Man-Portable Air Defense Systems Market Report 2026

The man-portable air defense systems market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $5.13 billion in 2025 to $5.45 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.2%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to increasing adoption of shoulder fired air defense systems, rising deployment across military forces, reliance on imported missile guidance components, expansion of low altitude defense requirements, increasing use of infrared homing systems.

The man-portable air defense systems market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $6.85 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.9%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing investment in advanced missile guidance technologies, rising demand for portable air defense systems, expansion of autonomous threat recognition tools, growth in defense modernization programs, increasing development of lightweight manpads platforms. Major trends in the forecast period include deployment of AI-enhanced target tracking systems, growth of autonomous threat recognition technologies, expansion of cloud-linked command platforms, adoption of advanced manufacturing for compact launch units, integration of IOT-enabled battlefield defense networks.

The increasing defense budget is expected to propel the growth of the man-portable air defense systems market going forward. Defense budget refers to the funds allocated by a nation's military to purchase, replenish, and maintain its stockpile of bullets, shells, missiles, and other munitions. As geopolitical tensions rise, countries are dedicating more resources to military preparedness and modernization to safeguard national security. This increase in defense spending fuels development in man-portable air defense systems through greater investment in innovative technologies, enhanced capabilities, and broader deployment. For example, in February 2025, according to the UK government’s Department for Business and Trade, the UK secured defense orders worth £14.5 billion in 2023, up from £9.7 billion in 2022 - an increase of approximately 49% in nominal terms. Therefore, the rising defense budget is driving the growth of the man-portable air defense systems market.

Key companies operating in the man-portable air defense systems market are focusing on technological advancements, such as laser-beam riding guidance systems, to gain a competitive advantage. A laser-beam riding guidance system is a weapon interface where the missile follows a laser beam projected from the launcher toward the target, offering secure, trackable, point-to-point delivery comparable to a highly managed prescription delivery service. For instance, in February 2025, Thales Group, a France-based defense-electronics company, launched the initial supply of its laser beam riding manpad (LBMR) very short-range air defense system in partnership with Bharat Dynamics Ltd., which features high-velocity missiles exceeding Mach 3, advanced countermeasure resistance, and up to 60% local production content in India. The shift toward laser guidance improves resistance to infrared jamming and enhances target discrimination, yet the cost and integration of such systems create higher training and logistics demands.

In September 2024, Honeywell International Inc., a US-based aerospace company, acquired CAES Systems Holdings LLC for an amount of $1.9 billion. The acquisition aims to expand Honeywell’s presence in the defense electronics market by integrating CAES’s advanced electronic warfare and cyber technologies. This move enhances Honeywell’s ability to provide comprehensive solutions for modern military platforms requiring superior electronic protection and threat detection. CAES Systems Holdings LLC is a US-based defense company that specializes in providing mission-critical electronic solutions and systems, including man-portable air defense systems.

Major companies operating in the man-portable air defense systems market are General Dynamics Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, BAE Systems Inc., Thales Group, Leonardo S.p.A., Rheinmetall AG, Elbit Systems Ltd., Israel Aerospace Industries, Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace, Saab AB, MBDA, Hellenic Defence Systems, ASELSAN A.S., Bharat Dynamics Limited, PT Pindad, MESKO S.A., JADARA Equipment and Defense Systems, Raytheon Technologies Corporation, Almaz-Antey, VEM Technologies.

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 man portable air defense systems market by raising costs for imported sensors, propulsion modules, targeting electronics, and missile-grade alloys essential for MANPADS production. Military, paramilitary, and security forces in regions reliant on imported defense componentsparticularly Europe, Asia-Pacific, and North Americaare most affected. Nevertheless, tariffs are driving domestic missile fabrication, regional supply chain strengthening, and innovation in cost-optimized air defense technologies, supporting long-term system resilience.

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

Man-Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS) are shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems designed for operation by a single individual or a small team. Their primary role is to engage and destroy low-flying aircraft such as helicopters, drones, and fixed-wing planes.

The main components of man-portable air defense systems include missiles, launching mechanisms (gripstocks), batteries, and other related parts. The missile acts as the core element, engineered to detect, track, and neutralize hostile aircraft. These systems employ a variety of guidance technologies, such as infrared homing, laser-guided, and electro-optical systems. Launching mechanisms are available in several configurations including shoulder-fired, vehicle-mounted, and portable deployment. MANPADS are utilized in numerous applications across military, paramilitary, security forces, and civilian defense sectors. They are operated by governments, defense agencies, private organizations, NGOs, and are distributed through foreign military sales (FMS).North America was the largest region in the man-portable air defense systems market in 2025. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in man-portable air defense systems report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa. The countries covered in the man-portable air defense systems market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The man-portable air defense systems market consists of sales of shoulder-fired missile systems and their associated launch units, tracking systems, targeting aids, and related components and technologies. 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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