Market Overview

The Asia-Pacific Small UAV Market is projected to grow at a CAGR of over 15% during the forecast period.

  • With the increase of political tensions between the countries in the Asia-Pacific, the demand for small UAVs is anticipated to see a rise, as they provide a flexible way to observe the enemy from any topography without the operator getting detected.
  • Demand is also being generated by the civil and commercial segment, as the applications of the small UAVs are growing.



Scope of the Report

Small UAVs have a maximum gross takeoff weight (MGTOW) of below 25 kgs. Further, the report includes the following aspects.

Key Market Trends

Rotary-wing Segment Accounted for the Largest Market Share in 2019

In 2019, the Rotary-wing segment registered the largest market share in the Asia-Pacific Small UAV Market. The primary reason for the large share of the rotary-wing segment is their ease-of-operation and control, and their ability to aid in inspection and surveillance, thereby making them attractive for both civilian and military applications. In the civil and commercial segment, the Rotary Wing Small UAVs are being used in a wide range of applications such as entertainment purposes, meteorology, product delivery, fire fighting, disaster relief, search & rescue, etc. Many developments have happened in 2019 regarding deliveries using rotor-wing small UAVs. Even in India, the online food platform Zomato successfully tested its maiden drone delivery technology using a hybrid drone which covered a distance of 5 km in about ten minutes carrying a payload of 5 kg. In addition, the application of these UAVs is also increasing in the military sector. Also, countries in Asia-Pacific are procuring and deploying these rotary-wing small UAVs for their militaries, to aid them in various ISR applications. The use of such UAVs has also increased in the law enforcement sector. In April 2019, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) launched the drone-equipped vehicle fleet to be used for pre-planned security events, search missions and other situations requiring aerial surveillance capabilities.

China is the Largest Market For Small UAVs in Asia-Pacific

China became the global hub for the manufacturing of small UAVs over the past six years. The widening application areas of drones are propelling the demand for these UAVs in China. Currently, consumer hobbyist drones and agriculture and energy inspection UAVs have the largest demand in the civil and commercial sectors in China. Also, drone usage for monitoring, inspection, surveying and surveillance application in construction, agriculture, infrastructure, energy, telecommunications, mining, and insurance industries is increasing in China. The government of China is also providing various subsidy schemes and other favorable domestic policies to promote the usage of small UAVs in the country. The government has permitted drone delivery in March 2018 when Fengyu Shuntu Technology, a subsidiary of SF Express, the country’s biggest logistics firm, received the first official permit from the Government to deliver packages via small UAVs. Following this, the courier company DHL began making drone deliveries in China after partnering with the local drone manufacturer EHang. This is the world’s first regular fully-automated and intelligent urban drone delivery service. Additionally, the country has one of the largest military small UAV fleets in the world, which is another reason for the large share of the country in the market.

Competitive Landscape

DJI, YUNEEC, Parrot Drones, Elbit Systems Ltd., Guangzhou Walkera Technology CO., LTD, are some of the major players in the market. Asia-Pacific has some of the largest small UAV manufacturers in the world, with most of them based in China. The use of small UAVs is increasing in civil and commercial sectors, and in tandem, the number of commercial use-small UAV manufacturers has increased by several folds in the region. The number of drones and related component manufacturers in China is about 1200 in 2019, up from 130 manufacturers in 2013, which clearly shows the extent of fragmentation in the market. Small UAV manufacturers are constantly striving to improve the sensor payloads that help them in obtaining precise information for surveillance. Thus, the focus on producing sensors that are smaller, lighter, faster, cheaper, more reliable, more accurate, and more sensitive is expected to drive more innovations in the small UAV market. Further miniaturization of drones is being concentrated upon, and many drone models that are of the size of a human finger are being made available in the market. Also, work is being done to improve flight times. The focus on such aspects in small UAVs is expected to make the players in the market increase their R&D expenditures during the forecast period.

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