Airborne Fire Control Radar Market Expected to Reach $4.5 Billion by 2030

According to a new report published by Allied Market Research, titled, “Airborne Fire Control Radar Market," The airborne fire control radar market was valued at $2,499.30 million in 2020, and is estimated to reach $4.5 Billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 6.17% from 2021 to 2030.

Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at a significant pace during the forecast period owing to increased procurement of fifth generation fighter jets in China, and growth in demand for combat helicopters & UAV from emerging economies such as India & China. For instance, in 2020, in India, Defense ministry approved a defense deal for procurements of MiG-29 jets for Indian Air Force and upgradation of 59 existing MiG-29 jets in IAF inventory from Russia.

Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) technology in aircrafts has gained momentum as several airborne fire control radar manufacturing companies are focused on integrating AESA technology based radar in military jets and aircrafts. It offers high precision and efficiency as compared to generic radar systems. AESA-based system antennas comprise a large number of transmit/receive modules and each of the module acts as an individual radar. The AESA-based airborne fire control radar has the ability to operate in different frequency bands, thus enhancing tracking of the targets.

By frequency band, the airborne fire control radar market is segregated into X-band, L and S-band, and Ku/K/Ka-band. Airborne fire control radar transmits radio waves for tracking and targeting. For transmitting radio waves, different types of band are utilized in airborne fire control radar system such as X-band, S-band, and Ku/K/Ka-band. In addition, several airborne fire control radar manufacturers offer X-band based radars. For instance, Israel Aerospace Industries manufactures X-band based “ELM-20600” operational Reconnaissance and targeting pod (RTP) for ground moving target indication & tracking and sea modes.

The significant factors that impact the growth of the airborne fire control radar market comprises growth in usage of active electronically scanning array (AESA) technology rise in accession of fighter jets to improve aerial strength, and surge in military expenditure in numerous countries. Moreover, factors such as high maintenance cost are expected to hamper the market growth. Futhermore, technological advancements and upsurge in demand from emerging economies to address territorial conflicts are expected to create new growth opportunities for airborne fire control radar market during the forecast period.

COVID-19 Impact Analysis

The COVID-19 crisis has created uncertainty in the market, massive slow down of supply chain, falling business confidence, and increased panic among the customer segments. Governments of different regions have announced total lockdown and temporary shutdown of industries, thereby adversely affecting the overall production and sales.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in supply-chain disruptions causing order cancellation of new aircrafts. Moreover, few aircraft manufacturers faced halts in production of aircrafts. For instance, in 2020, Rafale fighter jets production was temporary suspended in France due to coronavirus outbreak. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in delayed development of airborne fire control radars, restrictions in operation of key players, cancellation of contracts, and shortage of components. Shortage of components, subsystems, and electronic systems, owing to regulations associated with import and export of goods have also resulted in delayed manufacturing. Revenue crunch and increased maintenance costs were some of the major factors affecting manufacturers during the pandemic. Moreover, dramatic drop in GDP of prominent economies such as the U.S., the UK, China, France, India, and Germany in 2020 also led to decline in investments toward the defense industry.

KEY FINDINGS OF THE STUDY

• By frequency band, the Ku/K/Ka-band segment is anticipated to exhibit significant growth in the near future.
• By platform, the others segment is anticipated to exhibit significant growth in the near future.
• By application, the air to air segment is anticipated to exhibit significant growth in the near future.
• By region, Asia-Pacific is anticipated to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

Key players that operate in the global airborne fire control radar market include BAE Systems Plc, Bharat Electronics Limited, Hensoldt AG, Israel Aerospace Industries, Leonardo S.P.A., Lockheed Martin Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Raytheon Technologies Corporation, SAAB AB, and Thales Group.