The unmanned ground vehicles market is estimated to be USD 2.7 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 3.6 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 5.7% from 2022 to 2027. Growth of this market can be attributed to the rise in military applications like combat support, ISR, mine clearance, etc., and commercial applications like firefighting, CBRN.
Smart robots are an integral part of modern warfare, and, thus, different countries across the globe are increasing, including these robots in their defense forces. They are essential for combat operations and assist defense forces in various missions. Smart robots are designed to handle a broad range of combat tasks, from picking up snipers to carrying out target acquisitions. These robots can map a potentially large hostile area by accurately identifying and detecting different threats.
The defense forces of different countries focus on developing new robot technologies to enhance their combat capabilities. For instance, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has been financing the development of a robotic submarine system since 2020 for use in several applications, right from detecting underwater mines to engaging in anti-submarine operations to protecting ships at harbors.
In the last 10 years, emerging economies such as India, China, and Singapore have increased their defense budgets. The US topped the list for military spending in 2021, followed by China, Saudi Arabia, and Russia. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India was the third-largest country in terms of military spending in 2021. The UAE has increased its defense spending by 136% over the past 10 years, owing to its increasing GDP and unrest in the Middle East. In 2021, China increased its defense budget, which is predicted to increase in the coming years. These economies are increasingly investing in defense operations and are potential UGVs and related military robotics markets.
The fully autonomous operation does not have any human involvement or interference. The autonomous mode enables self sufficiency and can thus perform tasks and execute operations without human intervention. Advanced capabilities, such as secure communications and control, autonomous path following and obstacle avoidance, automatic target tracking, and data compression in UGVs are expected to aid the military in Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition (RSTA) missions.
Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) is one of the major applications where military satellites are used. UAVs, UGVs, USVs, ROVs, AUVs, etc., are extensively used in ISR applications. Small UGVs are mainly utilized in the military sector to provide battlefield intelligence. Armed forces worldwide no longer rely on human scouts and instead use small robots, which can remain almost invisible to the enemy. These robots help monitor enemy forces or specific areas and send video images to the ground station with GPS assistance.
UGVs, such as the 510 PackBot developed by the iRobot Corporation/Endeavour Robotics (US), are widely used for ISR operations by the US military. The global naval forces use remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) for situational awareness and recognition of incoming threats through their remote sensing capabilities. ROVs use sensors, cameras, sonars, and echo sonar systems to collect complex data from their surroundings.
North America includes the US and Canada. The US is one of the largest global developers, operators, and exporters of unmanned military systems. Thus, it accounts for a large share of the North American region in the global unmanned ground vehicles market. The main functions of UGVs include ensuring border security, Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance (ISR), and minimizing the risks of terrorism on domestic assets and the population. North American countries are awarding several contracts to major players in the unmanned ground vehicles market to deliver UGVs with combat capabilities, thus driving the growth of the unmanned ground vehicles market in the region. For instance, the US has deployed several unmanned systems along the Mexican border to ensure that the gang-related violence and conflicts in Northern Mexico do not affect its internal security. Canada has also undertaken several measures to develop ground robotic vehicles for military functions.
The study contains insights from various industry experts, ranging from component suppliers to Tier 1 companies and OEMs. The break-up of the primaries is as follows:
The study covers the unmanned ground vehicles market across various segments and subsegments. It aims at estimating the size and growth potential of this market across different segments based on Application, Mobility, Size, Mode of Operation, System, and region. This study also includes an in-depth competitive analysis of the key players in the market, along with their company profiles, key observations related to their product and business offerings, recent developments undertaken by them, and key market strategies adopted by them.
This report is expected to help market leaders/new entrants with information on the closest approximations of the revenue numbers for the overall unmanned ground vehicles market and its segments. This study is also expected to provide region wise information about the end use, and wherein unmanned ground vehicles are used. This report aims at helping the stakeholders understand the competitive landscape of the market, gain insights to improve the position of their businesses and plan suitable go-to-market strategies. This report is also expected to help them understand the pulse of the market and provide them with information on key drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities influencing the growth of the market.
