The global small unmanned aerial systems market is growing, due to increasing use of unmanned aerial systems for law enforcement, need for advanced patrolling systems for marine borders, and requirement of high efficiency and technological advancements. Moreover, the enhanced capabilities of unmanned aerial systems to fight terrorism and their increasing demand for non-military applications are also supporting the growth of the market.
The implementation of sense and avoid systems in unmanned aerial systems, and increasing defense budgets of Russia, Asia-Pacific, and Middle-East are two of the factors providing ample growth opportunities for the market in the coming years. Some of the factors restraining the growth of the global small unmanned aerial systems market are lack of skilled and trained pilots, lack of track record usage, and strict airspace regulations.
North America leads the global market, due to increasing applications in the commercial sectors and high production volume. The market in Europe is expected to grow with a significant rate in the coming years, due to increasing applications in law enforcement and agriculture, and relaxation in regulations within the region. Additionally, the favorable government regulations are supporting the growth of the small unmanned aerial systems market in the region. The Asia-Pacific small unmanned aerial systems market is also expected to grow in the coming years, due to increased use of unmanned aerial vehicles in agricultural activities within the countries of the region.
An unmanned aerial vehicle is an aircraft without a human pilot aboard. The unmanned aerial vehicles are controlled by remote control of a pilot on the ground, or by onboard computers. The International Civil Aviation Organization has classified unmanned aircraft into two types, remotely piloted aircraft and autonomous aircraft. Due to legal and liability issues, the use of autonomous aircraft is against regulation. The remotely piloted aircrafts are used for civil regulation under the relevant national aviation authority and under International Civil Aviation Organization.
The threats caused by increasing terrorism and war like situations at borders are expected to increase the use of small unmanned aerial systems for armed forces globally; while they are also used in hazardous operations for reconstruction, reconnaissance, disaster response, and rescue operations during crises. The small unmanned aerial systems coalition brings together leading technology companies to pave the way for philanthropic, commercial and civil use of these systems in the U.S. and abroad.
Some of the competitors in the global small unmanned aerial systems market are The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Finmeccanica SpA, AeroVironment Inc., Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd., Airbus Group SE, Elbit Systems Ltd., and Textron Inc.
Global Small Unmanned Aerial Systems Market Segmentation
By Type
- Light Fixed-Wing Unmanned Aerial Systems
- Heavy Fixed-Wing Unmanned Aerial Systems
- Multiple Rotor Vertical Take-Off and Landing Unmanned Aerial Systems
- Single Rotor Vertical Take-Off and Landing Unmanned Aerial Systems
- Nano Unmanned Aerial Systems
- Hybrid Unmanned Aerial Systems
By Purpose
- Procurement
- Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation
- Operation and Maintenance
By Application
- Defense
- Homeland Security
- Civil and Private Security
- Industrials and Infrastructure
- Agriculture and Agri-Business
- Media, Entertainment and Consumer Applications
- Scientific Research and Environmental Applications
By Geography
- North America
- Europe
- Asia -Pacific
- ROW
