Airborne Radar Market - By Frequency Band (L-band, S-band, C-band, X-band, KU-band, KA-band, Multi-band), By Installation Type (New Installation, Retrofit), By Range, By Application, By End Use, Forecast 2023 – 2032

Airborne Radar Market Size

Airborne Radar Market was valued at over USD 10 billion in 2022 and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of around 9% between 2023 and 2032. The rise in defense budgets across nations has led to increased investments in airborne radar systems. Governments allocate substantial funds to strengthen their defense forces including the procurement of state-of-the-art radar technology.

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For instance, in 2022, the Government of Canada announced an investment of over USD 35 billion to modernize North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). This financial support enabled the development & deployment of high-performance radar systems, strengthening national security and defense capabilities. Military modernization programs, driven by the evolving geopolitical dynamics and emerging threats, fuel the demand for advanced airborne radar systems. Defense agencies invest in cutting-edge radar technology to enhance their military capabilities, enabling early threat detection, effective surveillance, and superior situational awareness. The upgrade of radar systems is integral to maintaining a technologically superior defense infrastructure, ensuring preparedness for modern warfare scenarios.

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Airborne radar refers to radar systems installed on aircraft for detecting, tracking, and identifying objects on the ground, in the air, or at sea. These systems use radio waves to determine the range, altitude, speed, and direction of targets, providing crucial information for military, surveillance, weather monitoring, and commercial aviation applications.

The designing and development of advanced airborne radar systems involve substantial research, testing, and engineering efforts. The high costs associated with research, prototype development, and testing can strain the financial resources of radar manufacturers. The radar systems, such as any complex technology, require regular maintenance to ensure optimal performance. Ensuring the reliability of radar components and systems, especially in harsh operational environments, is a continuous challenge. Downtime for maintenance can impact mission readiness and operational effectiveness, posing a challenge for military applications. These factors are restraining market growth.

COVID-19 Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic had notable impacts on the airborne radar market. The pandemic disrupted global supply chains, affecting the procurement of essential components and materials required for manufacturing radar systems. Delays in the delivery of components hindered production schedules and impacted the timely delivery of radar systems to customers. The economic impacts of the pandemic forced several countries to reassess their defense budgets. Many nations reduced defense spending to allocate resources to healthcare, pandemic response, and economic recovery efforts. As a result, the procurement of new radar systems faced budget constraints and delays.

Airborne Radar Market Trends

Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) technology is a significant trend in the airborne radar industry. AESA radars offer improved sensitivity, agility, and the ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously. Their reliability and effectiveness make them a preferred choice for military aircraft. With the proliferation of drones, the development of radar systems specifically designed for detecting and tracking UAVs, especially small & low-flying ones, is a growing trend. Counter-UAS radar technology is in demand for both military and civilian security applications.

Radar systems are modified for urban warfare scenarios, where traditional line-of-sight systems may face challenges due to buildings and other obstacles. The radars capable of penetrating urban environments and detecting threats behind obstacles are in demand. Ground-moving Target Indication (GMTI) and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technologies are adapted to urban warfare scenarios. These radars provide valuable intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance data in complex urban landscapes.

Airborne Radar Market Analysis

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Based on end use, the market is divided into commercial aircraft, military aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), business jets, and urban air mobility (UAM). The military aircraft segment dominated the global market with a share of over 45% in 2022.

• The ongoing advancements in radar technology including active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars and multi-function radar systems, offer improved performance, accuracy, and versatility. They provide military aircraft with advanced capabilities, enabling them to adapt to the evolving threats and operational requirements.
• Radar systems significantly enhance situational awareness for military pilots and commanders. They provide real-time information about the airspace, ground targets, and potential threats. Enhanced situational awareness is essential for making quick and informed decisions during military operations.

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Based on installation type, the market is segmented into new installation and retrofit. The retrofit segment is anticipated to register a CAGR of over 9% till 2032.

• Modern aircraft is designed to have long operational lifecycles, often spanning several decades. Upgrading radar systems through retrofitting allows older aircraft to remain relevant and effective in contemporary operational scenarios. Extending the lifecycle of the existing aircraft is a cost-efficient strategy for military and commercial operators.
• The current advancements in radar technology including AESA radars and improved signal processing capabilities, make retrofitting a preferred option. New radar systems can significantly enhance detection range, accuracy, and the overall performance of an aircraft, ensuring compatibility with modern operational requirements.

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Asia Pacific airborne radar market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 10% through 2032. Many countries in the region including China, India, Japan, South Korea, and several Southeast Asian nations, are actively pursuing military modernization programs. These initiatives involve the procurement of advanced defense technologies including airborne radar systems to replace outdated equipment and strengthen the defense capabilities. Several Asia Pacific countries are increasing their defense budgets to keep pace with the evolving security challenges. Higher defense budgets provide funding for the acquisition of modern radar systems, which are crucial for early warning, surveillance, and threat detection.

Airborne Radar Market Share

The players operating in the airborne radar industry focus on implementing different growth strategies to strengthen their offerings and expand the market reach. These strategies involve new product development & launches, partnerships & collaborations, mergers & acquisitions, and customer retention. The market players also heavily invest in R&D to introduce innovative and technologically-advanced solutions in the market. The major players operating in the industry are mentioned below

• Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Lockheed Martin Corporation
• Raytheon Technologies
• Israel Aerospace Industries
• Thales Group
• Saab AB
• L3Harris Technologies

Airborne Radar Industry News

• In June 2022, Northrop Grumman Corporation completed installation of AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) on Air National Guard F-16s to meet U.S. Northern Command Joint Emergent Operational Need (JEON) for homeland defense. The APG-83's increased bandwidth, speed, and agility allow the F-16 to detect, track, and identify more targets at a faster rate and from further away. Additionally, compared to legacy systems, it offers the pilot a larger surface image and all-weather, high-resolution synthetic aperture radar mapping for more accurate target identification and strike.

The airborne radar market research report includes in-depth coverage of the industry with estimates & forecast in terms of revenue (USD million) from 2018 to 2032 for the following segments

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Market, By Frequency Band

• L-band
• S-band
• C-band
• X-band
• KU-band
• KA-band
• Multi-band

Market, By Installation Type

• New Installation
• Retrofit

Market, By Range

• Very Short-range (<10km)
• Short-range (10km to 50km)
• Medium-range (50km to 200km)
• Long-range (200km to 500km)
• Very Long-range (above 500km)

Market, By Application

• Air to Ground
• Air to Sea
• Air to Air

Market, By End Use

• Commercial Aircraft
• Military Aircraft
• Helicopters
• Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
• Business Jets
• Urban Air Mobility (UAM)

The above information is provided for the following regions and countries

• North America
  • U.S.
  • Canada
• Europe
  • Germany
  • UK
  • France
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Rest of Europe
• Asia Pacific
  • China
  • Japan
  • India
  • South Korea
  • ANZ
  • Rest of Asia Pacific 
• Latin America
  • Brazil
  • Mexico
  • Rest of Latin America
• MEA
  • GCC
  • South Africa
  • Rest of MEA