Market Overview

The military navigation systems market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of above 4.5% during the forecast period.

  • The increasing military spending of the countries is supporting their governments’ respective procurement plans for a wide range of products for military operations from intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance to combat and battlefield. Such procurement plans for manned and unmanned systems along with precision-guided munitions, etc., are anticipated to drive the demand for navigation systems market in the military sector in the coming years.
  • The modernization plans of the armed forces to upgrade their military equipment are anticipated to further propel the sales of the navigation systems during the forecast period.
  • The development of new navigation systems, that can provide accurate positioning (even in case of GNSS jamming or spoofing), with compact size, lightweight and low power consumption is anticipated to help the companies in generating and bolster the growth of the market during the forecast period.
  • The market of military navigation systems is fragmented, with international and regional players supporting various programs in air, sea, land, and space segments of armed forces around the world.



Scope of the Report

The study includes all the systems and sub-systems related to navigation for all military platforms like fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft of both combat and non-combat purposes. It also includes all the navigation systems in surface and underwater platforms like destroyers, frigates, corvette, submarines, etc. The study also includes all the navigation systems in land vehicles, man-portable navigational aids, and fixed base antennas as well as in spacecraft and satellite. It also includes all the navigation systems in missiles, rockets and other smart ammunitions used in the military.

Key Market Trends

Based on Platform, Air Segment Recorded the Highest Market Share in 2019

The armed forces around the world are significantly investing in the procurement of new aircraft and UAVs. Most of the aircraft use GNSS (GPS) and TACAN positioning and navigation systems in them and the majority of the revenue of the segment is through the modernization of the aging fleet of aircraft with new and accurate positions and navigation systems. For instance, the US Air Force announced that to further enhance the quality of navigation and positioning measurements, their fighter aircraft will be fitted with next-generation GPS receivers. Under this initiative, the US Air Force Life Cycle Management Center selected Rockwell Collins to provide its latest-generation Digital GPS Anti-Jam Receiver (DIGAR) for its fleet of F-16 aircraft. F-16 fleet will be the first combat fighter to be upgraded with the latest version of the receiver and once completed, the other aircraft will also be fitted with the advanced GPS receivers. Similar initiatives from various armed forces are anticipated to propel the growth of the segment during the forecast period. Furthermore, the development of new navigational aids for the aircraft is anticipated to open new market opportunities for the companies. Northrop Grumman developed All Source Adaptive Fusion (ASAF) software that will allow military aircraft and airborne weapon systems to guide them without using Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite signals. Such software, when used with advanced sensors systems, is anticipated to improve the operational efficiencies of the air platforms.

Asia-Pacific Region is Expected to Generate the Highest Demand During the Forecast Period

The steady growth of military spending in countries such as China, India, and South Korea among others is majorly driving the procurement and modernization plans of military equipment. China, India, Singapore, South Korea, and Pakistan have witnessed an increase of 22.43%, 21.53%, 16.26%, 14.78%, and 13.61% respectively, in their military expenditure during the period of 2015 - 2018. The flaring regional tensions in the East and South China Seas are boosting the military modernization by China and its neighbors. The majority of the Asia-Pacific countries are modernizing their military platforms. The countries are procuring new aircraft to increase their air strength and strengthening their sea ISR capabilities by procuring new ships. Currently, along with manned capabilities, the countries are also involved in developing and upgrading their unmanned capabilities. For instance, in November 2018, China unveiled CH-7, the new-generation stealth combat unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). This UAV can launch air-to-ground or anti-ship missiles and long-distance precision-guided bombs. Such developments are anticipated to support the growth of the military navigation systems in the Asia-Pacific region during the forecast period.

Competitive Landscape

The market of military navigation systems is fragmented, with many players in the market who provide various navigation components to different military platforms for diverse military operations. The prominent players in the military navigation systems market are Northrop Grumman Corporation, Safran SA, Thales Group, Honeywell International Inc., and Collins Aerospace. To increase their revenue share in the market, the players are developing new products and expanding their product portfolio into various platforms. For instance, Northrop Grumman provides its navigation and positioning systems to a variety of platforms, such as fixed-and rotary-winged aircraft, ships, underwater vehicles, land vehicles, satellites, and missiles. With such a huge portfolio, the company is anticipated to cater to the requirements of various platform manufacturers. Also, the development of new and advanced navigation and positioning systems with low power consumption, small size, and lightweight are anticipated to support the growth of the companies. For instance, in June 2019, Emcore Corporation expanded its navigation systems portfolio with the introduction of EN-2000 (Emcore-Orion series of micro-inertial navigation (MINAV) systems). With growing market opportunities (with the introduction of new aircraft, unmanned systems, smart weapons, etc.), the companies will receive new contracts from various armed forces that will help them increase their geographic presence as well as share in the market.

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