Latest technology drives $50 billion radar industry

Citation

(2008), "Latest technology drives $50 billion radar industry", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 80 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2008.12780baf.003

Latest technology drives $50 billion radar industry

Article Type: Mini features From: Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology: An International Journal, Volume 80, Issue 2.

In a new analysis, Forecast International projects that the world- wide radar market will be worth $50 billion over the next ten years. The study, entitled “The Market for Radar Systems,” is based on a review of 107 radar production, operations and maintenance, and RDT&E programs. Overall, 11,306 individual radar units will be produced during the 2007-2016 timeframe, according to the analysis.

New technology is an important driver of the market. According to William Ostrove, Electronics Analyst and author of the study, “The expanding availability of technology is increasing the appeal of many radar systems that were previously available only to the largest and best equipped militaries.”

One example of this trend is the growth of the airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) market. Radar systems that take advantage of the latest technology to provide good performance at a low cost include the MESA radar, Erieye, and EL/M-2075 Phalcon.

The marketplace is also being driven by the growth of active electronically scanned array (AESA) technology. AESA has increased the overall capability of radar systems, allowing them to provide increased situational awareness to warfighters. As AESA radars leave the drawing board and enter production, they become more desirable. Ostrove says that even though mechanical array radars still make up the bulk of radar production, the more expensive AESA radars are nearly identical to mechanical array radars in terms of value of production. AESA radar programs, such as the APG-81, will account for a growing percentage of radar production and funding over the next ten years.

The report says that the growth of asymmetric forces, such as those in Afghanistan and Iraq, is another factor contributing to change in the radar industry. “The two primary concerns of military planners have become mobility and the ability to operate close to the enemy and in urban areas,” said Ostrove. Accordingly, the latest radars can handle multiple tasks, sometimes replacing several types of older radar systems.

Major players such as Raytheon and Northrop Grumman continue to top Forecast International's list of top five radar producers. At the same time, growing numbers of consortiums are appearing on the list. These include Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) Industries, an international consortium formed to develop the NATO AGS system; MEADS International, developer of an air defense weapons system for the USA, Germany, and Italy; and Euroradar, which develops and produces the ECR-90 CAPTOR for the Typhoon.

For further information, please contact: Forecast International, Inc., Tel: +1 203 426 0800.