2023/2024 World Military Unmanned Aerial Systems Market Profile & Forecast

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Report
June 2025
Region: Global
Teal Group
ID: 5910898

This annual sector study allows clients to identify lucrative potential business opportunities in the increasingly dynamic international military UAS market. It contains a wealth of timely intelligence and analysis on the systems and requirements on a country-by-country basis.

Features include:

10-Year Market Forecasts - Covering R&D and procurement for the overall market and, as well as program and country breakouts. (Spreadsheets are included)
Expert Analysis - A cogent outlook and rationale for what will be hot over the next decade.
Air Vehicles - Development histories, specifications, functional descriptions, manufacturers, funding, and evaluations.
Sensors - Electro-optic, infrared, synthetic aperture radar, electronic warfare, SIGINT, and multi- and hyperspectral systems.
Requirements - Future requirements are examined for each country likely to be a player in this market.
Competitors - Initiatives of roughly 60 key companies: product offerings, investment activities, acquisitions, and important developments.

Executive Overview

The Market Outlook
World UAS Budget Forecast (excluding US classified budget)
World UAS Budget Forecast (including provisional US classified budget)
World Production Forecast by Type
World UAV Production Forecast by Region
Study Parameters
Forecast Assumptions
Cost Evaluation
Military UAS Profile
Civil UAVs
The Numbers
Mini-VTOL UAV Production Forecast by Region
Small/Tactical VTOL UAV Production Forecast by Region
Mini-UAV Production Forecast by Region
Small Tactical UAV Production Forecast by Region
Tactical UAV Production Forecast Summary by Region
Naval UAVs Production Forecast Summary by Region
MALE UAV Production Forecast Summary by Region
HALE UAV Production Forecast Summary by Region
UCAV Production Forecast Summary by Region
Civil Government, Commercial & Consumer UAVs

The US UAS Market

The Market Outlook
Past as Prologue
US Department of Defense UAV Funding History
DoD UAV Categories
US Military UAV Inventory Trends
US UAV Inventory (FY17; latest numbers available)
US DoD UAV Budget Forecast
US UAV Production Forecast
Program Profiles
US Micro/Mini UAVs
US Navy/Marine Corps RQ-21 Blackjack STUAS
RQ-7A Shadow/Future Tactical UAS
RQ-8 Fire Scout VTUAV
US Marine UAV Programs
US Cargo UAV Programs
MQ-1C Grey Eagle/MQ-9 Reaper
Air Force Next Generation UAS (NGUAS)
MQ-25 Stingray (CBARS)
RQ-4 Global Hawk
UCAV (Skyborg/Attritable Aircraft/CCA)

European UAS Market

Market Overview
Current European Military Programs
European UAV Production Forecast by Type
Country Profiles
Armenia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belgium
Belarus
Bulgaria
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
European Union/NATO
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Ukraine
United Kingdom

Rest of the World UAS Market

Market Overview
Middle East
Middle East UAV Production Forecast by Type
Bahrain
Egypt
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Jordan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Syria
United Arab Emirates
Africa
African UAV Production Forecast by Type
Algeria
Angola
Botswana
Cameroon
Chad
Ethiopia
Ivory Coast
Kenya
Libya
Mali
Mauritania
Morocco
Niger
Nigeria
Senegal
South Africa
Sudan
Tunisia
Uganda
Yemen
Zambia
Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific UAV Production Forecast by Type
Australia
Bangladesh
Brunei
China
India
Indonesia
Japan
Kazakhstan
Korea, North
Korea, South
Malaysia
Myanmar (Burma)
New Zealand
Pakistan
Philippines
Singapore
Sri Lanka
Taiwan
Thailand
Vietnam
The Americas
Americas UAV Production Forecast by Type
Argentina
Brazil
Canada
Chile
Colombia
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Mexico
Panama
Venezuela

