Aerospace And Defense Core Materials Market Global Report 2026

The aerospace and defense core materials market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $0.39 billion in 2025 to $0.43 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.2%. The growth during the historic period was driven by increasing aircraft production, growing defense modernization programs, rising demand for lightweight aerospace structures, expanding composite material adoption, and increasing investment in military aviation.

The aerospace and defense core materials market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $0.68 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.7%. Growth during the forecast period is attributed to increasing demand for next-generation aircraft platforms, rising investment in space exploration programs, growing adoption of advanced composite structures, expanding production of unmanned aerial systems, and increasing demand for fuel-efficient aerospace components. Major trends expected during the forecast period include increasing adoption of lightweight, high-strength core materials, growing demand for advanced impact-resistant composite structures, rising use of high-temperature-resistant core materials, expansion of multilayer sandwich composite structures, and increasing development of durable corrosion-resistant core materials.

The rising global defense expenditure is expected to drive the growth of the aerospace and defense core materials market going forward. Defense expenditure refers to government spending on military personnel, equipment, weapons systems, research and development, infrastructure, and security operations. The increase in global defense expenditure is driven by growing geopolitical tensions, which are encouraging governments to enhance military preparedness and modernize defense capabilities. Aerospace and defense core materials contribute to defense expenditure by enabling the production of lightweight, high-strength, and durable structures used in military aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, missiles, radomes, naval platforms, and other advanced defense systems. For example, in April 2025, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), a Sweden-based independent research institute, global military expenditure reached $2.718 trillion in 2024, representing a 9.4% increase compared with 2023, when worldwide military spending totaled approximately $2.485 trillion. Therefore, the rising global defense expenditure is driving the growth of the aerospace and defense core materials market.

Major companies operating in the aerospace and defense core materials market are focusing on developing advanced materials, including mid-temperature honeycomb core solutions, to improve thermal performance, structural efficiency, and manufacturability in aerospace composite applications. Mid-temperature honeycomb core solutions are lightweight cellular core materials designed to retain structural integrity and mechanical performance under elevated-temperature operating conditions while supporting the production of high-strength composite structures. For example, in October 2024, Hexcel Corporation, a US-based advanced composites manufacturer, launched the Flex-Core HRH-302 mid-temperature honeycomb core. The newly introduced core material is engineered to deliver enhanced thermal stability, improved formability, and superior strength-to-weight performance for aerospace composite applications. It enables manufacturers to produce complex composite components more efficiently while preserving lightweight structural properties. These capabilities assist aerospace and defense manufacturers in improving aircraft performance, durability, and manufacturing efficiency.

In April 2026, Arclin, a US-based manufacturer of specialty materials and engineered solutions, acquired DuPont’s Aramids Business from DuPont de Nemours, Inc. for approximately $1.8 billion. Through this acquisition, Arclin intends to broaden its portfolio of high-performance materials and strengthen its position in aerospace, defense, industrial, and safety applications by adding the well-established Kevlar and Nomex product lines. DuPont de Nemours, Inc. is a US-based provider of high-performance aramid-based materials, including Kevlar and Nomex.

Major companies operating in the aerospace and defense core materials market are 3A Composites Core Materials, ACP Composites, Arconic, CoreLite, Corex Honeycomb, Diab International, EconCore, Euro-Composites, Evonik Industries, General Plastics & Composites, Gurit Holding, Hexcel Corporation, HONYLITE, Jiangsu Jiuding New Material, Kineco, Lantor, Plascore, SABIC, SCHÜTZ Composites, Sicomin Epoxy Systems, Solvay, Toray Industries.

Asia-Pacific was the dominating region in the aerospace and defense core materials market in 2025. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the rapidly growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the aerospace and defense core materials market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa.

The countries covered in the aerospace and defense core materials market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

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