Military Robotic and Autonomous System (RAS) Market Report 2026

The military robotic and autonomous system (ras) market size has grown marginally in recent years. It will grow from $19.25 billion in 2025 to $19.52 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.4%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to increasing demand for unmanned vehicles in military operations, advancements in ai and sensor technologies for autonomous decision-making, rising investments in surveillance, reconnaissance, and combat robotics, growing adoption of teleoperated robotic systems for explosive ordnance disposal, government defense budgets driving r&d in military robotics and automation.

The military robotic and autonomous system (ras) market size is expected to see marginal growth in the next few years. It will grow to $20.79 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.6%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to expanding use of autonomous systems in logistics and maintenance operations, integration of AI-driven target recognition and threat assessment, development of swarm robotics for coordinated military missions, rising adoption of lidar, radar, and advanced sensing devices in autonomous platforms, increasing focus on personnel management and operational efficiency through robotic systems. Major trends in the forecast period include rising demand for multi-role unmanned systems integrating isr and combat functions, increasing deployment of autonomous ground robots for logistics and support tasks, advancements in sensor fusion integrating lidar, radar, and visual systems, growth in maritime autonomous platforms for underwater reconnaissance, adoption of robotic eod systems for high-risk mine clearance and cbrn operations.

The increasing defense budget is expected to drive the growth of the military robotic and autonomous systems (RAS) market. A defense budget is the financial plan and resources allocated to a country's military forces for purposes such as research, development, procurement, and maintenance of military technologies and equipment. It includes funding for the development, integration, and acquisition of RAS technologies to enhance military capabilities and improve operational efficiency. For example, in April 2024, the UK Ministry of Defence's UK Defence in Numbers 2023 report revealed that £2.3 billion was allocated for military support in both 2022 and 2023, with plans to increase this to £2.5 billion in the following year. Additionally, defense spending grew from £52.8 billion in 2022/23 to £54.2 billion in 2023/24. As a result, the defense budget is fueling the expansion of the military robotic and autonomous systems (RAS) market.

Major players in the military robotic and autonomous systems (RAS) market are focusing on developing innovative solutions such as autonomous manned-unmanned teaming to improve mission efficiency, enhance situational awareness, and strengthen operational effectiveness in complex combat environments. Autonomous manned-unmanned teaming refers to the coordinated operation of human-controlled and autonomous robotic systems that collaborate to share data, carry out missions, and increase overall battlefield capability. For example, in October 2024, RTX Corp., a U.S.-based aerospace and defense company, introduced effects autonomy capabilities during the U.S. Army’s Experimental Demonstration Gateway Event (EDGE). The demonstration showcased integrated solutions from its Collins Aerospace and Raytheon divisions: Collins’ RapidEdge mission system served as the central control system for a team of UAVs, while Raytheon provided autonomy features based on its combat-tested Coyote unmanned aircraft system. The systems successfully exchanged data through a mesh network to detect, identify, and track threats, and notably continued operating autonomously even when communication links with human operators were lost.

In July 2024, LIG Nex1, a South Korea-based company specializing in military and defense weapon systems, acquired a 60% controlling stake in Ghost Robotics for $240 million. This acquisition is intended to leverage combined expertise and resources to advance autonomous robotic solutions, driving growth and innovation in both the defense and industrial sectors. Ghost Robotics, a US-based company, develops autonomous robots for a wide range of applications, including defense, homeland security, and enterprise use.

Major companies operating in the military robotic and autonomous system (ras) market are RTX Corporation, The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Hanwha Group, General Dynamics Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, BAE Systems plc, SZ DJI Technology Co. Ltd., Thales Group, L3Harris Technologies Inc., Leonardo SpA, Elbit Systems Ltd., Teledyne Technologies Inc., Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd., Saab AB, General Atomics, Cobham Ltd., QinetiQ Group PLC, iRobot Corporation, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Inc., AeroVironment Inc., Exail Technologies- Groupe Gorge, Anduril Industries Inc., Parrot Drone SAS, Skydio Inc., Boston Dynamics, Milrem Robotics, Auterion AG, AutoNaut Ltd., Saildrone Inc.

North America was the largest region in the military robotic and autonomous system market in 2025. The regions covered in the military robotic and autonomous system (ras) 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 affecting the military robotic and autonomous systems market by increasing costs for imported sensors, semiconductor components, and high-precision communication modules, leading to higher production expenses and slowed deployment across ISR, combat, and ground robotic segments. Regions with heavy dependence on imported electronic and optical systems such as Asia-Pacific and parts of Europe are experiencing the greatest strain. However, tariffs are also motivating domestic manufacturing, encouraging defense modernisation programs, and driving innovation in locally produced autonomous platforms, creating long-term strategic benefits for military supply chains.

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

Military robotic and autonomous systems (RAS) encompass a wide range of technologies that utilize robotics and automation to carry out tasks without direct human intervention. These systems are engineered to operate independently or semi-independently, making decisions and executing actions through pre-programmed instructions, artificial intelligence (AI), or sensor inputs. They are employed in various military applications to enhance efficiency, reduce human exposure to danger, and perform tasks that may be challenging or dangerous for human operators.

The primary platforms of military robotic and autonomous systems (RAS) include unmanned aircraft systems, unmanned ground and robotic systems, and unmanned maritime systems. Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are aircraft and their associated equipment operated without a human pilot on board. These systems can operate in various modes, including remote-controlled, semi-autonomous, and fully autonomous. UAS are utilized in diverse military applications such as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), combat operations, target acquisition, logistics, mine clearance, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), and addressing chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats, as well as providing infantry support and other functions.

The countries covered in the military robotic and autonomous system (ras) market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The military robotic and autonomous system (RAS) market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), combat operations, logistics and maintenance, mine clearance, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), personnel management, unmanned vehicles, teleoperated robotic systems. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. The military robotic and autonomous system (RAS) market also consists of sales of cameras, lidar, radar, and other sensing devices. 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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