Military Transport Aircraft Market Size, Share, Competitive Landscape and Trend Analysis Report by Aircraft Type, Payload and Application : Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2030

Military Transport Aircraft Market Statistics 2030 -

The global military transport aircraft market was valued at $28.33 billion in 2020, and is projected to reach $45.40 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 4.8% from 2021 to 2030.

Military transport aircraft are specially designed cargo transportation aircraft & helicopter, which exhibit high payload capacity and are intended to transport military cargo, military troops, as well as military vehicles in an efficient manner. Military transport aircraft have a huge cargo storage space wherein a wider range of products can be stored. In addition, numerous types of helicopters which have been designed in such a way that they can carry military tanks, small trucks, as well as armored vehicles from military base station to war sight or other required locations without much human effort. Moreover, numerous companies operating in the industry have developed and introduced huge payload aircraft & helicopters for defense applications, which lead to the growth of the market across the globe.      

Factors such as rise in demand for rotorcraft airplanes and rapid technological advancements in air transportation services drive the growth of the market. However, high maintenance & upgradation cost associated with the existing aircraft fleet proves to be a restraining factor of the market. Conversely, rise in need to replace aging fleets and surge in defense spending globally are expected to create lucrative opportunities for the growth of the market during the forecast period.

The global military transport aircraft market is segmented into aircraft type, payload, application, and region. By aircraft type, the global market is bifurcated into fixed wings and rotorcraft. Depending on payload, it is fragmented into below 50 tons, 51 tons to 100 tons, and 101 tons and above. Depending on the application, the global market is categorized into troop airlifting, cargo supply, and others. Region wise, the market is studied across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA.

The key players operating across the global military transport aircraft include Airbus SE, Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), Embraer SA, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Leonardo SpA, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Rostec, Textron Aviation, and the Boeing Company. 

Rise in demand for rotorcraft airplanes 

Military transport helicopters are used for numerous tasks such as airlifting troops, cargo resupply, firefighting, and medical evacuation. Many countries have focused on upgrading their military transport rotorcraft fleets, and some fleet modernization programs are already in work. For instance, Singapore planning to replace its fleet of AS332 Super Pumas. On that note, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) received the first H-225M medium-lift transport helicopter in March 2021. Though the H225M is based on the Super Puma aircraft and looks similar to it, it has new engines, new avionics, and an enlarged main cabin that the manufacturer claims can carry up to 28 troops in normal cabin seats or 14 in energy-absorbing wall-mounted seats. Similar initiatives by other countries are expected to fuel the demand for military transport aircraft during the forecast period. Major military aircraft OEMs have been focused on overcoming the staggering challenges. They have been trying to attain higher speed, superior agility & maneuverability, and a high survival rate in adverse weather conditions. This led to the development of several designs and integration of other technological developments in modern military aircrafts. 

For instance, in July 2021, China debuted the Z-8L large military transport helicopter. The body of the Z-8L is wider than any other domestically developed rotorcraft in the country. It is intended to significantly improve the frontline transport and fast-reaction combat capability of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Furthermore, Russian Helicopters, a subsidiary of Roster, unveiled the upgraded MI-171SJ storm military transport helicopter at the international military-technical Forum ARMY-2020 in August 2020. The Mi-171Sh Storm has upgraded engines, a new rotor system with an improved profile composite main rotor & X-shaped tail rotor, and the latest version of the President-S on-board aircraft defense system. Thus, rise in demand for rotorcraft airplanes is expected to drive the growth of the market during the forecast period.

Rapid technological advancements in air transportation services 

Advancements in air transportation due to rise in need for high-efficiency air transportation aircraft is a key factor contributing toward the market growth. Technologically advanced communication systems facilitate the transfer of real-time data of cargo to the experts at air traffic control (ATC) towers, allowing them to keep a track of the aircraft. In addition, transport aircraft are now integrated with essential equipment and other safety & security systems to provide a safer cargo transportation. Moreover, governments across the globe have entered into contracts & agreements with numerous defense aircraft manufacturers to offer new aircraft carriers as well as to provide essential aftersales services to the existing fleet, which leads to the growth of the market across the globe. For instance, in September, 2021, Airbus, Space of Spain and Tata Group signed a contract worth $26.65 billion to procure 56 C-295 medium transport aircraft, which will replace the ageing Avro-748 planes of the Indian Air Force. In addition, in August, 2021, Lockheed Martin received a contract from Indian Air Force worth $329 million to maintain C-130J fleet. This is a five-year contract signed between two companies to provide comprehensive maintenance support for India’s fleet of 12 C-130J Super Hercules tactical airlifter aircraft. Such developmental strategies carried out by growing economies lead to rapid technological advancements in air transportation services, which eventually strengthens the growth of the market across the globe.

High maintenance & upgradation cost 

Transport aircraft are large in size and require regular maintenance for efficient performance, which is a costlier process. Continuous maintenance of parts and servicing of aircraft components are time-taking and expensive, which eventually acts as a barrier for the growth of the market. Moreover, transportation aircraft manufacturing companies such as Airbus SE, Boeing, and Embraer SA have signed contracts & agreements with numerous governments to offer as well as maintain & upgrade their existing defense aircrafts fleet on a regular basis, which require huge investment to carry out the operations, thus incurring additional cost. Hence, high maintenance & upgradation cost acts as a key deterrent factor of the market.

