The Price of Current Remote Weapon Systems Will Keep the Market Stagnant and Prevent Further Entry into Certain Regions
A Remote Weapon Station (RWS) is a weapon platform that is operated from a remote source, separate from the station itself. Within this report, these systems are separated into the land and maritime domain. This report looks at all RWS sizes/calibers, from 5.56mm to 30mm.
There are several global trends that will drive and constrain the RWS market, such as vehicle/vessel modernization programs, increased protection for infantry, unmanned vehicle armament, increased naval crew efficiency, high precision warfare, counter-drone capabilities, modularity, and decreased size, weight, and power (SWaP) properties. Most of these trends are interlinked and reflect on the other. The primary drivers of the RWS market will be various modernization programs worldwide and the need for increased protection for infantry. Numerous countries are beginning to modernize their mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP), armored patrol vehicle (APC), and infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) fleets to increase the survivability of infantry after lessons learned from operations in urban environments and countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq. As part of this movement for increased survivability, countries are adopting RWS systems to move the operator to within the vehicle, removing the soldier from enemy combatant’s fire. The adoption of RWS systems within the naval domain is due to the need for increased levels of system efficiency on-board vessels as the requirements of naval vessel numbers begin to exceed available manpower. Both RWS domains - land and maritime - are beginning to require RWS systems to be increasingly modular to allow for bespoke systems and to counter a variety of threats. This can be seen through the inclusion of a counter-unmanned system and missile firing capabilities.
Weight reduction is still the primary issue faced by many vehicles due to the growing number of systems, accessories, and the number of occupants. The main benefit of RWS systems is the decreased internal space occupied by the weapon, increasing the number of occupants a vehicle can accommodate. This is of growing importance due to the size of many nations’ squads/sections. The SWaP properties of RWS systems remain the predominant barrier for entry within certain markets. Although the size and weight of RWS systems are ever-increasing, most systems are still restricted from being fitted onboard light tactical vehicles, thereby limiting the current penetration of RWS systems within various markets. Metamaterial sciences and nanotechnologies will heavily impact this aspect of the market. Innovation in these technological areas will predominantly come from commercial and non-traditional players.
This report delves into the key issues and findings of the market, identifying the current drivers and constraints within the market place, as well as the competitive landscape and evolving market share in greater detail. All these aspects are explored in greater depth within each region. These issues are then applied to generate a forecast for the global market, identifying future opportunities across the land and maritime markets. These forecasts also take into account various geopolitical and economic events, providing scenarios that will result in different market sizes. All forecasts are divided into regions and segments.