Target Drones Market Report 2026

The target drones market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $5.51 billion in 2025 to $5.96 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.1%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to increasing military focus on realistic training simulations, early adoption of remote-controlled aerial targets for weapon testing, rising defense spending on evaluation of anti-aircraft systems, expansion of threat detection training programs, development of basic unmanned aerial platforms for repetitive target missions.

The target drones market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $7.79 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.9%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to growing demand for advanced threat replication using high-performance target drones, increasing integration of autonomous and ai-driven control systems, expansion of military modernization programs requiring sophisticated training tools, rising use of reusable and cost-efficient drone platforms for defense exercises, adoption of high-speed and stealth-mimicking target drones for next-generation weapon testing. Major trends in the forecast period include increasing demand for realistic combat training drones, rising use of high-speed aerial targets for advanced weapon testing, growing adoption of marine and ground target drones for multi-domain training, advancements in jet-powered target uav platforms, expansion of disposable and low-cost target drone programs.

The rise in defense spending is expected to support the growth of the target drones market in the coming years. Defense spending refers to the portion of a government’s budget allocated to military activities, including operations, personnel pay, training, healthcare, and the procurement and maintenance of weapons, infrastructure, and equipment. The increase in defense spending is driven by nations aiming to strengthen military readiness, modernize defense technologies, and enhance national security amid evolving global threats. A significant share of these expenditures goes toward acquiring military drones, which have become a force multiplier in modern combat. For example, in October 2025, the UK Parliament’s House of Commons Library reported that defense spending outlined in the 2025 Spending Review is expected to reach USD 83.3 billion (£62.2 billion) in 2025/26 and rise to USD 98.2 billion (£73.5 billion) in 2028/29, representing an annual average real-terms growth rate of 3.8%. Therefore, increasing defense spending is driving the growth of the target drones market.

Companies in the target drones market are pursuing strategic partnerships to jointly manufacture target drones and strengthen their competitive position. These partnerships allow companies to combine expertise and resources to create high-quality target drones that meet the operational needs of military forces across different nations. For instance, in July 2023, Woot Tech Aerospace LLC, a US-based aerospace company, partnered with Anqa Aerospace, a Saudi Arabia-based aerospace and defense firm, to jointly produce the Firefly series of reconfigurable propeller-driven aerial target drones. The Firefly system can be adapted into an all-electric eVTOL configuration to emulate modern aerial threats, a piston-engine hVTOL to replicate infrared signatures of combustion engines, or a conventional takeoff CTOL variant using wheels, catapults, or rocket-assisted launch. The companies view Firefly as a groundbreaking concept capable of integrating with existing catapult launch infrastructure while enabling new, unrestricted takeoff and landing methods.

In September 2023, Anduril Industries Inc., a US-based defense technology company, acquired Blue Force Technologies LLC, a North Carolina-based developer of uncrewed aircraft systems, for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition allows Anduril to take over the Fury UAS program, enhance its hardware and aerostructures capabilities, accelerate the development of high-speed autonomous aircraft, integrate its Lattice for Mission Autonomy software, and position itself to compete in future Collaborative Combat Aircraft programs. Blue Force Technologies specializes in designing large uncrewed aircraft systems and advanced aerostructures, including high-performance composite manufacturing.

Major companies operating in the target drones market are Airbus SE, BAE Systems PLC, Denel Dynamics, Embention, Griffon Aerospace, Leonardo S.p.A., Northrop Grumman Corporation, Boeing, AeroTargets International, Air Affairs Australia, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Inc., General Dynamics Corporation, L3Harris Technologies, Safran S.A., SCR Drones, AeroVironment Inc., Airborne Technologies GmbH, Altavian Inc., BSK Defense S.A., Composite Engineering Inc., CybAero AB, DroneShield Limited, ECA Group, Gaitech International Ltd., General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., Orbital UAV Pty Ltd, Innocon Ltd., Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS.

North America was the largest region in the target drones market in 2025. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the target drones market report during the forecast period. The regions covered in the target drones 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 have influenced the target drones market by increasing the cost of importing propulsion systems, electronic payloads, and composite materials essential for drone manufacturing. These rising costs have primarily affected high-speed aerial targets, jet-engine target drones, and defense procurement programs in regions such as North America, Europe, and parts of Asia-Pacific. However, tariffs have also encouraged local manufacturing and accelerated domestic innovation in propulsion systems and sensor technologies. As a result, some manufacturers are reducing reliance on foreign suppliers and strengthening regional production capabilities.

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

A target drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) typically operated remotely, designed to simulate radio-controlled model airplanes and employed primarily for training anti-aircraft operators. These modern drones emulate actual aircraft by incorporating defense mechanisms, radar systems, and similar technologies. They play crucial roles in military system development and evaluation, providing training scenarios for military personnel to practice threat detection, and conducting tests to assess the capabilities of manned combat aircraft and anti-aircraft weapons.

The primary types of target drones include aerial, ground, and marine targets. Aerial targets represent simulated enemy aircraft, ADA (Air Defense Artillery), or bombers, replicating remote-controlled aircraft, cruise missiles, and subsonic tactical aircraft for training purposes. They are utilized extensively in battle training and for testing air defense missiles, small arms, artillery systems, and fighter aircraft weapon systems. Target drones employ various engine types such as internal combustion engines, jet engines, and others, utilizing both autonomous and remotely piloted operation modes. Applications of target drones encompass combat training, decoy operations, reconnaissance missions, target identification, and target acquisition, serving purposes in defense-related activities and commercial uses.

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

The target drones market consists of sales of unmanned aerial vehicles, generally remote-controlled target drones, and raider quadcopters. 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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