Man-portable Military Electronics Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2021-2031F

Airforce is the fastest growing sector, North America is the largest market

The Global Man-portable Military Electronics Market is projected to expand from USD 5.88 Billion in 2025 to USD 8.41 Billion by 2031, registering a CAGR of 6.15%. This sector comprises handheld, wearable, and lightweight systems engineered to bolster the situational awareness, command, control, and communication abilities of small tactical units and individual soldiers. The market's growth is largely fuelled by extensive infantry modernization initiatives that emphasize network-centric warfare strategies and the need for interoperable communication tools in asymmetric combat zones, while rising geopolitical tensions drive the acquisition of personal protection and precision targeting gear to secure tactical superiority.

Nevertheless, the market faces significant hurdles regarding adoption due to Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) limitations, particularly the logistical strain caused by heavy batteries needed to power energy-intensive devices. Despite these technical challenges, defense investment remains strong. As reported by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, global military spending hit $2.71 trillion in 2024, demonstrating a massive financial commitment to enhancing military readiness and upgrading equipment.

Market Drivers

The rollout of comprehensive soldier modernization programs is fundamentally reshaping the landscape as defense agencies replace legacy hardware with integrated, digital combat systems. This shift prioritizes the acquisition of advanced wearable sensors, communication nodes, and computing devices that improve lethality while managing critical Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) constraints. These modernization efforts focus on data fluidity and interoperability, necessitating lightweight electronics that enable dismounted troops to act as network nodes within multi-domain operations; this trend is exemplified by a December 2024 report from The Defense Post, which noted that Elbit Systems won a $130 million contract to provide the Israel Defense Forces with thousands of satellite communication systems and software-defined radios.

Simultaneously, rising geopolitical instability and asymmetric threats are speeding up procurement cycles and inflating defense budgets worldwide. The prevalence of hybrid warfare and high-intensity conflicts creates an urgent need for reliable man-portable electronics that guarantee immediate situational awareness and secure communications in contested areas. This intensified threat environment has led to increased spending; NATO reported in February 2025 that European Allies and Canada spent a record $485 billion on defense in 2024, a significant real-term rise driven by regional security needs. This demand surge is reflected in industry performance, with Thales Group reporting in October 2024 that its Defence & Security segment achieved 40% organic growth in order intake over the first nine months of the year.

Market Challenges

Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) limitations, specifically the heavy logistical burden of batteries, present a major obstacle to the expansion of the Global Man-portable Military Electronics Market. As soldiers carry an increasing number of electronic devices - ranging from radios and night vision goggles to targeting sensors and tablets - the aggregate weight of necessary power sources has become physically unmanageable. This "battery burden" significantly curtails the endurance, mobility, and combat efficacy of dismounted troops, causing procurement agencies to delay deploying additional power-intensive systems without corresponding weight reductions, as soldiers are forced to sacrifice rations or lethal capabilities for spare batteries.

The severity of this issue is both critical and measurable. According to operational assessments cited by the Association of the United States Army in 2025, the average combat load for a dismounted soldier during extended missions can surpass 100 pounds, with power management systems and batteries making up a substantial portion of this weight. This excessive burden directly hinders the integration of advanced electronics, as commanders prioritize minimizing soldier fatigue and injury over the introduction of capable but heavy new systems. Consequently, market growth for man-portable electronics will remain limited by human physical constraints until power source energy density improves sufficiently to reduce this logistical footprint.

Market Trends

The operational integration of Augmented Reality (AR) into Heads-Up Displays (HUDs) is revolutionizing the market by superimposing real-time tactical data directly into a soldier's field of vision. This trend marks a progression from experimental prototypes to the acquisition of combat-ready systems that combine thermal imaging, navigation, and target acquisition into a unified wearable interface, thereby shortening reaction times in complex settings. Defense agencies are heavily investing in these mixed-reality solutions to equip close-combat forces with intuitive data visualization previously limited to command posts or vehicle crews; for instance, DefenseScoop reported in March 2024 that the U.S. Army sought $255 million in fiscal 2025 funding to purchase 3,162 units of the IVAS 1.2 variant, a ruggedized headset built to provide dismounted troops with high-resolution situational awareness.

Furthermore, the deployment of Man-Portable Interfaces for Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) is greatly expanding the market, as infantry units increasingly need handheld controls for loitering munitions and robotic assets. This development allows individual soldiers to guide autonomous systems for precision strikes and reconnaissance from the tactical edge, effectively extending sensor range and decentralizing air support. The incorporation of these lethal unmanned systems into standard gear is fueling significant contract activity as militaries aim to provide dismounted formations with organic stand-off capabilities; illustrating this scale, Defense News reported in August 2024 that the U.S. Army awarded AeroVironment a contract worth up to $990 million for Switchblade loitering munitions, highlighting the massive investment in portable tools that facilitate direct soldier-to-drone collaboration.

Key Market Players

• L3Harris Technologies Inc.
• RTX Corporation
• General Dynamics Corporation
• Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Thales SA
• Codan Limited
• Elbit Systems Ltd
• Saab AB
• Leonardo S.p.A.
• ASELSAN Elektronik Sanayi ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi

Report Scope

In this report, the Global Man-portable Military Electronics Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

Man-portable Military Electronics Market, by Product Type:

• Communications
• Intelligence
• Surveillance
• Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR)
• Command
• Control

Man-portable Military Electronics Market, by End User:

• Army
• Navy
• Airforce
• HomelSecurity

Man-portable Military Electronics Market, by Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia Pacific
• South America
• Middle East & Africa

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the Global Man-portable Military Electronics Market.

Available Customizations:

With the given market data, the publisher offers customizations according to a company's specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

Company Information

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

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