Counter UAV Market Overview
The counter unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) market is growing robustly due to the increasing misuse of drones across the globe. It deals with new emerging fears of UAVs like, terrorism, drug trafficking and corporate surveillance. On the basis of technology used to detect and disrupt UAV, the counter UAV market is classified as electronic, laser and kinetic. They find applications in several industries including, defense and commercial, military and defense generates largest revenue because of use of UAV’s in smuggling, spying and border trespassing.
Counter UAV market is categorized on the basis of application, into detection, and detection and disruption. Among them, the demand for detection and disruption application is growing. This is due to its growing applications in military and defense security sectors because they detect and destroy UAV entering in restricted areas. On geographical standpoint, the Americas accounts for the largest revenue due to the increasing terrorist activities and increasing number of incidents of security breach in the region.
Counter UAV Market Dynamics
Counter UAV market is growing because of the UAVs indulging in malicious activities. Some of the major factors bolstering the investment in this industry are the increasing investment in the UAV market.
Growth Drivers
The counter UAV market is driven by the advancements in the capabilities of UAVs. Companies providing counter UAV defense systems to militaries are heavily investing in it by developing newer ways to counter the threat from UAVs to ensure safety and security from terrorists. The rising use of UAV in military troops will accelerate the growth of this industry. The counter UAV industry is growing in terms of technologies. The increasing demand for systems that are equipped with radar, RF scanner, electro-optical infrared for payload identification will drive the counter-UAV market in the military sector.
The use of civil UAVs for agriculture and farming, weather and disaster monitoring, oil and gas inspection, aerial photography and filming, scientific research and power, and utility industry surveys, has increased globally. Since the usage of such systems across various industries poses threats of hacking by terrorists and anti-social elements, the need for counter UAV defense systems will increase significantly in this sector. The increasing malicious activities of UAVs flying close to the commercial aircrafts and airports creates a major demand for such systems for safety purposes. Development of such systems that does not hamper the normal functioning of the airport will drive the growth of the counter UAV market.
Trends
Defense end-users of the counter UAV market are shifting their focus from quantity to quality, in addition to cost efficiency. However, this has posed a challenge to the vendors as they find it challenging to maintain a balance between cost and quality at the same time and provide upgrades and retrofit solutions that meet modern military needs.
Western military forces are mainly looking for high-end upgraded weapons, which has triggered a wide range of development initiatives by the U.S. and European countries. Also, emerging countries in the Middle East and APAC are also strengthening their counter-UAV defense systems with modern capabilities. The existing players should identify such evolving trends and market shifts and respond to them accordingly for their long-term success and survival in the counter UAV market. An example of such technology is the Finmeccanica's Falcon Shield Counter UAV system, which can monitor small-and-wide airspaces.
Challenges
Due to the recent increase in the number of unwanted drones, a new technology called drone defender was developed. Upcoming trends like introduction of drone defenders will foster the market growth for counter UAV market during the forecast period. Counter UAV market faces challenges from the legal and regulatory laws. Inconsistent legal and regulatory factors across states, creates an environment that is difficult to understand and navigate. The problem is aggravated as the technology is changing faster than the law.
Counter UAV Market Competitive Landscape
Key vendors in the counter UAV market are Airbus S.A.S., Blighter Surveillance Systems Ltd., Leonardo S.p.a., SRC Inc., Thales Group. During the forecast period, maintaining a balance between cost and quality, and simultaneously providing upgrades and retrofit solutions to meet modern military needs will pose a significant challenge to the vendors. Other prominent vendors in the counter UAV market are Northrop Grumman, Israel Aerospace Industries, Chess Dynamics, and Enterprise Control Systems.
