Aerospace and Defense Additive Manufacturing Market Report 2026

The aerospace and defense additive manufacturing market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $5.19 billion in 2025 to $6.12 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.8%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to early adoption of additive manufacturing for rapid prototyping in aerospace and defense programs, increasing need for complex geometries in radio frequency hardware and propulsion components, initial integration of powder bed fusion and material extrusion techniques in defense manufacturing workflows, rising demand for lightweight and high-performance engine components, development of additive methods for repairing and replacing mission-critical parts in military systems.

The aerospace and defense additive manufacturing market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $11.48 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.1%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to expanding use of directed energy deposition and binder jetting for large-scale defense components, growing adoption of additive manufacturing to enhance supply chain resilience in aerospace and defense, increasing production of advanced heat exchangers and casting patterns via additive techniques, rising demand for certified 3D-printed propulsion and engine parts to improve platform performance, continuous innovation in multi-material and high-temperature additive processes supporting next-generation defense applications. Major trends in the forecast period include advanced multi-material printing for mission-critical aerospace parts, increased adoption of additive technologies for rapid prototyping, growth in additive repair and refurbishment of defense components, rising demand for lightweight, high-strength engine and structural parts, expansion of certified additive manufacturing processes for aerospace compliance.

The rising air passenger traffic is anticipated to drive the growth of the aerospace and defense additive manufacturing market in the coming years. Air passenger traffic refers to the total number of individuals traveling by air within a given period, typically measured by the number of passengers boarding commercial flights. The implementation of aerospace and defense additive manufacturing technologies can positively influence air passenger traffic by enhancing aircraft efficiency, innovation, fuel economy, and affordability while maintaining the reliability and sustainability of air travel operations. For example, in December 2025, Eurostat, a Luxembourg-based government agency, reported that the number of passengers transported by air in 2023 increased by 19.3% compared to 2022. Thus, the growing air passenger traffic is fueling the expansion of the aerospace and defense additive manufacturing market.

Leading companies in the aerospace and defense additive manufacturing market are forming strategic partnerships to advance the production of mission-critical components for military and aerospace applications. These strategic partnerships combine technical expertise and specialized manufacturing capabilities, enabling the development of high-performance, mission-critical components and enhancing scalability for aerospace and defense applications. Such collaborations support the production and certification of advanced metal additive manufacturing solutions, particularly for military flight hardware. For instance, in June 2025, Velo3D, Inc., a US-based metal additive manufacturing company, entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with two Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) federal laboratories, the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) and Fleet Readiness Center East (FRC East). Through this collaboration, Velo3D and NAVAIR aim to strengthen additive manufacturing capabilities for aerospace and defense applications by combining Velo3D’s advanced 3D printing technology with NAVAIR’s technical expertise and operational requirements.

In August 2025, SBO Group GmbH, an Austria-based manufacturing firm, acquired 3T Additive Manufacturing Ltd. for an undisclosed sum. This acquisition enables SBO to enhance its metal additive manufacturing capabilities, gain access to established customer networks, modern production infrastructure, and a skilled workforce, and accelerate growth in scaled production within the additive manufacturing sector. 3T Additive Manufacturing Ltd., based in the UK, specializes in producing finished metal 3D printed parts with a primary focus on net-zero production.

Major companies operating in the aerospace and defense additive manufacturing market are General Electric Company, Raytheon Technologies Corporation, The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Airbus SE, Northrop Grumman Corporation, BAE Systems, Safran SA, Rolls-Royce Holdings, Honeywell Aerospace, Siemens Digital Industries Software, OC Oerlikon Corporation AG, Moog Inc., Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc., Carpenter Technology Corporation, Renishaw plc, GKN Aerospace, Stratasys Ltd., EOS GmbH, 3D Systems Corporation, Proto Labs Inc., Materialise NV, Desktop Metal Inc., SLM Solutions Group AG, Optomec Inc., Sintavia, Additive Industries, Optisys LLC, CRP Technology SRL, BeAM Machines Inc.

North America was the largest region in the aerospace and defense additive manufacturing market in 2025. The regions covered in the aerospace and defense additive manufacturing 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 aerospace and defense additive manufacturing market by increasing the cost of imported metal powders, composite materials, and advanced printing equipment, thereby raising overall production expenses. These effects are most pronounced in regions reliant on cross-border sourcing such as North America, Europe, and parts of Asia, particularly in metal-based additive manufacturing segments. While challenges include delayed procurement cycles and higher operating costs, tariffs are also encouraging localized production, material innovation, and supply-chain diversification, which can strengthen domestic manufacturing capabilities.

The aerospace and defense additive manufacturing market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides aerospace and defense additive manufacturing market statistics, including aerospace and defense additive manufacturing industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with an aerospace and defense additive manufacturing market share, detailed aerospace and defense additive manufacturing market segments, market trends, and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the aerospace and defense additive manufacturing industry. This aerospace and defense additive manufacturing 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.

Aerospace and defense additive manufacturing involves the application of 3D printing technology to fabricate parts and components for the aerospace and military sectors. This technology is employed to create components with intricate geometries, parts with enhanced performance characteristics, repair or replace broken parts, foster innovation, and generate prototypes for research and development purposes.

The primary types of aerospace and defense additive manufacturing technologies include direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), fused deposition modeling (FDM), continuous liquid interface production (CLIP), stereolithography (SLA), selective laser sintering (SLS), and others. Direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) is a specific form of additive manufacturing in which metal powder is fused together layer by layer, utilizing a laser, to form a solid 3D object. These technologies utilize various materials such as metals, plastics, rubbers, and others. Aerospace and defense additive manufacturing find application in various platforms, including aviation, defense, and space. They are utilized for a range of applications, such as engine components, space components, structural components, defense components, and more.

The countries covered in the aerospace and defense additive manufacturing market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The aerospace and defense additive manufacturing market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing material extrusion, sheet lamination, binder jetting, material jetting, directed energy deposition, powder bed fusion, and vat photopolymerization. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. The aerospace & defense additive manufacturing market also includes of sale of radio frequency hardware, propulsion systems, heat exchangers, casting patterns, and engine components. 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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