Stealth Technology Market Report 2025

The stealth technology market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $33.45 billion in 2024 to $36.76 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.9%. The growth during the historic period can be attributed to growing demand for advanced military aircraft, rising global defense spending, heightened threats from sophisticated enemy radar systems, greater focus on survivability in contested environments, and increased investments in unmanned stealth platforms.

The stealth technology market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $53.13 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.6%. The growth expected in the forecast period is driven by the expanding use of stealth technology in naval and ground platforms, increased adoption of radar-absorbing materials, rising geopolitical tensions and regional conflicts, growing demand for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities, and heightened need for multi-role combat aircraft. Key trends during this period include advancements in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and simulation tools, integration of stealth technology into unmanned aerial systems, incorporation of active flow control systems, progress in low probability of intercept (LPI) communication systems, and developments in sensor fusion and low-signature avionics.

Rising geopolitical tensions are anticipated to drive the growth of the stealth technology market in the coming years. These tensions arise from conflicts or rivalries between nations or groups competing over territory, resources, power, or influence. Much of the increase in geopolitical tensions is due to unresolved regional conflicts, which create instability, prompt arms buildups, and weaken diplomatic relations, making international cooperation more difficult. Stealth technology addresses these tensions by enhancing military deterrence and lowering the detectability of critical assets, thus providing countries with strategic advantages and complicating enemy targeting efforts. For example, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), a US-based NGO, incidents of bombing and remote violence rose by more than 25% annually in 2022, reaching over 90,000 events by December 2024, nearly double the number of battles and triple the cases of direct violence against civilians. Consequently, rising geopolitical tensions are fueling the growth of the stealth technology market.

Leading companies in the stealth technology sector are advancing capabilities through innovations such as additive manufacturing to improve design accuracy, reduce manufacturing costs, and boost the adaptability and performance of stealth systems. Additive manufacturing involves creating three-dimensional objects by layering materials like plastics, metals, or composites based on digital models. For instance, in February 2024, Saab AB, a Sweden-based aerospace and defense firm, introduced a new supersonic stealth-capable loyal wingman drone concept. This autonomous drone is built to operate alongside manned fighter jets, enhancing mission effectiveness while minimizing risks to human pilots. Its sleek, blended wing-body design is optimized for supersonic speeds and low radar visibility. Saab’s initiative reflects ongoing progress in unmanned aerial systems and the increasing significance of AI-driven platforms in future air combat.

In January 2024, Boeing Co., a US aerospace company, collaborated with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to revolutionize stealth aircraft design. This partnership aims to develop next-generation stealth aircraft by integrating active flow control technology that uses pressurized air instead of traditional moving surfaces on experimental platforms like the X-65. This innovation is expected to improve stealth, performance, and modularity for future military uses. DARPA is a US-based agency specializing in the development of cutting-edge military technologies, including stealth systems.

Major players in the stealth technology market are Raytheon Technologies Corporation, The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Airbus Group SE, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Rostec, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., BAE Systems Public Limited Company, Safran S.A., Thales Group, Leonardo Società per Azioni, Rheinmetall Aktiengesellschaft, Elbit Systems Ltd., Naval Group S.A., Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Hensoldt AG, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., Aselsan Elektronik Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş., Hanwha Systems Co. Ltd., and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Inc.

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

Stealth technology encompasses techniques aimed at reducing the detection of objects by radar, infrared, sonar, and other sensing methods. It focuses on minimizing emissions such as heat, sound, and electromagnetic waves to make the object less visible or even invisible to surveillance and tracking systems.

The main categories of stealth technology include stealth aircraft, stealth fighters, stealth bombers, and more. Stealth aircraft are engineered to evade detection through the use of advanced materials and design approaches that reduce radar, infrared, acoustic, and other signatures. This technology is classified based on factors such as radar cross-section reduction, plasma cloud generation, infrared signature suppression, radar and acoustic emission control, and radio frequency emission management. Applications span aerospace, naval vessels, land vehicles, missile systems, and others, with primary end-users including the military, homeland security agencies, and commercial sectors.

The stealth technology market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides stealth technology market statistics, including the stealth technology industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with the stealth technology market share, detailed stealth technology market segments, market trends, and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the stealth technology industry. These stealth technology 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 stealth technology market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing services such as testing and evaluation services, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, systems integration services, and consulting and advisory services. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. The stealth technology market also includes sales of stealth helicopters, stealth submarines, stealth ground installations, and plasma stealth. 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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