Electro-Optical/Infrared Sensors

Market Overview
High Altitude Endurance (HALE) EO/IR Sensors
USAF Global Hawk Basic and Enhanced Integrated Sensor Suite (EISS)
USAF Global Hawk Follow-On EO/IR Sensors
USAF Next-Generation HALE EO/IR Sensor Suite
Navy MQ-4C Triton MTS-B & AN/DAS-X Sensor Suite
USAF Classified Stealthy UAV EO/IR Sensors (RQ-170 & RQ-180)
US Army HADES & Future Small Manned ISR Aircraft EO/IR Sensors
Coast Guard Deepwater Endurance UAV EO/IR Sensor
Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) EO/IR Sensors
Predator & Predator B/Reaper AN/AAS-52 MTS-A & AN/DAS-1/4/Next Gen MTS-B (Multi-spectral
Targeting System) & Future MALE EO/IR
US CBP/USCG Guardian/Predator B AN/DAS-1(V) MTS-B (Multi-Spectral Targeting System)
Canadian RPAS MALE UAV L3 WESCAM MX-20/25 EO/IR Sensor
USAF MQ-X/MQ-20/MQ-Next Gen/NG-UAS/Stealthy MALE UAV EO/IR
Lockheed Martin MQ-20 Avenger TacIRST & UAV IRST Systems
Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Air Tracking and Targeting Sys (ATTS)
US Army Next Generation Airborne ISR Sensors and Platforms
US Army Gray Eagle AN/DAS-2(V) Common Sensor Payload (CSP)
Predator XP EO/IR Sensors
FLIR Systems, Inc. (FSI) Star SAFIRE 380HD
Lockheed Martin INFIRNO
Collins Aerospace (was Goodrich) DB-110 & MS-110 EO/IR Pods
Rafael RecceLite & Recce-U EO/IR Pods
US Navy MALE TERN (Tactically Exploited Reconnaissance Node) Sensors
US Marine Corps Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) UAS Expeditionary (MUX) EO/IR Sensors 309
Wide FOV (WFOV) EO/IR Sensors
USAF Reaper Gorgon Stare & Classified WFOV EO/IR Sensors
US Army/USAF UAV ARGUS-IS
USAF ARGUS-IR
Predator C Avenger Wide Field of View (WFOV) Sensor
Logos Technologies Redkite & LEAPS & Kestrel & WAMI Sensors
Sentient Vision Systems ViDAR WAMI Systems
US Marine Corps RQ-21A Blackjack Group III UAS Wide Area Persistent Surveillance (WAS) Sensors 321
US Marine Corps RQ-7 Shadow Wide Focal Plane Array Camera (WFPAC “Wolfpack”)
US Marine Corps RQ-7 Shadow WASPS (Wide Area Surgical and Persistent Surveillance)
AWARE (Advanced WFOV Architectures for Image Reconstruction and Exploitation)
Hyperspectral EO Sensors
Global Hawk SPIRITT & USAF Hyperspectral Systems
USAF Predator ACES Hy Hyperspectral Imager
USAF Reaper CERBERUS Hyperspectral Imager
US Army RQ-7 Shadow AURORA & Navy/Army Hyperspectral Systems
US Marine Corps RQ-21A Blackjack Group III UAS Hyperspectral Sensors
UCAV EO/IR Sensors
USAF Classified Stealthy SEAD/Strike UCAV EO/IR Sensors
USAF CCA/LCAAT/Skyborg UCAV EO/IR Sensors
US Navy MQ-25A Stingray CBARS & UCLASS & UCAS-D EO/IR Sensors
Tactical UAV EO/IR Sensors
US Navy/US Coast Guard MQ-8B/C Fire Scout EO/IR Sensors
US Army FTUAS (Future TUAS) EO/IR Sensors
US Army/USMC RQ-7 Shadow V2 MX-10 EO/IR Sensors
US Army/USMC RQ-7 Shadow V1 POP 200/300
US Army Hunter Raven Eye II/MOSP
Collins Aerospace (was Goodrich) SWIR (Short-Wave IR) Sensors
US Navy & Army MRMUAS & MRMP EO/IR Sensors
Small Tactical UAV EO/IR Sensors
US Navy/USMC RQ-21A Blackjack/Integrator Alticam EO/IR Sensors
ScanEagle Alticam EO and IR Sensors
ScanEagle ViDAR “Optical Radar”
FLIR Systems, Inc. (FSI) StormCaster EO/IR Sensor (SkyRaider & SkyRanger UAVs)
FLIR Systems, Inc. (FSI) Cooled Neutrino MWIR Thermal Camera Cores
Gremlins and “Swarming” Small UAV EO/IR Sensors
Mini-UAV EO/IR Sensors
AeroVironment Raven & Wasp & Puma Mantis EO/IR Sensors
US Army Long-Range Reconnaissance and Surveillance (LRSS) UAV EO/IR Sensors
US & Available International Mini-UAV EO/IR Sensors
Air Force Desert Hawk (was Sentry Owl) EO Sensors
RQ-11 Raven Photon IR Sensor
Micro/Nano Air Vehicle (NAV) EO/IR Sensors
US Army Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) sUAS (Small UAS) EO/IR Sensors (Quadcopters)
Nano Air Vehicle (NAV) EO/IR Sensors
FLIR Systems, Inc. (FSI) Lepton EO/IR Cameras

