Market Trends of Asia Pacific Small UAV Industry
This section covers the major market trends shaping the APAC Small UAV market according to our research experts:
The Military and Law Enforcement Segment is Expected to Witness Significant Growth During the Forecast Period
The military and law enforcement segment, by application, is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period. The rise in the number of border tensions as well as the increasing need for conducting ISR operations by various defense forces worldwide is leading to the increasing usage of drones for carrying out such tasks and this is the major factor for the growth of small UAVs in the military and law enforcement segment to witness growth during the coming years.
Moreover, a growing indigenous base of drone manufacturing companies such as Teledyne FLIR Defense amongst others is propelling the development of advanced small drones which can improve the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities of various defense forces globally. For instance, in May 2022, Teledyne FLIR Defense announced that they have won an additional USD 14 million contract for supplying Black Hornet Nano-UAV systems for the United States Army Soldier Borne Sensor Program. Moreover, in the present scenario, the total number of black hornet orders for the soldier-borne sensor program amounts to USD 115 million. The advanced nano unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are being used to augment squad and small unit surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities as part of the Army's Soldier Borne Sensor program. The drones, which are extremely light and well suited for operations in contested environments and are nearly silent, and with a flight time of up to 25 minutes, the combat-proven, pocket-sized Black Hornet transmits live video and HD still images back to the operator thereby providing soldiers with immediate covert situational awareness to help them perform missions more effectively.
China is Expected to Witness Significant Growth During the Forecast Period
The country of China is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period. There has been a growth in the usage of drones in China in recent years. Growth in the production of small UAVs in China coupled with a lack of end-user restrictions will be the major factors for the growth of the market during the forecast period. Moreover, various drone manufacturing companies in China such as DJI and Huimingjie amongst others are presently engaged in the development of advanced small UAVs with greater capabilities.
In recent years, China has witnessed significant growth in terms of technological developments. The cooperation of China with the Russian defense industry has positioned China on the cutting edge of new war technologies such as small UAVs. For Instance, in 2022, China re-presented its small UAV known an FH-901 with advanced capabilities. The FH-901 drone which was earlier manufactured in 2016 and given the name CH-901 is a suicide drone and is equivalent to the switchblade drone which has been developed by the United States of America. The FH-901 is a fixed-wing UAV with a high-wing shape and a cylindrical fuselage. It is reportedly 1.2 meters long, with a top speed of 150 km/h, an operating radius of 15 km, and an endurance of 120 minutes. It can be equipped with a fragmentation charge or a shaped charge warhead capable of piercing 10 cm of armor and destroying tanks and light armored vehicles. It is launched from a container and can be ready for action in less than three minutes. Thus, the growing developments in the unmanned aerial vehicle sector in China will lead to the market witnessing significant growth during the forecast period.
