Composites In United States Defense - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2026-2031)

The composites in the United States defense market size is expected to grow from USD 12.90 billion in 2025 to USD 13.72 billion in 2026 and is forecast to reach USD 18.73 billion by 2031 at a 6.43% CAGR over 2026-2031. This report is Segmented by Application (Manned and Unmanned Aircraft, Naval Ships, Land Vehicles, Protective Equipment, Other Applications), Resin Type (Thermoset Composites, Thermoplastic Composites, Ceramic Matrix Composites), Fiber Type (PAN-Based, Pitch-Based). The Market Forecasts are Provided in Terms of Value (USD).

Composites In United States Defense Market Trends and Insights

Lightweight Next-Gen Aircraft Demand

The Air Force aims to field the Next Generation Air Dominance family of systems by 2030, calling for 20%-25% lighter airframes than legacy fighters to exceed a 1,500-nautical-mile unrefueled combat radius. Lockheed Martin’s 2025 F-47 demonstrator is already 65% composite by weight, using HexTow IM2C fiber in a toughened epoxy that meets strict flammability and durability standards. Collaborative Combat Aircraft prototypes from Boeing and General Atomics adopt out-of-autoclave prepregs to avoid large autoclave infrastructure and enable distributed production. Each B-21 Raider consumes about 180 metric tons of carbon-epoxy prepreg, three times the B-2 baseline, highlighting the scale of raw-material pull. FAA Part 25 Appendix F and MIL-STD-3039 govern toxicity and heat-release parameters, pushing suppliers toward higher-toughness resin systems. Unmanned platforms are a key second-tier beneficiary because the Air Force places a 40% higher payload fraction requirement on the MQ-9 Reaper replacement, feasible only through composite structures.

Ground-Vehicle Composite Armor Upgrades

The Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle uses ceramic-composite appliqué armor to achieve Level III ballistic protection at 68% of the density of rolled homogeneous steel. Silicon-carbide tiles from CoorsTek are bonded to carbon-fiber backers supplied by Hexcel, distributing impact energy and preventing spall formation. The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle extends the architecture by installing S-2 glass-fiber blast shields that absorb 15 kilojoules of explosive energy at one-meter standoff. Facing desert, arctic, and littoral exposures, these composites pass MIL-DTL-46593 aging protocols and MIL-STD-662F ballistic standards. Although composite armor costs USD 1,200-1,800 per m² versus USD 400 for steel, a typical 2,000-pound weight reduction saves roughly 12,000 gallons of diesel over a 10,000-hour life, offsetting price premiums at Defense Logistics Agency bulk rates.

High Material Acquisition Costs

Aerospace-grade prepreg prices rose 12% year-on-year through Q2 2026, touching USD 85-110/kg as acrylic-monomer shortages squeezed PAN precursor output in Japan and China. Toray declared force majeure in late 2025 after an ethylene-cracker outage deferred 1,200 metric tons of deliveries, pushing spot premiums to 30%. High-volume programs such as the F-35 shielded themselves via multi-year contracts locked at 2024 levels, but low-rate builds like the B-21 face 18%-22% higher material bills. Title III funding of USD 45 million for domestic PAN precursor will cover just 15% of the 2028 defense demand, leaving continued exposure to imports. Smaller fabricators endure 90-day payment terms while holding 120-day inventory, deepening working-capital gaps.

Other drivers and restraints analyzed in the detailed report include:

• Naval Signature-Reduction Programs
• High-Temperature CMCs for Hypersonic Systems
• Lengthy MIL-STD Qualification Cycles

For complete list of drivers and restraints, kindly check the Table Of Contents.

Segment Analysis

Manned and Unmanned Aircraft accounted for 52.74% of the composites in the United States defense market share in 2025, with the highest absolute spending across segments. The composites market in the United States defense market for air platforms is growing in line with the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, where 70% composite primary structure keeps unit flyaway cost near USD 20-25 million, half that of a manned fighter. Protective Equipment demonstrates the fastest expansion, advancing at a 5.48% CAGR as the Soldier Lethality Cross-Functional Team fields 200,000 Enhanced Small Arms Protective Inserts by 2027, each employing boron-carbide and UHMWPE laminates that reduce areal density by 40% compared with legacy armor.

Naval Ships and Land Vehicles both chart mid-single-digit CAGRs as DDG(X) and AMPV procurements replace aging fleets, stabilizing composite demand through 2031. Other Applications, spanning missile radomes and satellite structures, rise at a 4.8% CAGR, buoyed by hypersonic programs such as AIM-260, which deploy quartz-fiber radomes that maintain 95% RF transparency through Mach 4 heating. Enhanced armor for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle provides Level III protection at 68% of steel’s areal density, reinforcing the volume of vehicular composites. The Marine Corps Plate Carrier III specifies thermoplastic-backed ceramics for field-repair capability via heat-press consolidation, an option not available with thermosets.

Complete Report Scope:

• By Application
  • Manned and Unmanned Aircraft
  • Naval Ships
  • Land Vehicles
  • Protective Equipment
  • Other Applications
• By Resin Type
  • Thermoset Composites
  • Thermoplastic Composites
  • Ceramic Matrix Composites
• By Fiber Type
  • PAN-based
  • Pitch-based

List of Companies Covered in this Report:

• Advanced Composites Inc.
• Hexcel Corporation
• Solvay Group
• Toray Group
• DuPont de Nemours, Inc.
• Huntsman International LLC
• Terma Group
• Alpine Advanced Materials, LLC
• Honeywell International Inc.
• Leading Technology Composites INC.
• Applied Composite Technology Aerospace Inc.
• Touchstone Advanced Composites
• LMI Aerospace (Sonaca SA)
• The NORDAM Group LLC
• SGL Carbon SE
• RTX Corporation
• Spirit AeroSystems Inc.
• Teijin Carbon America, Inc. (Teijin Carbon Europe GmbH)
• Northrop Grumman Corporation

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support