Market Trends of Flat Antenna Industry
This section covers the major market trends shaping the Flat Antenna Market according to our research experts:
Adoption of Unmanned Systems in Defense and Increasing Demand for Commercial Aircraft
- Unmanned Systems are being increasingly deployed for airborne and remote ground surveillance, border patrol, video transmission, and tactical support. Hence, uninterrupted communication with the control center is critical for these systems. The growing need for Unmanned Systems, along with government initiatives, is expected to create demand for a wide range of antennas over the forecast period. For instance, in September 2021, India and the United States inked a Project Agreement (PA) for an Air-Launched Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (ALUAV) under the Defense Technology and Trade Initiative.
- Though flat panel arrays have been used limitedly due to high costs and variable performance, the introduction of the non-geostationary orbit satellite constellations from players like Telesat, SES, SpaceX, and others, are expected to act as significant drivers in the market.
- Further, the demand for connectivity in commercial aviation has been continually growing, and the operating environment has necessitated the development of phased array technology for satellite connectivity.
- The rise in the adoption of ultra-thin antennas with a broader range to electronically acquire, steer, and lock a beam to any satellite, as well as the demand for connectivity in commercial aviation, are the significant factors that propel the market growth. In addition, these antennas are used in geostationary orbit satellite constellations. However, the high cost, low radiation efficiency, and low gain of flat antennas resulting in variable performance tend to restrain the flat antenna market growth.
North America is Expected to Dominate the Market
- The growing use of flat antenna systems in commercials and defense applications makes this region one of the world's fastest-growing markets. Amazon, for instance, recently stated that it would deliver packages using drones within months. The company has acquired permission from the US Federal Aviation Administration to operate its drones in the US.
- Such collaborative programs have met the need for flat antennas in defense. Kymeta will participate in Viasat's government-focused terminal modification kit program, which will ensure Kymeta's terminals interoperate with Viasat's current and next-generation high-capacity satellite communications (SATCOM) networks.
- Additionally, the rising demand for electronically steered phased array flat panel antennas, increasing focus on space explorations and satellite launches in the US, and growing demand for VSAT-Based flat panel antennas for maritime and commercial applications are driving the growth of the flat panel antenna market.
- Also, an Electrically steered flat panel antenna is expected to gain traction due to its compact size, low cost, and significant adoption in enterprise, maritime, land mobile, and aviation industries. AlCAN Systems (Canada), C-COM Satellite Systems Inc (Canada), and ThinKom Solutions (US) are some of the prominent players in North America that are providing electronically steered FPA systems.
- Furthermore, Boeing Phantom Works in the United States has launched a novel flat satellite communications (SATCOM) broadband antenna that will allow military aircraft to receive high-speed data. The flat conformal antenna will be in production next year and will be used in the Navy's future unmanned mid-air refueling tanker, the MQ-25.