Artificial Intelligence in Military Market Report 2026

The artificial intelligence in military market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $11.53 billion in 2025 to $13.78 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.5%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to early adoption of autonomous surveillance drones for battlefield intelligence, increasing deployment of facial recognition and language translation tools for tactical operations, modernization programs integrating AI-enabled command and control systems, rising use of robotic mine detectors and unmanned ground systems for troop protection, growth in military data generation requiring advanced AI analytics capabilities.

The artificial intelligence in military market size is expected to see exponential growth in the next few years. It will grow to $28.67 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.1%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to expanding investment in autonomous weapon systems with enhanced decision-support capabilities, increasing integration of edge AI in battlefield sensors and communication networks, rising demand for ai-driven intrusion detection and cybersecurity tools within defense infrastructure, continued modernization of military platforms requiring advanced AI hardware and software, growing use of ai-enabled simulation and training systems to enhance operational readiness. Major trends in the forecast period include growing deployment of ai-based battlefield decision-support systems, rising adoption of autonomous surveillance and reconnaissance platforms, increasing integration of ai-enabled threat detection and analysis tools, expansion of ai-driven simulation and training environments, growing use of predictive analytics for mission planning and logistics.

The rising global conflicts are expected to propel the growth of the artificial intelligence in military market going forward. Global conflicts refer to the increasing number and intensity of armed confrontations and violent disputes between nations or groups worldwide. The rise in global conflicts is driven by escalating geopolitical tensions, territorial disputes, and civil unrest in various regions, prompting nations to enhance their military capabilities. Artificial intelligence in the military supports the management of global conflicts by enabling faster decision-making, predictive threat analysis, and autonomous systems for surveillance, defense, and strategic operations. For instance, in December 2024, according to Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), a US-based non-profit organization, global conflicts doubled over the past five years, with the number of people killed in conflicts rising 30% from 179,099 deaths in 2023 to 233,597 in 2024. Therefore, the rising global conflicts are driving the growth of the artificial intelligence in military market.

Major companies operating in the artificial intelligence in military market are focusing on integrating innovative technologies, such as sensor fusion, to enhance situational awareness and improve real-time decision-making. Sensor fusion technology combines data from multiple sensors to produce more accurate and comprehensive information, improving situational awareness, decision-making, and enabling faster, more precise responses in complex environments. For instance, in March 2025, Leonardo DRS, a US-based defense technology company, launched its next-generation Artificial Intelligence Processor (AIP), designed to enhance situational awareness, enable real-time threat detection, and support advanced mission processing for military vehicles. The ruggedized AIP system is engineered to operate in extreme environments and process vast amounts of battlefield data, from advanced image sensors to sensor fusion systems, delivering actionable intelligence directly to soldiers at the tactical edge. It integrates seamlessly with current and future U.S. Army combat applications, providing a platform-agnostic, compact, and high-speed computing solution. Leveraging cutting-edge AI algorithms and commercial technology, the AIP helps reduce the cognitive burden on commanders and crews, enabling faster and more informed decisions during multi-domain operations.

In March 2025, SightLine Applications LLC, a US-based technology company, acquired Athena Artificial Intelligence Pty Ltd for an undisclosed amount. Through this acquisition, SightLine aims to enhance its real-time situational awareness and decision-making capabilities by integrating Athena AI's advanced, AI-enabled computer vision and decision support systems into its core image processing platform. Athena Artificial Intelligence Pty Ltd is an Australia-based software company offering artificial intelligence solutions for the military.

Major companies operating in the artificial intelligence in military market are Charles River Analytics Inc., BAE Systems PLC., Northrop Grumman Corporation, RTX Corporation, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Thales Group, Harris Corporation, International Business Machines Corporation, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Microsoft Corporation, Oracle Corporation, Amazon Web Services Inc., SAS Institute, Meta Platforms Inc., SAP SE, Salesforce Inc., Baidu Inc., SoarTech, Google LLC, NVIDIA Corporation, Intel Corporation, General Dynamics Corporation, Rolls-Royce Holdings plc, General Electric Aviation, Safran S.A., Israel Aerospace Industries, Triumph Group Inc., Boeing Co., Airbus SE, Leonardo S.p.A., L3Harris Technologies Inc., Elbit Systems Ltd., Rheinmetall AG, Collins Aerospace, Kongsberg Gruppen.

North America was the largest region in the artificial intelligence in military market in 2025. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the artificial intelligence in military market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa.

Note that the outlook for this market is being affected by rapid changes in trade relations and tariffs globally. The report will be updated prior to delivery to reflect the latest status, including revised forecasts and quantified impact analysis. The report’s Recommendations and Conclusions sections will be updated to give strategies for entities dealing with the fast-moving international environment.

Tariffs are influencing the artificial intelligence in military market by raising the cost of importing advanced chips, sensors, and specialized computing hardware required for AI-driven defense platforms, leading to higher procurement and modernization expenses. The most affected areas include hardware, autonomous systems, and airborne platforms, particularly in regions dependent on semiconductor supply chains such as North America and Europe. However, tariffs have also triggered positive outcomes by encouraging domestic manufacturing capabilities, accelerating defense technology localization, and reducing long-term reliance on foreign suppliers.

The artificial intelligence in military market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides artificial intelligence in military market statistics, including artificial intelligence in military industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with an artificial intelligence in military market share, detailed artificial intelligence in military market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the artificial intelligence in military industry. This artificial intelligence in military market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.

Artificial intelligence (AI) in the military plays a crucial role in facilitating rapid decision-making in both dynamic, information-dense environments and scenarios with limited information. It is extensively employed in military intelligence for analyzing enemy intelligence and finds application in autonomous vehicles and weapon systems. AI also supports and aids in planning military operations, enhancing overall efficiency.

The primary offerings of AI in the military encompass hardware, software, and services. Hardware refers to the tangible components of computers that store and execute instructions provided by the software. Various technologies involved in AI include machine learning, natural language processing, context-aware computing, computer vision, intelligent virtual agents (IVA) or virtual agents, and others. These technologies are applied across diverse platforms, including land, naval, and airborne. Installations of AI in the military cover new procurement and upgrades, utilized in applications such as information processing, simulation and training, warfare platforms, threat monitoring, situational awareness, cybersecurity, and various other military applications.

The countries covered in the artificial intelligence in military market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The artificial intelligence in military market consists of sales of artificial intelligence in military services such as facial recognition, language translation, remotely operated weapon stations, robotic mine detectors, and intrusion detection services. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. The artificial intelligence in military market also includes sales of sensor, drone, detector, computers equipment’s which are used in providing artificial intelligence in military. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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