Synthetic Aperture Radars

Market Overview
SAR Technology
SAR Market
SAR Program Forecasts
Market Shares
High Altitude Endurance (HALE) UAV Radars
USAF Global Hawk AN/ZPY-2 MP-RTIP
NATO “Phoenix” Global Hawk AGS/MP-RTIP
USAF Global Hawk “HISAR”
USAF Global Hawk Follow-On SAR (ASARS-2(V))
USAF Next-Generation HALE UAV SAR
US Navy MQ-4C Triton AN/ZPY-3 Multi-Function Active Sensor (MFAS)
USAF Classified Stealthy ISR UAV SARs (RQ-170 & RQ-180)
US Army HADES & Future Small Manned ISR Aircraft SARs
USCG Deepwater Endurance UAV ISAR
Medium Altitude Endurance (MALE) UAV Radars
USAF Reaper AN/APY-8 Lynx SAR & Future MALE SAR
US CBP Predator B AN/APY-8 Lynx SAR
USAF Reaper (Lynx Upgrade) Dismount Detection Radar (DR)
US CBP/USCG Guardian SeaVue SAR
Predator B/Guardian/MALE Future Small Maritime Radar
Due Regard Radar (DRR) & Detect and Avoid (DAA) Avionics Systems
USAF MQ-X/MQ-Next Gen/Next Generation Stealthy MALE UAV Radar
US Army Next Generation Airborne ISR Sensors and Platforms
US Army Gray Eagle JADO SAR/GMTI
US Army Gray Eagle-Extended Range (GA-ER) Eagle Eye MMR SAR
US Army Gray Eagle AN/ZPY-1 Starlite SAR
US Army Predator/Sky Warrior ER/MP Lynx II SAR
Podded US CBP/Army Guardian/Gray Eagle VADER & LRR-E Radars
Podded AN/ASQ-236 Dragon’s Eye Classified USAF SAR Pod
US Marine Corps Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) UAS Exp. (MUX) MOSAIC Radar
Podded Leonardo/UTC Aerospace (UTAS) “TacSAR” Pod (UAV)
“ASARS-3” (Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar System)
USAF Reaper Dismount Detection Radar (DDR)
US Army Gray Eagle TRACER
MB SAR (Multi-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar) UHF/L-band Radar
UCAV Programs
USAF Classified Stealthy SEAD/Strike UCAV Radars
USAF CCA/LCAAT/Skyborg UCAV Radars
US Navy MQ-25A Stingray CBARS & UCLASS & UCAS-D Radars
Tactical UAV Programs
US Navy MQ-8B/C Fire Scout SARs & Other Tactical UAV Radars
US Army FTUAS (Future TUAS) Radars
US Army RQ-7 Shadow SAR
Army A160 FORESTER FOPEN SAR
Magnetic Anomaly Detectors (MADs)
MAD-XR (Magnetic Anomaly Detection Extended Role)
Small Tactical/Mini/Nano UAV Programs
US Navy/Marine Corps RQ-21A Blackjack/Integrator Group III SAR/MTI (ImSAR NSP-5 UWB &
AN/PDY-2 SPLIT ACES Nano-SAR/MTI)
ScanEagle NanoSAR & Leonardo SAR Systems
miniSAR
microSAR
PicoSAR
MiniSAR

SIGINT & Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) Sys.

