Civil Defense Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Market Report 2025

The civil defense unmanned aerial vehicles market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $2.17 billion in 2024 to $2.45 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.9%. The growth during the historic period can be attributed to the expanding integration of AI-powered autonomous systems, increased adoption of swarm robotics, rising investments in research and development and defense procurement, growing urgency for electronic-warfare-resilient platforms, and heightened government support for allied and joint ventures.

The civil defense unmanned aerial vehicles market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $3.96 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.7%. The growth expected in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing demand for surveillance and reconnaissance, expanding defense and security budgets, escalating geopolitical tensions and conflicts, rising demand within defense and security sectors, and the growing use of UAVs in asymmetric and counter-terrorism operations. Key trends during this period include technological advancements in autonomous flight systems, integration of artificial intelligence (AI) for real-time decision-making, progress in drone swarm coordination, improvements in long-endurance battery technology, and incorporation of advanced imaging and thermal sensors.

The growing need for advanced surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities is expected to drive the expansion of the civil defense unmanned aerial vehicles market in the coming years. Advanced surveillance and reconnaissance involve using state-of-the-art technologies and sensors to collect real-time, highly accurate intelligence that improves situational awareness and decision-making. This demand is fueled by the increasing necessity for real-time monitoring to effectively detect and respond to security and emergency threats. Civil defense unmanned aerial vehicles contribute to these capabilities by offering real-time aerial observation, high-resolution imaging, and data gathering over vast or inaccessible areas without endangering human lives. For example, in May 2024, the International Trade Administration, a US government agency, reported that the association of unmanned aviation projects a 40% rise in the global number of commercially used drones between 2022 and 2030. Consequently, the rising need for advanced surveillance and reconnaissance is supporting the growth of the civil defense unmanned aerial vehicles market.

Increasing defense budgets are also expected to drive the growth of the civil defense unmanned aerial vehicles market. Defense budgets are government financial allocations aimed at supporting military forces, operations, and defense initiatives. The rise in these budgets is driven by growing geopolitical tensions, motivating countries to strengthen their military capabilities for improved security and deterrence. Higher defense spending enables the deployment of civil defense unmanned aerial vehicles by financing cost-effective surveillance, reconnaissance, and disaster response solutions that serve as economical alternatives to traditional manned operations. For instance, in April 2024, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), a Sweden-based independent resource on global security, reported that total global military expenditure reached $2.44 trillion in 2023, marking a 6.8% real-term increase compared to 2022. As a result, growing defense budgets are propelling the civil defense unmanned aerial vehicles market forward.

Companies operating in the civil defense unmanned aerial vehicles market are concentrating on technological advancements like fixed-wing vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) drones to improve operational flexibility, endurance, and rapid deployment during emergencies. A fixed-wing VTOL drone is an unmanned aircraft that combines the runway-free launch and landing capabilities of rotorcraft with the long-range and high-speed flight advantages of fixed-wing designs. For example, in June 2025, Delair, a France-based manufacturer, introduced the DT61, which offers advanced vertical takeoff and landing, endurance exceeding seven hours, and modular payload integration for versatile, multi-mission surveillance and inspection over large land and maritime areas in both civilian and military applications. Its compact, quickly deployable design supports the simultaneous use of high-performance sensors, making it ideal for rapid response, intelligence collection, and civil defense operations.

Major players in the civil defense unmanned aerial vehicles market are Lockheed Martin Corporation, Thales S.A., Leonardo S.p.A., Textron Inc., Elbit Systems Ltd., General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., TEKEVER Autonomous Systems, Parrot Drones SAS, Schiebel Group, Garuda Aerospace Pvt. Ltd., Drone Volt SA, Delair SAS, Paras Defence and Space Technologies Ltd., BlueBird Aero Systems Ltd., ideaForge Technology Ltd., Threod Systems, UAVOS Inc., AceCore Technologies, C-Astral Aerospace, Dragonfly Pictures, FLIR Systems, AeroExpo, GRIFF Aviation AS, and OM UAV Systems.

North America was the largest region in the civil defense unmanned aerial vehicles market in 2024. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in civil defense unmanned aerial vehicles report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa. The countries covered in the civil defense unmanned aerial vehicles 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 defense unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are remotely piloted or autonomous aircraft operated by civil authorities and emergency services for non-military purposes such as disaster response, search and rescue, surveillance, firefighting, environmental monitoring, and public safety operations. They enhance situational awareness, speed up response times, and assist in decision-making during emergencies and critical situations.

The primary types of civil defense unmanned aerial vehicles include fixed-wing UAVs, rotary-wing UAVs, and hybrid UAVs. Fixed-wing UAVs are drones that use rigid wings to generate lift and are designed for long-range, high-speed flights without requiring continuous rotor thrust. These aerial vehicles are employed in surveillance, search and rescue, disaster management, firefighting, and border security, and are used by government agencies, military forces, civil defense organizations, public safety departments, and emergency responders.

The civil defense unmanned aerial vehicles market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides civil defense unmanned aerial vehicles market statistics, including the civil defense unmanned aerial vehicles industry's global market size, regional shares, competitors with the civil defense unmanned aerial vehicles market share, detailed civil defense unmanned aerial vehicles market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the civil defense unmanned aerial vehicles market. This civil defense unmanned aerial vehicles 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 defense unmanned aerial vehicles market consists of sales of surveillance and reconnaissance drones, firefighting unmanned aerial vehicles, and communication relay unmanned aerial vehicles. 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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