Radar Systems Market Size, Share & Growth

^{_{Update: 11/22/2024}}

The Global Radar Systems Market Size was valued at USD 32.5 billion in 2021 and is estimated to reach USD 41.0 billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 4.8% during the forecast period. The Radar Systems Industry is driven by factors such as increasing adoption of radar systems in Defense & commercial aircrafts, marine vessels, weather stations, airport surveillance, unmanned vehicles, satellites, etc.

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COVID-19 has led to several challenges for many industries. The Aerospace & defense industry is no exception to that. The budget allotted to the defense sector has been reduced by several countries due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This puts most research projects on hold. The export of radar systems to several countries in the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America has also been reduced. All these scenarios affect the development of radar systems.

Radar systems market Dynamics

Driver: Development of phased array Solid-state radar.

Phased-array radar offer accurate mapping of terrains as they are equipped with a large number of small radiating elements in the phased array antennas that are present in them. These specialized antennas can focus the radar’s radiation into high-energy pencil beams, which can be guided electronically without the need for physical movement of the antenna structure. Phased-array antennas have an advantage over parabolic antennas, as radar using them can schedule the transmission and reception beams according to specific operational modes. These modes include low beams for long-range detection, multi-pulse beams for detection in clutter, and high beams for ballistic missile warning. Moreover, solid state phased radars are capable of detecting, classifying, tracking, and determining the location of a target. Thus, the demand for long-range radar using phased-array antennas is one of the key factors expected to drive the growth of the solid-state radar market in the coming years. A solid-state radar is a transmitter component of a radar system.

Opportunity Rise in adoption of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Lightweight Radar

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), though primarily used in the military domain, can also be used in the civilian domain as remote sensing tools. China, Russia, and Israel are developing UAVs for intelligence gathering, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. New generation UAVs are being used for various combat missions, including attacks on hostile ground targets. Combat UAVs, such as the Predator and the Heron, have been developed by the US and Israel, respectively. These UAVs use various synthetic aperture radar for airborne mapping. The increasing adoption of lightweight combat UAVs equipped with solid-state radar is expected to create an opportunity for the solid-state radar market.

Challenges: Stringent cross-border trading policies

Governments across regions are extremely vigilant in authorizing the trade of defense equipment and technologies, including radar. Defense equipment manufacturers need to comply with various rules and regulations pertaining to the sale of products & services laid down by the respective governments. Non-compliance with them can result in severe consequences, including the imposition of fines and penalties, termination of contracts, and civil or criminal investigation.

Geopolitical unrest strains trade relations between countries. Some countries may impose trade restrictions on domestic companies, forbidding them to export defense products to countries with whom they have ongoing disputes. For instance, Japan had imposed restrictions on all defense equipment manufacturing companies and government organizations in the country and refrained from exporting arms or ammunition to any country across the globe. This restriction was imposed from World War II until September 2020, when Mitsubishi Electric (Japan) secured a contract to provide air surveillance radar systems to the Philippine Air Force.

Radar systems used in marine vessels to lead the radar systems market during the forecast period

Marine radar systems are used for the detection and tracking of marine activities, including those of warships, submarines, offshore patrol vessels, and other marine vessels. They are also used to detect other ships and land obstacles, to provide bearing and distance for collision avoidance and navigation at sea. These radar systems help in monitoring illegal activities such as smuggling, piracy, illicit fishing, and terrorist activities. They are typically X-band and S-band radar.

The European Multifunction Phased Array Radar (EMPAR) is an example of a marine radar. It was developed by Selex ES (UK) to be installed aboard medium and large vessels for marine threat identification.

A commercial vessel is one that is used, rigged, or licensed for commercial purposes but shall not include vessels operated within the terms of a concession lease or agreement.

Commercial vessels are increasingly being utilized for tourism, transportation, and recreation, which has propelled the demand for radar systems in them. Furthermore, the use of commercial vessels for government & VIP transport and freight operations is propelling the demand for radar-equipped vessels.

A military vessel is any ship, boat, or watercraft, used on water and owned or operated by the armed services of a nation. Military vessels are primarily used for surveillance and defense, carrying out targeted attacks on enemy forces, and the transportation of military supplies, among others.

Single band frequency segment to command the radar systems market by frequency band during the forecast period

Single band frequencies are further classified as radio waves which include UHF/VHF-bands; microwave, which is subsegmented into L-band, S-band, C-band, X-band, Ku/Ka-band, and others; and millimeter band.

Radio waves are a type of electromagnetic radiation best known for their use in communication technologies, such as television, mobile phones, and radios. Radio waves have the longest wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum. They range from the length of a football to larger than the Earth. At 300 GHz, the corresponding wavelength is 1 mm (shorter than a grain of rice); at 30 Hz, the corresponding wavelength is 10,000 km (longer than the radius of the Earth).

Microwaves are a band found at the higher frequency end of the radio spectrum, but they are commonly distinguished from radio waves because of the technologies used to access them. Different wavelengths of microwaves (grouped into ‘sub-bands’) provide different information. Microwaves that penetrate haze, light rain & snow, clouds, and smoke are beneficial for satellite communication and studying the Earth from space.

Millimeter wave (MM wave), also known as millimeter band, is the band of the spectrum with wavelengths between 10 millimeters (30 GHz) and 1 millimeter (300 GHz). It is also known as the extremely high frequency (EHF) band by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). It can be used in a broad range of products & services such as high-speed, point-to-point wireless local area networks (WLANs), and broadband access. In telecommunication, the millimeter wave band is used for a variety of services on mobile and wireless networks as it enables higher data rates than at lower frequencies, such as those used for Wi-Fi and cellular networks.

