Major players in the military robots market are Lockheed Marin Corporation, Northrup Grumman Corporation, General Dynamics Corporation, BAE Systems, Aerovironment, Inc, Irobot, Thales Group, Elbit Systems Ltd, and Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc.
The global military robots market is expected grow from $20.13 billion in 2020 to $22.35 billion in 2021 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11%. The growth is mainly due to the companies resuming their operations and adapting to the new normal while recovering from the COVID-19 impact, which had earlier led to restrictive containment measures involving social distancing, remote working, and the closure of commercial activities that resulted in operational challenges. The market is expected to reach $36.57 billion in 2025 at a CAGR of 13%.
The global military robots market consists of sales of robots designed for military applications. The market consists of revenue generated by the establishments by the sales of remotely controlled military robots that are designed for tasks such as transport, search, rescue, gunfire/attack, airborne and underwater surveillance, image capturing, bomb disposal, carry wounded military personnel, and detect mines.
The market growth can be attributed to the increasing adoption of land-based military robots by various countries for border security.Border security robots that are based on hybrid wireless sensor networks were introduced to address concerns about national security.
The primary objective of the border patrol robots is to save the lives of security personnel deployed for border surveillance.Border patrol systems that utilizes the PIR sensor for human detection and a metal detector for explosive detection, can accurately detect the border intrusion with minimum human involvements.
The system also uses a wireless camera to continuously monitor the border.Based on the facts that autonomous military systems can cut down cost, improve effectiveness, enable more broad military operations, and importantly help keep security personnel out of harm, various countries are adopting military robots for border security.
The increasing adoption of military robots by various countries, therefore, is expected drive the military robot market growth.
The decline in the defense budget in developed economies across the globe acts as restraints for the industry.According to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), global military expenditure was $1917 billion in 2019.
The global military expenditure as a share of GDP represented 2.2 % in 2019. But global defense spending is expected to decline in the coming years due to the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. Also, according to International Monetary Funds (IMF) report, the military expenditure have seen a decline a significant drop in global military spending as a percent of GDP from 3.6% during the Cold War era (1970-90) to 1.9% in the pre-covid decade (2010-18). Military spending decreased in Eastern Europe, North Africa, Oceania, South East Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and Middle East. For instance, military expenditure in Africa fell by 8.4 per cent in 2018, by 6.5 percent in Saudi Arabia, by 1.4 percent in France, and in Russia by 3.5 percent in 2018. The decline in the defense budget in some developed economies across the globe is expected to hamper the military robot market.
The military robots market covered in this reports is segmented by platform into land; marine; airborne. It is also segmented by application into ISR; search and rescue; combat support; transportation; EOD; mine clearance; firefighting, by payload into sensors; cameras; LCD screens; weapons; radar; others and by end user into armed forces; homeland securities.
Multi-mission robots are designed to carry out multi-domain operations in military.Unlike humans, robots do not suffer from physical and mental exhaustion.
With continuous advances in electronic component technology and miniaturization in the operational flexibility of robots increased tremendously.They exhibit greater endurance from the impact of bombs and weapons ensuring greater security.
Today’s robots are equipped with mission-specific tasks and individual munitions.The payloads that these robots carry may be integrated into line with the mission requirements.
For instance, 710 Kobra is a heavy-duty, multi-mission robot designed by American robot maker iRobot Defense & Security (now Endeavor Robotic Holdings) to provide increased safety and mission effectiveness for soldiers, first responders, and security personnel.
In February 2019, FLIR Systems, leading maker of sensor systems acquired Endeavor Robotics for $385 million amount.With the addition of Endeavor, FLIR becomes a leading provider of unmanned aerial and ground solutions to support the needs of warfighters, and public safety and critical infrastructure professionals.
Endeavor Robotics is a robotics company focused on the defense, public safety, and industrial markets.