Autonomous Bvlos Drones Market - Growth, Trends, Covid-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

Autonomous Bvlos Drones Market - Growth, Trends, Covid-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

The autonomous BVLOS drones market is projected to register a CAGR of more than 10% during the forecast period (2022 - 2027).

The demand for BVLOS drone operations in the commercial sector is growing sharply, and over the past five years, several commercial drone operators received approval from their respective airspace governing agencies for BVLOS operation. The COVID-19 pandemic initially slowed the BVLOS approvals, but the companies are resuming their plans to continue work on long-term BVLOS operations.

Currently, several drone operators are robustly expanding their BVLOS operations to cater to the demand of various end-users, which will enhance efficiency and industrial productivity. This is expected to propel the growth of the market during the forecast period.

The law enforcement and armed forces have been using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for long-range intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, and combat applications. Also, the armed forces are collaborating with companies to increase the autonomous capabilities of the UAVs with the introduction of artificial intelligence, big data, and other technologies.

Despite the high levels of growth, the lack of comprehensive regulatory standards for the use of these drones in civilian airspace is challenging the widespread adoption of these drones.

The military segment currently dominates the market and is expected to continue its dominance over the market during the forecast period primarily due to the procurement of large UAVs with higher unit prices compared to commercial drones. The military sector deploys autonomous UAVs for various purposes like aerial warfare and ISR applications. Currently, in addition to the existing drones, governments and companies are working on integrating advanced technologies like artificial intelligence. In addition to the existing models of autonomous BVLOS drones, the companies are expanding their product portfolio through investments in the development of new drone models. For instance, in January 2021, the Japanese government announced its plan to develop an indigenous combat drone, which is planned to enter service by 2035. The drone is planned to be developed in three stages and operate autonomously. Japan’s Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency is working on the development of UAV’s artificial intelligence (AI), and government plans to invest about JPY 2.7 billion (USD 26.2 million) in the development of the UAV. Similar investments by various governments and armed forces into increasing the autonomous capabilities of unmanned aerial vehicles are anticipated to boost the growth of the segment during the forecast period.

North America held the largest market share in the autonomous BVLOS drones market in 2021 due to the robust development of the UAV environment in United States for commercial and military sectors. The US Department of Defense is robustly investing in the development of existing unmanned systems through the integration of artificial intelligence technology for the introduction of autonomy. Currently, the US DoD is working on combining artificial intelligence and engineering to automate the swarm of UAVs. In addition to combat and surveillance missions, the US armed forces are integrating BVLOS UAVs for non-combat support applications. While most of the demand is from the military, commercial operators in the country are working on new drone services through approvals of autonomous BVLOS flights from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). For instance, in January 2021, Scout System became the first company to receive approval from the FAA for automated drone operations. Scout System developed a drone with acoustic Detect-and-Avoid (DAA) technology and a layered, redundant safety algorithm to conduct BVLOS flights in the US airspace. Such developments are expected to further accelerate the growth of the market during the forecast period.

AeroVironment Inc., Elbit Systems Ltd, General Atomics, The Boeing Company, and Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. are some of the major players in the autonomous BVLOS drones market. Over the years, the slow progress in regulatory approvals in many countries has forced several players in the industry, whose business models rely completely on BVLOS approval, to shut down their operations. This is because the companies were unable to sustain the company operations without mass production and demand for longer periods. Nevertheless, with countries now giving the necessary regulatory approvals for the autonomous BVLOS operations, players may find it easier to enter and sustain the market. For instance, in January 2022, Percepto, an autonomous inspection and monitoring solution provider, received approval from the FAA to provide BVLOS operations for Delek US Holdings’ refineries in El Dorado, Arkansas, and Tyler, Texas. The company operates Percepto Air Max and Percepto Air Mobile, which are being deployed for inspections and mapping applications. Such developments are expected to further intensify the competition in the market by enabling the entry of new players.

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