Market Overview
Endurance UAV SIGINT & ECM Programs
USAF Global Hawk/HALE & Predator/Reaper/MALE ASIP (Airborne Signals Intelligence Payload)
USAF Global Hawk Hyperwide COMINT
USAF Global Hawk LR-100 RWR/ESM/ELINT
Navy MQ-4C Triton AN/ZLQ-1 ESM System & Follow-On SIGINT & Future Triton SIGINT Suite
USAF Classified Stealthy ISR UAV ESM/EA Sys. (RQ-170 & RQ-180) & Other Endurance UAV SIGINT
Army HADES & Future Small Manned ISR Aircraft SIGINT Sensors
USAF ALQ-167 Angry Kitten & USAF MALE UAV ECM/EA Pods
USMC Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) UAS Expeditionary (MUX) EW/SIGINT Sensors
Army Tactical SIGINT Payload (TSP) & Follow-On & Future Army MALE UAV SIGINT System
General Atomics MALE UAV Self-Protection Pod (SPP)
MALE UAV (MQ-25A) ALR-69A Radar Warning Receiver/ESM System
Reaper Advanced Radar Detection System (ARDS) ELINT Pod
Army Next Generation Airborne ISR Sensors and Platforms
Army Gray Eagle JADO SIGINT (ELINT & COMINT & RWR)
Army Gray Eagle MFEW-AL (Multi-Function EW-Air Large) Pod
Army Gray Eagle CEASAR/NERO COMINT Electronic Attack Pods
Pandora Electronic Warfare (EW) System (MALE)
Army MQ-5B Hunter Green Dart SIGINT System
UCAV SIGINT & EA Programs
USAF Classified Stealthy SEAD/Strike UCAV SIGINT & Electronic Attack (EA) Systems
USAF CCA/LCAAT/Skyborg SIGINT & EA Systems
USMC UCAV Electronic Attack (EA)
USMC UAV Electronic Attack (EA) Standoff Jammers (AN/ALQ-99 & AN/ALQ-249 NGJ)
Navy MQ-25A Stingray CBARS & UCLASS & UCAS-D SIGINT & Electronic Attack (EA)
Navy UCAS-D SIGINT
Early US Air Force/Navy UCAV Electronic Warfare Systems
Tactical/Mini/Nano UAV SIGINT & EA Programs
Overview
US Army FTUAS (Future TUAS) SIGINT & EA Systems
Army RQ-7 Shadow SIGINT Systems
USMC RQ-7 Shadow Software Reprogrammable Payload (SRP)
RQ-7B Shadow SIGINT Pod
Navy MQ-8C Fire Scout SIGINT/EW Pod
DARPA CONCERTO (CONverged Collaborative Elements for RF Task Operations)
US Special Operations Forces (SOF) Tactical/Mini-UAV SIGINT Sensor
Pandora Electronic Warfare (EW) System (Small UAV)
“NanoSIGINT” (Tactical/Small Tactical UAV)
USMC AN/ALQ-231(V) Intrepid Tiger Electronic Warfare (EW) Pod
Navy/Marine Corps RQ-21A Blackjack/Integrator Group III AN/DSY-4 Spectral Bat SIGINT Payload
US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) MEUAS III Small Tactical SIGINT/ELINT Sensors
Army RQ-20 Puma Mini-UAV SIGINT Sensors
USMC Raven/Puma Group I Mini-UAV SIGINT Payloads
International UAV SIGINT Programs
Euro Hawk ISIS/Pegasus Wide Area SIGINT System
Ultra Electronics Australia Predator B Electronic Warfare (EW) Payloads
UK Watchkeeper SIGINT: Soothsayer
Xtender/FlyingFish Satellite Phone SIGINT System
TRC 274 & TRC 6200
Top Scan
Skyfix SIGINT Suite
EL/K-7071 COMINT/DF & EL/L-8385 ESM/ELINT
SPS-65V5 Modular EW/SIGINT Suite
Skyfix COMINT/DF

C4I Systems

Market Overview
System Types
Analyst Evaluation
Data Link Programs
Global Hawk (EQ-4) Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN)
Global Hawk Block 30/40 C4I Systems
Predator B Agile Condor AI Computing Architecture
Predator B/MALE Network Centric Communications Pod (NCCP)
US Marine Corps Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) UAS Expeditionary (MUX) & MQ-9A Reaper
C4I Systems
MUM-T (Manned-Unmanned Teaming) & VUIT-2
NATO Mode 5 IFF for UAVs
USMC RQ-7 Shadow Software Reprogrammable Payload (SRP)
RQ-7 Shadow Forward Airborne Secure Transmissions and Communications (FASTCOM)
US Marine Corps Raven/Puma Group I Mobile Ad-Hoc Network (MANET)
Next-Generation Scalable UA Mission Command System
Tactical Control System (TCS) & UAV Operating Systems
Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T)
JTIDS and MIDS
Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS)
USAF Tactical Data Links (TDL)/Link-16
US Navy Tactical Data Links (TDL)/Link-16
US Army Tactical Data Links (TDL)/Link-16
EPLRS & SADL
Improved Data Modem (IDM)
CEC (Cooperative Engagement Capability)
Common Data Link (CDL) & Tactical Common Data Link (TCDL)
Network Tactical Common Data Link-Network (TCDL-N)
Tactical Common Data Link-Network (TCDL-N)
Communications Data Link System (CDLS)

