Market Trends of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Industry
Military Segment will Showcase Significant Growth Due to Adoption of Unmanned Systems for EOD Operations
Technological developments in unmanned systems, especially unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), demonstrate the potential of remotely operated capabilities to alleviate human risks in hostile environments near explosive ordnances.
Most unexploded ordnance detection and disposal technologies are conducted manually or with EOD vehicles. Depending on the situation and the risk factor, it's destroyed, defused, or moved. But now, in a big step forward in defense research, in 2023, the European Defence Agency (EDA) has demonstrated how AI and drones can work together to find IEDs and other explosives in different scenarios. It is part of a EUR 1.55 million (USD 1.65 million) project called AIDED, funded by the European Commission. As part of the project, a coordination attempt is being made to ensure that the UAVs and UGVs work together to search for IEDs and mock-ups in rural and urban settings.
Growing adoption of unmanned systems in military operations to improve soldier’s security and rising military expenditure will boost the segment growth. Unmanned systems can perform various tasks ranging from reconnaissance and surveillance to detection and disposal of explosives. The latest EOD robots are being fitted with a wide variety of payloads, including conventional cameras, EO/IR sensors, X-ray scanners, and metal detectors, which help in detecting explosives accurately and sending the collected information to the concerned agencies. In addition, newer EOD UGVs feature high-power manipulator arms that help in disposing of the explosives. Thus, the growing emphasis on procuring unmanned systems for military operations is expected to drive the market during the forecast period.
North America Will Dominate the Market During the Forecast Period
North America dominated market share due to the US's high demand for EOD equipment. The US is focusing on modernizing its soldier protection systems for contingency operations. As a part of this modernization effort, it procures new EOD suits and helmets for its armed forces. For instance, in 2023, British multinational defense technology company QinetiQ received a contract from the US Navy to construct unmanned ground vehicles, the Talon and the MTRS, for bomb disposal. The order for these vehicles is estimated to be USD 10.6 million. The MTRS MK2 is designed to provide stand-off capability for the detection, identification, and disposal of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and related hazards, utilizing ground robots with payloads for IED disposal.
In addition, the US Army is modernizing its robotic and autonomous capabilities with a range of autonomous systems. It aims to leverage the best available commercial technology, which is critical in giving soldiers an overmatch in future contingency operations. For instance, in December 2022, the US Air Force (USAF) received its first four T7™ Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) robots under a contract from L3Harris Technologies, a division of L3Harris Technologies Inc. The contract supports the Air Force’s Global EOD mission and is valued at USD 85 million over ten years. The first four T7® robots are part of a more significant contract providing the Air Force with 56 T7 robotic systems, support, maintenance, and training. All these factors are expected to propel the market's growth in North America in the years to come.
