Market Trends of Airborne Electronic Warfare Industry
Unmanned Aircraft Segment to Witness Rapid Growth During the Forecast Period
- Unmanned platforms such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have emerged as the primary platform for conducting ISR missions. Hence the UAV manufacturers are striving to develop stealth capabilities for their product portfolio by incorporating advanced materials and designs that lower the radar cross-section of a given platform, allowing it to evade radar and integrated air defense systems. Moreover, these platforms are equipped with electronic countermeasures such as jam-resistant data links to prevent enemy disruptions.
- Current missions of such platforms entail the creation of operational orbits that utilize intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms to collect multiple forms of ISR data, including electronic signals (SIGINT), images (IMINT), and full-motion video (FMV). New models are continuously being launched to serve the defense forces. For instance, in August 2022, China unveiled the FH-35 UAV that can work as part of a more extensive drone formation, providing electronic warfare support to manned and unmanned aircraft.
- More UAVs with electronic warfare capabilities are anticipated to be launched during the forecast period and inducted into active service by the global defense forces at a rapid pace, thereby driving the growth of the unmanned aircraft segment of the market.
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North America to Dominate the Market During the Forecast Period
- The presence of major military aircraft manufacturers, such as The Boeing Company, Northrop Grumman Corporation, and Lockheed Martin Corporation in the United States, has had a positive effect on the research and development (R&D) and deployment of airborne electronic warfare systems in the region. The United States is currently the largest market for electronic warfare aircraft, with several ongoing and planned initiatives to develop and induct advanced airborne electronic warfare systems.
- On this note, to maintain electronic warfare capabilities and support the future development of the US Air Force, it is currently upgrading the EC-130H compass call electronic warfare payloads. The US Air Force also has plans to procure 12 EC-37s during the next decade.
- According to the Congressional Budget Office, the US Air Force procurement cost is estimated to increase from USD 28 billion in 2020 by 11% to USD 31 billion in 2024, a part of which is envisioned to be spent on the procurement of various aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) programs with electronic warfare capabilities.
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