Airborne Early Warning And Control Market Global Report 2026

The airborne early warning and control market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $7.92 billion in 2025 to $8.48 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.1%. The growth during the historic period was driven by growing defense modernization programs, rising military aircraft procurement, increasing geopolitical tensions, expansion of airborne surveillance missions, and growing investment in integrated air defense systems.

The airborne early warning and control market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $11.26 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.3%. The growth during the forecast period is expected to be driven by increasing demand for network-centric warfare capabilities, rising procurement of next-generation AEW&C aircraft, growing investments in border surveillance systems, expanding deployment of unmanned airborne surveillance platforms, and increasing defense spending on advanced command and control systems. Major trends during the forecast period include increasing adoption of long-range multi-target surveillance systems, growing demand for advanced airborne battle management capabilities, rising integration of multi-sensor surveillance platforms, expansion of high-endurance airborne early warning missions, and increasing development of next-generation airborne radar systems.

The rising defense expenditure is expected to drive the growth of the airborne early warning and control market going forward. Defense expenditure refers to the financial resources allocated by governments for military personnel, equipment acquisition, research and development, military operations, and national security initiatives. The increase in defense expenditure is being driven by escalating geopolitical tensions and the growing need for countries to strengthen their defense preparedness against emerging threats. Rising defense expenditure supports the demand for airborne early warning and control systems by increasing investments in advanced surveillance, radar, and command-and-control technologies that improve threat detection and battlefield awareness. For example, in April 2024, according to a report published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), a Sweden-based international research institute, global military spending reached $2.443 trillion in 2023, representing a 6.8% increase in real terms compared to 2022. Therefore, the rising defense expenditure is driving the growth of the airborne early warning and control market.

Major companies operating in the airborne early warning and control market are focusing on developing advanced artificial intelligence (AI)-powered surveillance solutions to enhance target detection accuracy, improve situational awareness, and enable faster operational decision-making. AI-powered surveillance solutions combine machine learning algorithms with airborne sensors and radar systems to automatically detect, classify, and track targets in real time across complex operational environments. For example, in July 2025, Lockheed Martin, a US-based aerospace and defense company, demonstrated an AI-powered synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology for maritime surveillance applications. The solution integrates AI-enabled automatic target recognition with autonomous sensor control to identify, classify, and track maritime targets in near real time, allowing faster threat detection and enhanced situational awareness across extended ranges and in all-weather conditions. The technology also enables edge processing and multi-sensor integration, further improving operational effectiveness for airborne surveillance and defense missions.

In July 2023, L3Harris Technologies, a US-based aerospace and defense technology company, expanded its partnership with ELTA Systems to strengthen its Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) offerings for US, NATO, and allied defense customers. Through this partnership, L3Harris Technologies and ELTA Systems Group aim to deliver a next-generation Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) platform by integrating advanced radar, battle management, and interoperable communication systems onto a modified Bombardier Global 6500 jet, enhancing surveillance capabilities, mission endurance, multi-domain operations, and cost efficiency. ELTA Systems is an Israel-based manufacturer and integrator of Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) systems.

Major companies operating in the airborne early warning and control market are Airbus SE, ASELSAN Elektronik Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş., BAE Systems plc, Bombardier Inc., Elbit Systems Ltd., Embraer S.A., General Atomics, Hanwha Aerospace Co. Ltd., Hensoldt AG, Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd., L3Harris Technologies Inc., Leidos Holdings Inc., Leonardo S.p.A., Lockheed Martin Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, PAL Aerospace Ltd., RTX Corporation, Saab AB, Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd., Thales S.A.

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

The countries covered in the airborne early warning and control market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

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