Radome Market

[266 Pages Report] The Radome Market is projected to grow from USD 2.9 billion in 2023 to USD 5.8 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 15.1 % from 2023 to 2028.

Radome Market Forecast to 2028

To know about the assumptions considered for the study, Request for Free Sample Report

Radome Market Dynamics

Driver: The Increasing Adoption of Radars in Autonomous Vehicles

The surge in autonomous vehicle technology has spotlighted the indispensable role of radar systems, making them integral for functions like collision avoidance, navigation, and adaptive cruise control. Autonomous vehicles rely heavily on uninterrupted signal clarity to make real-time decisions. Radomes, crafted from advanced materials, ensure that the radar's electromagnetic signals aren't hampered by environmental factors, be it rain, dirt, or any debris. They serve the dual role of safeguarding radar systems from physical damage and ensuring optimal signal propagation.

The integration of unmanned systems with communication antennas and other surveillance equipment assists in various critical missions. Compared to other automotive sensors, radar can bring some key sensing benefits to a vehicle. Radars operate at cm to mm wavelengths, which makes them very robust against adverse weather such as fog, rain, dust etc. Other strengths include simultaneous measurement of range and velocity, and outstanding performance in direct sunlight. Additionally, unmanned aircraft require limited personnel and thus, reduce the risk of loss of human lives. Due to these benefits, the US, India, and China have allocated substantial budgets to procure and deploy more UAVs in their defense forces. This increasing deployment for airborne surveillance and mapping missions is resulting in the need for compact radomes that can be effectively integrated within the UAV platform without hampering its overall efficiency. Thus, several major industry players in the radome market, such as Northrop Grumman, Saint Gobain, General Dynamics Mission Systems (US) , BAE Systems and Raytheon Technologies, are focusing on developing and offering lightweight radar for UAV platforms.

Restraints: Stringent regulatory norms to ensure safe aircraft operations

One of the challenges faced by aircraft radome manufacturers is the presence of rigorous regulatory norms aimed at ensuring the safety of aircraft operations. The aviation industry is subject to extensive regulations globally due to the inherent risks associated with flight operations. Manufacturers must comply with a multitude of bilateral, national, and international standards, as different countries have diverse regulatory bodies overseeing aircraft safety levels. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) sets global safety regulations for aircraft, components, and airlines. Adherence to these standards is crucial for manufacturers to ensure the safety of aircraft operations and mitigate risks related to defective components.

Furthermore, aircraft components, including radomes, undergo stringent quality checks and rigorous testing to meet safety standards and reduce the risks associated with potential defects. Prior to incorporation into an airplane, all aircraft components must undergo a one-time inspection. For example, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issues Airworthiness Directives (AD) directing the replacement of aircraft components that fail to meet safety requirements and design tolerance levels. Therefore, aircraft radome manufacturers face the challenge of consistently meeting and adhering to these strict regulatory norms to deliver high-quality products.

Opportunities: New composites developed to improve radome properties

India, China, and Russia have successfully developed advanced missiles that pose challenges for interception. India, in collaboration with Russia, is actively working on the hypersonic Brahmos missile, designed to effectively penetrate missile defense shields. These missiles exhibit performance capabilities that render traditional radome designs insufficient, necessitating the use of radomes crafted from materials with high melting temperatures and enhanced tensile strength.

In response to evolving requirements, several composite materials have been developed to enhance radome properties. Examples include Rayceram 8 by Raytheon Technologies, Nitroxyceram by Loral, Aeronutronic Reaction-Bonded Silicon Nitride (RBSN) by Boeing, and Hot-Pressed Silicon Nitride (HPSN) jointly developed by GTE, Norton, and Ceradyne. These composites offer improved characteristics, expanding their applications and presenting lucrative growth opportunities for radome developers.

Similarly, there is a growing trend in the use of glass fiber composites over traditional materials for radome development. These moldable composites provide a cost-effective solution for producing radomes and antenna substrates. Utilizing glass fiber composites leads to the creation of lightweight radome components with diverse designs at a relatively low cost, contributing to the mass production of radomes. The incorporation of glass fibers enhances the dielectric constant of composites, allowing for a reduction in antenna size when these composites are employed as substrate materials.

Challenges: Radome Damage and maintenance.

Radomes often sustain damage in the form of holes resulting from static discharges. These perforations can range from large, easily noticeable ones to tiny pinholes that might be hard to detect. However, any such hole, irrespective of its size, poses a significant threat to the radome. It allows moisture to seep into the radome's walls, leading to internal layers separating or "delaminating." The situation worsens if the trapped moisture freezes, causing more pronounced damage. A significant buildup of moisture can alter the radome's radiation pattern, severely weakening both outgoing signals and incoming responses. Additionally, the force of incoming air through these openings can further weaken the inner layer of the radome, leading to the protective layers separating from its core structure.

There's also damage from external factors, like dents and scratches. These often result from collisions with objects, such as birds or stones, or from mishandling during maintenance activities when the radome is detached for radar antenna servicing. Fortunately, this kind of external damage is typically easy to identify upon visual inspection.