Rise in need of replacing aging fleets 

Owing to technical challenges related to structures, propulsion, and other systems, rise has been witnessed in the need for replacement of conventional military aircraft with technologically advanced military aircraft. A large number of old aircraft fleet constantly requires additional capacity to meet the growing threats and cater to the new mission requirements. The U.S Air Force will face challenges and issues due to further aging of aircraft over the next 10 years, as it is one of the largest operators of old aircraft. In April 2018, Airbus signed a landmark agreement with Dassault Aviation to jointly develop and produce Europe’s Future Combat Air System (FCAS), which is planned to complement and eventually replace the current generation Rafale and Eurofighter aircraft. Similarly, in September, 2021, Airbus, Space of Spain and Tata Group signed a contract worth $26.65 billion to procure 56 C-295 medium transport aircraft, which will replace the ageing Avro-748 planes of the Indian Air Force. Such developments along with increased need for replacing aging fleet are expected to open new avenues for the growth of the market across the globe. 

Covid-19 Impact Analysis

• COVID-19 outbreak impacted the aerospace industry significantly, which, in turn, resulted in substantial decline in the aircraft sales, shortage of raw material, and delayed delivery of aircraft.
• Aviation industry players are facing issues such as complete halt of production activities and mandated plant closures by the government, which negatively impacted the overall market.
• Various companies operating in the aviation industry are stepping up by reconfiguring their supply chain, production, and services for delivery of critical medical supplies.
• However, in early 2021, markets are opening gradually to their full potential.
• Domestic air passenger numbers have been returning to the pre-pandemic level, particularly in the developing countries such as China and Russia.
• This situation is further expected to improve as government has started relaxing norms around the world for resuming business activities.

Key Benefits For Stakeholders

• This study presents analytical depiction of the global military transport aircraft market analysis along with current trends and future estimations to depict imminent investment pockets.
• The overall market opportunity is determined by understanding profitable trends to gain a stronger foothold.
• The report presents information related to the key drivers, restraints, and opportunities of the global military transport aircraft market with a detailed impact analysis.
• The current market is quantitatively analyzed from 2020 to 2030 to benchmark the financial competency.
• The Porter’s five forces analysis illustrates the potency of the buyers and suppliers in the industry.

Key Market Segments

By Aircraft Type

• Fixed Wings
• Rotorcraft

By Payload

• Below 50 Tons
• 51 Tons to 100 Tons
• 101 Tons and Above

By Application

• Troop Airlifting
• Cargo Supply
• Others

By Region

• North America
  • U.S.
  • Canada
  • Mexico
• Europe
  • UK
  • Germany 
  • France 
  • Russia
  • Rest of Europe
• Asia-Pacific
  • China
  • Japan
  • India
  • South Korea
  • Rest of Asia-Pacific
• LAMEA
  • Latin America
  • Middle East
  • Africa

Key Players

• Airbus SE
• Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC)
• Embraer SA
• Kawasaki Heavy Industries
• Leonardo SpA
• Lockheed Martin Corporation
• Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
• Rostec
• Textron Aviation
• The Boeing Company

  Military Transport Aircraft Market Report Highlights

Aspects	Details
By Aircraft Type	Fixed Wings Rotorcraft
By Payload	Below 50 Tons 51 Tons to 100 Tons 101 Tons and Above
By Application	Troop Airlifting Cargo Supply Others
By Region	North America  (U.S., Canada, Mexico) Europe  (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, Russia, Rest of Europe) Asia-Pacific  (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Rest of Asia-Pacific) LAMEA  (Brazil, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Argentina, Rest of LAMEA)
Key Market Players	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Leonardo SpA, Airbus SE, Textron Aviation, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), Rostec, Embraer SA, The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin Corporation

Analyst Review

The growth of the global military transport aircraft market is driven by numerous developments carried out by the top military transport aircraft manufacturers. In addition, key players operating in the industry have made numerous developments along with the introduction of advanced military transportation exhibiting huge payload capacity, which strengthened the growth of the global market.

Moreover, numerous developments have been carried out by key players operating in the industry, which are expected to create remunerative opportunities for the expansion of the market during the forecast period. For instance, in September, 2021, Boeing received a potential $23.76 billion contract to provide sustainment support services for the U.S. Air Force’s fleet of C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft. In addition, in November, 2020, Embraer showcased its hybrid short take-off military & commercial transport aircraft in Brazil.

Among the analyzed regions, Asia-Pacific is the highest revenue contributor, followed by North America, Europe, and LAMEA. On the basis of forecast analysis, LAMEA is expected to maintain its lead during the forecast period, owing to increase in demand for military transportation across the region.

Author Name(s) : Abhay Singh | Lalit Janardhan Katare

Related Tags

• Aircraft Type
• Military Procurement
• Military Equipment
• Tanks
• Armored Vehicles