Military Training Aircraft - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2025 - 2030)

Rising Demand For Modern Warfare Associated With Increasing Defense Budgets Are The Driving Factors In The Market

• Military training aircraft played a crucial role in preparing pilots for the challenges of modern warfare. These specialized aircraft provide aspiring aviators with the essential skills and knowledge necessary to operate advanced combat platforms. As nations worldwide strike to maintain robust defense capabilities, the demand for military training aircraft remains high.
• Defense spending plays a crucial role in shaping the demand for training aircraft. Countries with higher defense budgets are allocating significant resources to procure and maintain advanced training aircraft. The world's military expenditure rose by 3.7% in 2022, reaching a record high of USD 2.24 trillion. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a major driver of the growth in spending in 2022. The five biggest spenders in 2022 were the United States, China, Russia, India, and Saudi Arabia, accounting for 63% of world military spending.
• Additionally, in terms of fleet procurement, during 2017-2022, a total of 546 training aircraft were procured, which is 12% of the global military aircraft fleet. Regarding the active fleet, there are 11,410 military training aircraft globally. Of these total aircraft, Asia-Pacific accounted for most of the active fleet with 27%, followed by North America at 24%, Europe at 22%, Middle East and Africa at 18%, and South America at 9%, respectively.
• Overall, in the pursuit of maintaining a highly capable and agile defense force, military training aircraft play a central role in shaping the future of global security and military preparedness, and as a result, during 2023-2030, a total of 1,309 military training aircraft is expected to be delivered.

Global Military Training Aircraft Market Trends

Increased border tensions and the need for new aircraft has led to a surge in defense expenditure

• Asia-Pacific spent a total of USD 569 billion on military expenditures. Geopolitical conflicts such as border issues between China and India, internal security challenges, maritime surveillance, and counter-terrorism operations are some of the factors aiding the growth of the fixed-wing aircraft fleet of the countries in this region. The rise in military spending in China and India was the main cause of the increase in 2022. The combined military spending of the two nations in the region in 2022 was 66%. The increase in defense spending of the nations over the past ten years was driven by economic growth and territorial disputes.
• Major military powers, including India, China, Japan, and South Korea, are present in the Asia-Pacific region and are yearly growing their defense budgets. This budget includes a significant portion for the improvement and expansion of air superiority, which is driving the growth of military aviation in the region. For instance, in the budget of FY 2023, the Indian government allocated about 10% more for the Indian Air Force compared to the previous budget, including payments for the new Rafale fighters and the manufacturing of Sukhoi-30MKIs and Tejas fighters.
• The increased military spending in the Asia-Pacific region is intended to gain an advantage in several political and border conflicts, such as the tension in the South China Sea with many regional sovereign entities and border conflicts between India-China and India-Pakistan. The defense spending of major countries in China is expected to cross over USD 400 billion by 2030.

Fleet modernization and new procurements are projected to improve the APAC's military active fleet

• By the end of 2022, there were 15,543 active aircraft in the Asia-Pacific region, of which fixed-wing aircraft accounted for 60% while rotorcraft accounted for the remaining fleet. China, India, Japan, and South Korea together accounted for 55% of the total active fleet in the region.
• In 2020, the average aircraft fleet age in Asia-Pacific amounted to 9.5 years, which was projected to increase by 2030, when the average aircraft fleet age across the region was expected to be 10.7 years. The older aircraft, some of which date back to the 1960s, have been slowly phased out by the Indian Air Force. The MiG 21 and MiG 27 have been the backbone of the Indian Air Force (IAF). The average age of these aircraft is around 45 years. Australia’s two fighter aircraft, FA-18 and F-35, have been in service for the last 16 years and 8 years, respectively.
• Countries such as China, India, and South Korea are expanding their aircraft fleet size to fulfill the demands of modern warfare. They may continue to produce and acquire next-generation aircraft during the forecast period. The regional armed forces are also enhancing the capabilities of helicopters with cutting-edge technology to obtain military superiority over the external threat.
• Asia Pacific's active fleet increased by 3% in 2022 compared to 2017. Indonesia and Thailand accounted for 63% of the total fleet in Southeast Asia. In the coming years, the aircraft fleet may increase as major countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines plan to procure over 135 aircraft. The active fleet of the region is expected to expand at a healthy rate during the forecast period.

Military Training Aircraft Industry Overview

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