Market Ecosystem : Radome Market

Based on the offering, the glass fibre segment from radome body materials is estimated to lead the Radome market in 2023

Based on the offering, the radome market has been segmented broadly into radome body and accessories. Radome body is further segmented into material and structure. Here glass fibre from material is leading this segment in 2023. The glass fiber radome body market is expanding due to the combination of lightweight construction, high strength-to-weight ratio, durability, design flexibility, and applications across diverse industries. Advancements in glass fiber technology further contribute to the material's attractiveness in radome construction. Glass fiber is transparent to electromagnetic waves, allowing for minimal interference with the transmission and reception of signals by the underlying radar or communication systems. This property is crucial in maintaining the functionality of the enclosed equipment.

Based on the application, communication antenna segment is estimated to be lead  the radome market in 2023.

Based on application, the radome market has been segmented into RADAR, SONAR, Communication Antenna and Others. Communication Antenna is expected to lead the market in 2023 .The high demand for communication antenna radomes is driven by several key factors that highlight their crucial role in ensuring reliable and efficient communication systems. Radomes are used to cover the antenna’s exposed surfaces with a weatherproof enclosure, which protects the antenna and other integrated components from excessive amounts of ice, water, or other environmental particles. Radomes are also used to prevent interception of signals by adversaries to decode or decrypt secret information traveling between satellite networks such as between satellite and nearby drones/UAVs or most commonly, satellite and ground terminals. Radomes are used to protect dish antennas which track satellites in order to communicate with the ships located several miles away. They prevent other adversaries from understanding the direction of tracking and motion of antennas. Ongoing innovations in communication technologies drive the need for advanced and reliable radomes.

Based on the platform, the ground segment dominates the market & is projected to witness the largest share in 2023.

Based on the platform, the radome market has been segmented into Air, Ground, Naval  and Space Launch Vehicles. The ground sector seems to dominate the market in 2023. Radome being an RF window and support structure for an antenna system is a very critical element of terrestrial radar systems. Due to the rising application of ground based radomes in Military and commercial satcom, Intelligence gathering, Radio astronomy, Weather radar, 2D surveillance radar etc, demand for radomes if estimated to be high.  By reducing the external wind/other environmental loads; radome reduces the operational cost of the system too.

Based on the frequency, X-Band seems to dominate this segment and is estimated to account for the larger share of the radome market in 2023

Based on the Frequency, the radome market has been segmented into HF/VHF/UHF Band, L Band, S Band, C Band, X Band, KU Band, KA Band, Multiband. The X-Band segment to dominate the radome market in 2023. The high demand for X-band radar and radomes is propelled by their critical roles in military, aerospace, telecommunications, and weather monitoring applications. Contemporary airborne weather radar systems predominantly utilize X-band technology, emitting power levels ranging from 18 watts to 10 kilowatts. X-band radomes for aircraft are meticulously designed and crafted. Even the slightest alteration in their physical attributes can have a detrimental impact on the performance of the weather radar system. The combination of X-band radar technology and radome protection ensures that weather radar systems can deliver high-resolution, accurate, and reliable data for weather monitoring and forecasting. The use of radomes is essential for maintaining the functionality of sensitive radar equipment and minimizing the impact of environmental conditions on radar performance.

Radome Market by Region

To know about the assumptions considered for the study, download the pdf brochure

The Asia-Pacific market is projected to have the largest share in 2023 in the radome market

Based on region, the radome market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Rest of the World (RoW). Asia-Pacific region seems to dominate the market in 2023. The Asia Pacific radome market is expected to witness significant growth in the coming years, driven by a confluence of factors that are fostering demand for these protective enclosures for radar systems. The Asia Pacific aerospace industry is experiencing a period of rapid growth, fueled by rising demand for commercial air travel and increasing investments in both commercial and military aviation programs. This expansion of the aerospace industry is driving the need for radomes to protect sensitive radar systems in aircraft. Composite materials are gaining popularity in the manufacturing of radomes due to their superior properties, including high strength-to-weight ratio, durability, and resistance to various environmental conditions. This shift towards composite materials is further boosting the demand for radomes.

Key Market Players

The Radome companies is dominated by a few globally established players such as General Dynamics Mission Corporation (US), Saint Gobain (UK), Raytheon Technologies Corporation (US), Israel Aerospace Industries (Israel), Northrop Grumman Corporation (US), among others, are the key manufacturers that secured Radome contracts in the last few years. The primary focus was given to the contracts and new product development due to the changing requirements of homeland security, and defense users across the world.

Want to explore hidden markets that can drive new revenue in Radome Market?

Unlock Insights

Click on image to enlarge

Scope of the Report

Radome Market Highlights

The study categorizes the radome market based on offering, platform, application, frequency, and region.

Recent Developments

• In January 2023, The US Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, has awarded General Dynamics Corporation's business unit, Mission Systems, a contract worth USD 74.9 million to provide support services for Tactical Network-On the Move systems and equipment.
• In April 2023, Saint Gobain was awarded with a contract of Repair of Radome, Nose in support of the HC-144 Aircraft by the Aviation Logistics Centre, US.
• In March 2021, Raytheon Intelligence & Space was awarded a contract to operate and maintain US Government's Relocatable Over-the-Horizon Radar (ROTHR) and radome system under a five-year contract to counter narco-terrorism operations.
• In November 2020, Parker Meggitt has secured a £4.2 million (USD 5.6  million) contract with BAE Systems for the supply of innovative nose radome technology to enable the effective operation of a pioneering Multi-Function Array radar system on the Typhoon..

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Addressed by the Report:

To speak to our analyst for a discussion on the above findings, click Speak to Analyst