Military UAS Company Profiles

Aeronautics Ltd.
AeroVironment Inc.
Airbus Defence & Space (formerly European Defence and Space Co.)
Aurora Flight Sciences
Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC)
BAE Systems
Baykar Makina
Bell Textron
The Boeing Co.
CAE Inc.
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.
Dassault Aviation
Denel Pty. Ltd.
Diehl Defence GmbH & Co. KG
DJI Innovations
Elbit Systems Ltd.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
Griffon Aerospace
Honeywell International Inc.
Insitu Inc.
Intra Defense Technologies
Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd.
Kaman Aerospace Corp.
Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd
Korean Air Aerospace Business Division
Korea Aviation Technologies
Kratos Defense and Security Solutions Inc.
L3Harris Technologies
Leidos Holdings Inc.
Leonardo (formerly Finmeccanica)
Lockheed Martin Corp.
MDA (formerly MacDonald, Dettwiler, and Associates)
Northrop Grumman Corp.
Parrot SA
Piaggio Aerospace
Rheinmetall (formerly EMT Ingenieurgesellschaft)
Rolls-Royce
RTX Corp.
Safran
Saudi Arabian Military Industries
Schiebel Elektronische Geraete GmbH
Shield AI
Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
Skydio
Stark Aerospace, Inc.
Swift Engineering, Inc
Teledyne Technologies Inc. (including FLIR)
Textron Systems Unmanned Systems
Thales
Turkish Aerospace Industries
Uconsystem Co. Ltd.
UMS Skeldar
VTG

Appendix 1

US DoD 10-Year UAV Funding History Summary
RDT&E by Service
Procurement by Service

Appendix 2

US DoD Prime Contracts

Companies Mentioned

Aeronautics Ltd.
AeroVironment Inc.
Airbus Defence & Space (formerly European Defence and Space Co.)
Aurora Flight Sciences
Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC)
BAE Systems
Baykar Makina
Bell Textron
The Boeing Co.
CAE Inc.
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.
Dassault Aviation
Denel Pty. Ltd.
Diehl Defence GmbH & Co. KG
DJI Innovations
Elbit Systems Ltd.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
Griffon Aerospace
Honeywell International Inc.
Insitu Inc.
Intra Defense Technologies
Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd.
Kaman Aerospace Corp.
Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd
Korean Air Aerospace Business Division
Korea Aviation Technologies
Kratos Defense and Security Solutions Inc.
L3Harris Technologies
Leidos Holdings Inc.
Leonardo (formerly Finmeccanica)
Lockheed Martin Corp.
MDA (formerly MacDonald, Dettwiler, and Associates)
Northrop Grumman Corp.
Parrot SA
Piaggio Aerospace
Rheinmetall (formerly EMT Ingenieurgesellschaft)
Rolls-Royce
RTX Corp.
Safran
Saudi Arabian Military Industries
Schiebel Elektronische Geraete GmbH
Shield AI
Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
Skydio
Stark Aerospace, Inc.
Swift Engineering, Inc
Teledyne Technologies Inc. (including FLIR)
Textron Systems Unmanned Systems
Thales
Turkish Aerospace Industries
Uconsystem Co. Ltd.
UMS Skeldar
VTG

Methodology

The publisher's analysts employ a combination of empirical and expert centered approaches to forecasting across multiple global defense and aerospace markets. Numerous variables play into future market requirements: macroeconomics, geopolitics, regional competitiveness, public and private market forces, cost pressures, country‐specific budget constraints, supplier relationships, etc.

We maintain proprietary databases that provide a strong foundation for building a quantitative understanding of key relationships between the forces that drive the demand for an array of products, platforms, and systems. These data assets have been developed and expanded over 30 years of company operations and provide an unapparelled set of resources that make the publisher uniquely qualified to forecast future industry performance. These empirical fundamentals allow for rigorous modelling.

In addition to this highly structured, data-driven perspective, the publisher through the expertise of its analysts has a comprehensive qualitative understanding of the forces that shape market demand. It is our position that forecasting demands both empirical understanding and artistic interpretation based on insights gained from decades of dedicated research and analysis. The result is a forecast that combines both to achieve a highly informed window to the future.