implications of this trend beginning to influence both tactical and strategic considerations within global defense circles.

GlobalData estimates that the global military UAV market will expand from a value of $10.927 billion in 2023 to $17.963 billion in 2033, growing with a CAGR of 5.10%. The global drone market was worth $15.2 billion in 2020 and will reach $89.6 billion by 2030, with the strongest growth coming from commercial drones, which will record a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 32.6% between 2020 and 2030, rising from $3.4 billion in 2020 to $57.0 billion in 2030.

Key Highlights

• Studies of emerging technological trends and their broader impact on the defense market.
• Analysis of the various drone programs and projects currently under development, as well as the diverse range of applications and use cases for this technology in both the civil and military domains.

Who Should Buy

• Our thematic research product, supported by our thematic engine, is aimed at senior (C-Suite) executives in the corporate world, decision makers, and institutional investors.
• Corporations: Helps CEOs, CTOs, and other senior executives of companies understand this key theme, the competitive environment, and the market opportunities.
• Investors: Helps fund managers and other major investors focus on investment opportunities in defense and understand the market around drone technology.

Scope

• The key defense challenges that forces and defense sector suppliers face are covered.
• The investment opportunities for armed forces, suppliers, and institutional investors, across the whole drone technology value chain are covered.
• Highlights from the range different drone related research and development programs currently being undertaken by various military organizations and defense companies.

Reasons to Buy

• Determine potential investment companies based on trend analysis and market projections.
• Gaining an understanding of the market challenges and opportunities surrounding the drones in aerospace and defense theme.
• Understanding how spending on drones and related segments will fit into the overall market and which spending areas are being prioritized.