Radar systems used in defense to command the market by application during the forecast period

The defense application is further segmented into perimeter security, battlefield surveillance, military space assets, and air defense.

Perimeter security is the philosophy of setting up functional apparatus or techniques at the perimeter of the network to secure data and resources. It is part of the greater security field and has its own role in active system protection. Perimeter security comes from a built-in multipurpose system that detects threats, performs surveillance, and analyzes attack patterns. As such, it often serves as a network’s first line of defense against many dangers that can harm connected systems.

Radar systems are used for systematic observation of battle areas to provide timely information and combat intelligence. This plays an important role in battle situations. The radar systems used for such applications are mobile and mounted on military vehicles.

Military forces have a long association with spaceflight, with modern rockets evolving from missiles developed during World War II. Today's armed forces rely on space-based assets for reconnaissance, weather tracking, communication, navigation, and more. The US Air Force regularly launches GPS and missile-defense tracking satellites and operates two classified X-37B robotic space planes. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is used in satellites to gather weather related information, which is used by militaries across the world to plan their operations.

Air defense encompasses all defensive measures intended to destroy attacking enemy aircraft or missiles in the Earth’s envelope of the atmosphere or to nullify or reduce the strength of such attacks. It can be used to protect naval, ground, and air forces. It includes ground- and air-based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command & control arrangements, and passive measures. Radar is used in air defense systems for the detection of foreign objects like drones, missiles etc. in the specified airfield. For the effective and accurate operation of an air defense system, the accuracy of radar is important.

Antenna segment to command the radar systems market by component during the forecast period

Antennas are used to radiate radio-frequency energy and are an essential component of radar as they are responsible for broadcasting the energy generated by the transmitter. They ensure that the radio frequency signal has the required pattern in space. The efficiency of radar is dependent on the type of antenna used. The most commonly used antennas are parabolic dish antennas and array antennas. A parabolic reflector radar antenna is used to track aerial targets. It has a parabolic reflector to direct radio waves and has a narrow beam to locate ships, airplanes, and guided missiles. Active phased array antennas are widely used for military applications due to their power to form factor ratio.

In this study, antennas are divided into rotating antennas, microstrip antennas, and electronically steered array antennas which are further divided into active and passive.

Israel Aerospace Industries offers the ELM-2114 Persistent Perimeter Detection Radar, which uses a planar array. It is a multi-beam, solid-state steering, and frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar that operates seamlessly with electro-optic sensors and command & control systems.

In March 2020, Raytheon Technologies Corporation developed its first radar antenna for lower-tier aircraft and missile guidance systems. This radar has three fixed arrays, which provide 360 degree support for detection and tracking.

The Europe market is projected to contribute the largest share from 2021 to 2026

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Emerging Industry Trends

4D electronically scanned array radar is the latest technology introduced in radar and provides features such as multi-functional surveillance and target acquisition, offering recognized tactical pictures and weapon assignment. The radar uses solid-state, gallium nitride active electronically scanned array sensor technology with multiple digitally formed beams. The radar system is capable of detecting, tracking, and classifying various types of air targets such as low flying planes, missiles, helicopters etc.

TRML-4D is a 4D electronically scanned array radar system developed by Hensoldt AG (Germany). It has a range of over 250 km, azimuth coverage of 360 degrees, and the capability to detect over 1,500 targets at a time.

In 2021, under a government-to-government deal with the Netherlands, Norway acquired five Thales Ground Master 200 Multi-Mission Compact radars (GM200 MM/C). This procurement equipped the Norwegian Armed Forces with a new mobile artillery location radar system suitable for their national and international operations. The Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (FMA) and the Netherlands Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) include an option for three additional GM200 MM/C systems, with a total contract of USD 94 million, with deliveries scheduled for 2023-2024. Thales’ 4D dual-axis multibeam active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, the S-band GM200 MM/C, is a palletized system designed for tactical mobility and rapid deployment as well as battlefield air surveillance to support very-short-range/short-range air-defense systems. These radar can be deployed for specific taskings such as artillery counter-battery and weapon locating, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) detection and classification, and counter-rocket, artillery, and mortar (C-RAM) defense, among others.

Key Players

The Radar Systems Companies are dominated by a few globally established players such as SAAB AB (Sweden), Raytheon Technologies (US), Mitsubishi Electric (Japan), Thales Group (France), Northrop Grumman Corp. (US) and Lockheed Martin (US). Other key players in the radar systems market include Hensoldt AG (Germany), Telephonics Corp. (US), and Src, Inc. (US). The report covers various industry trends and new technological innovations in the radar systems market for the period, 2018-2026.

Radar Systems Market Scope

The study categorizes the Radar systems market based on Application, Industry, Solution, End User, and Region.

Radar Systems Market By Application

• Commercial
• National Security
• Defense

By Platform

• Air
• Marine
• Unmanned
• Land
• Space

By Component

• Transmitter
• Receiver
• Antenna
• Waveguide
• Duplexer
• Others

By Frequency Band

• Single Band
• Multiband

By Range

• Short range
• Medium Range
• Long Range

By Technology

• Solid-state radar
• Conventional radar

By Dimension

• 2D
• 3D
• 4D

By Type

• Active
• Passive

Radar Systems Market By Region

• North America
• Asia Pacific
• Europe
• Middle East & Africa
• Latin America

Recent Developments

• In March 2020, Northrop Grumman Corporation introduced a high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle (HAMMR), which is a short- to medium-range X-band three dimensional (3D) radar that utilizes the proven active electronically scanned array (AESA) AN/APG-83 F-16 fighter radar in a ground-based sense on-the-move role.
• In October 2020, Thales announced an airborne surveillance radar called the AirMaster C, which is capable of target detection and can be installed on fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and UAVs.

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