Civil Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Market Report 2025

The civil unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $9.99 billion in 2024 to $11.38 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.9%. The growth during the historical period was driven by the expanding use of drones in environmental monitoring, rising interest in drone-enabled mapping, broader adoption within the filmmaking and media industries, increased utilization in wildlife conservation efforts, and growing demand for drone-based inspection across utility sectors.

The civil unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $18.98 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.6%. The primary drivers of growth in the forecast period include the rising demand for autonomous drone operations, increased investment in urban air mobility, greater integration with AI and data analytics, an expanding need for real-time data collection, and stronger regulatory backing for commercial drone activities. Key trends expected during this time involve improvements in drone battery technology, the development of AI-powered flight control systems, innovations in lightweight composite materials, progress in beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations, and the creation of advanced drone traffic management systems.

The growing demand in the agriculture sector is expected to drive the expansion of the civil unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) market. In agriculture, unmanned aerial systems are drone-based technologies used for crop monitoring, field condition assessment, and improving farm productivity through aerial data collection. The increasing need for precision farming techniques, which enhance crop monitoring, yield estimation, and resource optimization, is boosting demand for UAS in agriculture. Drones equipped with multispectral sensors and artificial intelligence help farmers make data-driven decisions and efficiently manage large areas. Civil UAS are becoming valuable tools as more farmers adopt drone technology to improve crop monitoring, optimize resources, and boost overall farm productivity through precision farming solutions. For example, in February 2024, Airservices Australia, an air navigation service provider, projected that by 2043, Australian farmers will conduct 500,000 drone flights to monitor crops, while drones will complete 1.5 million food deliveries to households - three times more flights for food delivery than for farming. This increasing demand in agriculture is thus propelling growth in the civil UAS market.

Companies in the civil unmanned aircraft systems market are investing in innovative solutions like fully autonomous beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) flights to expand operational range, reduce reliance on ground-based pilots, and enable efficient long-distance missions in sectors such as infrastructure inspection, agriculture, and logistics. Fully autonomous BVLOS flights involve drones operating without human control beyond the pilot’s visual range, using onboard systems to navigate and complete missions independently. For instance, in November 2024, Carbonix, an Australian manufacturer of long-range fixed-wing vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drones, received a nationwide waiver from U.S. aviation authorities allowing its Volanti drone to conduct fully autonomous BVLOS operations in uncontrolled airspace. This development marks a significant step toward integrating long-range drones into commercial airspace, eliminating traditional visual oversight requirements and enabling scalable, efficient missions in key civil sectors.

In February 2024, BAE Systems plc, a UK aerospace company, acquired Malloy Aeronautics for an undisclosed sum. This acquisition strengthens BAE Systems’ position in the uncrewed aerial systems market by incorporating Malloy Aeronautics’ all-electric heavy-lift drone technology and expertise. The integration supports the development and delivery of advanced, cost-effective, and sustainable UAS solutions for both civil and military customers worldwide. Malloy Aeronautics is a UK-based technology firm specializing in research and development of heavy-lift vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Major players in the civil unmanned aircraft systems (uas) market are The Boeing Company, SZ DJI Technology Co. Ltd., Quantum-Systems GmbH, Parrot Drones SAS, ALTI Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Schiebel Elektronische Geraete GmbH, Edge Autonomy Ltd., Drone Volt SA, Delair SAS, AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc., Chengdu JOUAV Automation Tech Co. Ltd., IdeaForge Technology Limited, Rocketmine, EHang Holdings Limited, Applied Aeronautics LLC, Avy B.V., Carbonix Pty Ltd, ModalAI Inc., Primoco UAV SE, and Sky-Watch A/S.

Asia-Pacific was the largest region in the civil unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) market in 2024. The regions covered in civil unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa. The countries covered in the civil unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

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.

The sharp hike in U.S. tariffs and the associated trade disputes in spring 2025 are notably impacting the aerospace and defense sector by raising costs for titanium, carbon fiber composites, and avionics materials largely sourced from global suppliers. Defense contractors, locked into fixed-price government contracts, absorb these added costs, while commercial aerospace firms face airline pushback on higher aircraft prices. Delays in component shipments due to customs bottlenecks further disrupt tight production schedules for jets and satellites. The industry is responding by stockpiling critical materials, seeking waivers for defense-related imports, and collaborating with allied nations to diversify supply chain.

Civil unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) refer to non-military drones utilized across a wide range of commercial and civilian sectors, including agriculture, infrastructure inspection, surveying, public safety, and delivery services. These systems are primarily aimed at improving operational efficiency, minimizing human risk, and enabling data-informed decision-making. They also support environmental monitoring by offering cost-effective, real-time aerial insights, contributing to operations that are more intelligent, secure, and sustainable.

The primary types of civil unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) include rotary blade, fixed wing, and hybrid drones. Rotary blade drones, which include single-rotor and multi-rotor configurations, are adaptable to various mission requirements, while fixed wing drones provide extended flight endurance and coverage. These systems are categorized into commercial drones, civil government drones, and consumer drones. Their wide-ranging applications encompass areas such as aerial filming and photography, inspection and maintenance, mapping and surveying, precision agriculture, and surveillance. They serve a variety of sectors, including agriculture, delivery and logistics, media and entertainment, construction, real estate, energy, insurance, public safety, and general consumer use.

The civil unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides civil unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) market statistics, including the civil unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with the civil unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) market share, detailed civil unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) market segments, market trends, and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the civil unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) industry. These civil unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) 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.

The civil unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing services such as aerial surveillance, infrastructure inspection, and public safety support using unmanned aerial technologies. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. The civil unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) market also includes sales of single-rotor unmanned aerial systems, multiple-rotor unmanned aerial systems, and semi-autonomous unmanned aerial systems. 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 and 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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