UAV Flight Training and Simulation Market Report 2025

The UAV flight training and simulation market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $1.19 billion in 2024 to $1.33 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.2%. The growth during the historic period can be attributed to increasing demand in military applications, expanded use in commercial sectors, the need for pilot training without operational risks, the cost-effectiveness of simulation compared to real flight training, and a rise in drone-related incidents driving the need for training.

The UAV flight training and simulation market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $2.08 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.8%. The growth projected for the forecast period is driven by increasing homeland security budgets, the expansion of UAV-based delivery services, greater adoption of UAVs in agriculture, the rise of autonomous UAV operations, and broader use of UAVs in disaster response. Key trends include advancements in VR and AR technologies, the emergence of AI-powered flight simulators, progress in cloud-based simulation platforms, integration of real-time telemetry in training simulators, and the development of portable and mobile simulation systems.

The rise in defense budgets is expected to drive the growth of the UAV flight training and simulation market in the coming years. Defense budgets refer to the financial allocations governments make for the development, maintenance, and operation of their armed forces and defense-related activities. Increasing defense budgets are driven by the need to modernize military forces with cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence, cyber defense, and autonomous systems to tackle complex and evolving global threats. Higher defense spending enables greater investment in advanced training infrastructure, allowing militaries to acquire high-fidelity UAV simulators and expand comprehensive training programs to improve operator readiness and mission effectiveness. For example, in April 2025, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, a Sweden-based international organization, reported that global military spending reached $2.71 trillion in 2024, representing a 9.4% real-term increase compared to the previous year. Therefore, the rise in defense budgets will support the growth of the UAV flight training and simulation market.

Leading companies in the UAV flight training and simulation market are concentrating on developing advanced platforms, such as small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) flight simulators, which allow repeated practice of complex maneuvers and emergency procedures. Small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) flight simulators are virtual platforms designed to replicate the operation and handling of small unmanned aircraft, helping users safely and efficiently build piloting skills without real flight. For instance, in April 2025, Performance Drone Works (PDW), a US-based autonomous drone manufacturer, introduced the PDW SIM, an sUAS flight simulator. The PDW SIM software offers realistic training scenarios featuring varied terrains, weather conditions, and mission complexities. It uses 3D maps generated from actual geospatial data combined with simulated elements and realistic flight behavior. The platform allows fully customizable training environments without requiring real-world airspace or complicated logistics. It also enables operators to practice handling mission-critical challenges such as signal loss, interference, and power constraints, enhancing their ability to make quick and effective decisions.

In June 2025, Redwire Corporation, a US-based aerospace and defense technology company, acquired Edge Autonomy Intermediate Holdings LLC for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition aims to strengthen Redwire’s autonomous systems and AI-powered defense solutions by incorporating Edge Autonomy’s advanced unmanned technologies and mission-critical expertise. Edge Autonomy Intermediate Holdings LLC is a US-based provider of UAV flight training and simulation services.

Major players in the uav flight training and simulation market are Boeing Co., Lockheed Martin Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Collins Aerospace Companies, BAE Systems Plc, Thales Group, L3Harris Technologies Inc., Leonardo S.p.A, Textron Inc., Elbit Systems Ltd., AXIS Flight Training Systems GmbH, Saab AB, CAE Inc., General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., FlightSafety International Inc., Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Inc., HAVELSAN Inc., Zen Technologies Ltd., FAAC Incorporated, Crew Training International Inc.

North America was the largest region in the UAV flight training and simulation market in 2024. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in UAV flight training and simulation report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa. The countries covered in the UAV flight training and simulation 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.

UAV flight training and simulation is a structured, immersive process aimed at developing and improving the skills needed to operate remotely piloted aerial systems. This training replicates real-world flight conditions using advanced virtual or physical environments, allowing users to practice and hone their control abilities safely.

The main categories of UAV flight training and simulation include high altitude long endurance (HALE), medium altitude long endurance (MALE), and small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). HALE UAVs are designed to fly at very high altitudes for extended periods, often over 24 hours. Training methods involve live, virtual, game-based, and constructive techniques, and are utilized across civil and commercial sectors, defense and military, and homeland security applications.

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

The UAV flight training and simulation market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing services such as basic flight training programs, scenario-based mission training, performance assessment, and systems diagnostics training. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. The UAV flight training and simulation market also includes sales of flight simulators, control stations, training drones, and visual display 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.

This product will be delivered within 1-3 business days.