Military Robots Market

Global Military Robot Market Size (2024 to 2029)

The global military robot market is predicted to reach USD 22.82 billion in 2024 and USD 41.67 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 12.8% during the forecast period.

Military robots are designed for military applications including search and rescue, transport, mine clearance, and targeting. Combat robots are expected to become an integral part of the military, replacing humans in difficult tasks involving dirty, dangerous, and repetitive work. Various dangerous tasks, such as crossing enemy obstacles, are carried out with remote control vehicles as this eliminates the risk of death for the soldier. Other dangerous applications performed by military robots are the recognition and detection of chemical weapons. Major military powers, like the United States and Russia, modernized their armed forces and deployed weapons using robotics. The growing popularity of artificial intelligence and robotics in military applications is anticipated to drive the market during the forecast period. However, there are some shortcomings in the operational performance of military robots, such as the difficulty in achieving interoperability between so many different systems and technologies.

MARKET TRENDS

Increased surveillance of border security leads to investments in UAVs for aerial surveillance and better situational awareness on the ground. The development of UAVs with advanced payloads for increased durability, extended range, and improved accuracy for detection and tracking of ground troops targets is the basis of acquisition plans for the military. The military modernization programs of the armed forces to improve their military surveillance capabilities are stimulating investment in the development of new drones around the world.

Emerging technologies can take military applications to new heights. The future deployment of robots is inevitable and will save human lives and wars to minimize damage to resources. The Predator drone (unmanned aerial vehicle) is probably the best known of these robots, having carried out missions in the Middle East to eliminate terrorists. Predatory drones can also be used for tracking and surveillance missions. These unmanned aerial vehicles have high durability and can extend performance beyond human limits. The factors responsible for the growth of the military robot market are the increasing growth of frontier research and common functions of intelligent service robots (ISR). Other key factors expected to contribute to the growth of the military robot market are the increasing emphasis on the development of unmanned military systems and the use of robots for a new range of military applications.

MARKET DRIVERS

Military robots will experience strong growth in the coming years due to increased border surveillance and patrols. The growth of the efficient search for borders and common ISR functions has led to the propulsion of the global military robot market.

The robots are designed for the defense unit and are controlled remotely. They can perform risky tasks, which makes it more beneficial than other instruments. The growing need for advanced surveillance, targeting and intelligence gathering mechanisms in the military due to the involvement of difficult and potentially lethal operations will drive the broader market. In addition, the rising call for arrangements capable of running isolated processes for a long time and the technical advancements of unmanned systems around the world are another determining factor in the market. Another aspect promoting the market is the reduction of human troops and their replacement with robots to reduce losses caused by war, which are sometimes almost suicidal missions. The main reason they are now widely used in the military is that if a robot is destroyed, a new robot can be built, and there is no human loss and they are built and programmed to do a certain task that they do better than humans. Robots are useful in extreme and uncertain environments. They can perform inspection and surveillance activities in minutes and are very effective in nuclear, biological and chemical warfare scenarios. For example, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011 had catastrophic consequences for Japan. This led to the use of robots to clean up the debris caused by this nuclear fusion, control the spread of radiation, and shut down the nuclear reactor. Several PackBot robots were used to capture images of the affected areas in order to assess the consequences of the disaster, as the areas surrounding the plant were extremely dangerous to humans. The deployment of robots to the affected areas allowed rapid inspections beyond the line of sight.

MARKET RESTRAINTS

The main obstacle in the military robotics market is their high cost. Military robots are multitasking robots that can be programmed to perform a wide variety of tasks. Therefore, the acquisition costs of these robots are high and require high maintenance, which leads to high maintenance costs. This factor acts as a limitation for the massive acquisition of military robots for deployment in different locations. Due to the high cost of military robots, developing countries cannot acquire these robots for their use. Also, due to the programmable advantages that military robots offer, robots can be easily programmed by enemies which is a disadvantage of these robots. This factor also acts as an inhibiting factor for the growth of the military robotics market.

REPORT COVERAGE

SEGMENTAL ANALYSIS

Global Military Robot Market Analysis By Platform

 Among these, the airborne segment dominated the market with a share of 46.7% and is supposed to grow significantly during the envisioned period. Furthermore, the ground segment accounted for the second-largest market share and is anticipated to grow with the highest CAGR of 12% during the forecast period.

Global Military Robot Market Analysis By Payload

The sensors segment generated the highest revenue and is expected to have the highest share and furthermore, it is expected to reach an annual growth rate of 12.5% ​​by 2029. After the sensor segment, the weapons, radar, and cameras segment is expected to experience significant growth over the next 7-8 years.

Global Military Robot Market Analysis By Application

The intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance segment accounted for the largest market size and is supposed to dominate the overall military robot marke. These military ISR robots are designed primarily for reconnaissance missions, they are able to identify objects from a great distance, locate designated targets, cross an enclosure or simply observe from a position.

REGIONAL ANALYSIS

North America currently holds the highest share in the global military robot market, due to the development and acquisition of UAVs, UGVs and USVs by the US Defense Forces. Currently, the U.S. military and law enforcement use military robots for a variety of applications including border security, search and rescue, surveillance and crowd control, and surveillance. In addition, the country is investing in UUVs to strengthen its naval capabilities, which is driving the growth of the market.

Europe is trusted to dominate the military robot market, as manufacturers here are endowed with knowledge of robotics and human interface robot manufacturing. Europe has created different research organizations that provide training in robotics. Advances in robotics innovation have also boosted the development of the European market during the forecast period.

The increased defense spending of developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region is one of the main considerations on which to rely to boost the development of the Asia-Pacific robot market in defense services. The geopolitical elements of the place also have an important role to play in the measures taken by developing economies, such as India and China, to improve armed capabilities. Therefore, these nations focus more on creating unmanned structures, which can help military applications.

KEY MARKET PLAYERS

The key players in the global military robots market are Lockheed Martin Corporation (US), Northrop Grumman Corporation (US), General Dynamics Corporation (US), BAE Systems (UK), AeroVironment, Inc. (US), IRobot (US), Boston Dynamics (US), Thales Group (France), Elbit Systems Ltd (Israel), Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. (Turkey), QinetiQ (UK), Cobham PLC (UK), and Saab AB (Sweden), FLIR Systems (US).  

RECENT HAPPENINGS IN THE MARKET

• In May 2018, the US military turned to robot soldiers. At this time, they were used for reconnaissance and explosives. Soon they will be on the battlefield alongside the troops. Then comes the hard part.

• The British armed forces could recruit robots by 2030. Robot soldiers could play a variety of roles and work alongside army personnel in future conflicts. The robots could increase the ranks of the British military within a few years, a senior military official said.

DETAILED SEGMENTATION OF THE GLOBAL MILITARY ROBOTS MARKET INCLUDED IN THIS REPORT

This research report on the global military robots market has been segmented and sub-segmented based on the platform, payload, application, and region. 

By Platform

• Airborne
• Land-Based
• Naval

By Payload

• Sensor
• Radar
• Camera
• Video Screens
• Weapons
• Others

By Application

• Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR)
• Pick n Place
• Firefighting
• Rescue and Search
• Explosive Ordnance Disposal
• Others

By Region

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• Latin America
• The Middle East and Africa