Development of smart robots for combat operations
Smart robots are an integral part of modern warfare, and, thus, different countries across the globe are increasing, including these robots in their defense forces. They are essential for combat operations and assist defense forces in various missions. Smart robots are designed to handle a broad range of combat tasks, from picking up snipers to carrying out target acquisitions. These robots can map a potentially large hostile area by accurately identifying and detecting different threats.
The defense forces of different countries focus on developing new robot technologies to enhance their combat capabilities. For instance, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has been financing the development of a robotic submarine system since 2020 for use in several applications, right from detecting underwater mines to engaging in anti-submarine operations to protecting ships at harbors.
Increased defense budgets of different countries for unmanned systems
In the last 10 years, emerging economies such as India, China, and Singapore have increased their defense budgets. The US topped the list for military spending in 2021, followed by China, Saudi Arabia, and Russia. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India was the third-largest country in terms of military spending in 2021. The UAE has increased its defense spending by 136% over the past 10 years, owing to its increasing GDP and unrest in the Middle East. In 2021, China increased its defense budget, which is predicted to increase in the coming years. These economies are increasingly investing in defense operations and are potential UGVs and related military robotics markets.
Fully autonomous UGVs: The largest segment of the unmanned ground vehicles market, by Mode of operation.
The fully autonomous operation does not have any human involvement or interference. The autonomous mode enables self sufficiency and can thus perform tasks and execute operations without human intervention. Advanced capabilities, such as secure communications and control, autonomous path following and obstacle avoidance, automatic target tracking, and data compression in UGVs are expected to aid the military in Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition (RSTA) missions.
Intelligence, Surveillance, & Reconnaissance (ISR): The fastest-growing segment of the unmanned ground vehicles market, by Military Application
Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) is one of the major applications where military satellites are used. UAVs, UGVs, USVs, ROVs, AUVs, etc., are extensively used in ISR applications. Small UGVs are mainly utilized in the military sector to provide battlefield intelligence. Armed forces worldwide no longer rely on human scouts and instead use small robots, which can remain almost invisible to the enemy. These robots help monitor enemy forces or specific areas and send video images to the ground station with GPS assistance.
UGVs, such as the 510 PackBot developed by the iRobot Corporation/Endeavour Robotics (US), are widely used for ISR operations by the US military. The global naval forces use remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) for situational awareness and recognition of incoming threats through their remote sensing capabilities. ROVs use sensors, cameras, sonars, and echo sonar systems to collect complex data from their surroundings.
North America: The largest contributing region in the unmanned ground vehicles market.
North America includes the US and Canada. The US is one of the largest global developers, operators, and exporters of unmanned military systems. Thus, it accounts for a large share of the North American region in the global unmanned ground vehicles market. The main functions of UGVs include ensuring border security, Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance (ISR), and minimizing the risks of terrorism on domestic assets and the population. North American countries are awarding several contracts to major players in the unmanned ground vehicles market to deliver UGVs with combat capabilities, thus driving the growth of the unmanned ground vehicles market in the region. For instance, the US has deployed several unmanned systems along the Mexican border to ensure that the gang-related violence and conflicts in Northern Mexico do not affect its internal security. Canada has also undertaken several measures to develop ground robotic vehicles for military functions.
Breakdown of primaries
The study contains insights from various industry experts, ranging from component suppliers to Tier 1 companies and OEMs. The break-up of the primaries is as follows:
- By Company Type: Tier 1-35%; Tier 2-45%; and Tier 3-20%
- By Designation: CLevel-35%; Directors-25%;and Others-40%
- By Region: North America-25%; Europe-15%; AsiaPacific-45%; Middle East- 10%; and Rest of the World -5%
Research Coverage
The study covers the unmanned ground vehicles market across various segments and subsegments. It aims at estimating the size and growth potential of this market across different segments based on Application, Mobility, Size, Mode of Operation, System, and region. This study also includes an in-depth competitive analysis of the key players in the market, along with their company profiles, key observations related to their product and business offerings, recent developments undertaken by them, and key market strategies adopted by them.
Reasons to Buy this Report
This report is expected to help market leaders/new entrants with information on the closest approximations of the revenue numbers for the overall unmanned ground vehicles market and its segments. This study is also expected to provide region wise information about the end use, and wherein unmanned ground vehicles are used. This report aims at helping the stakeholders understand the competitive landscape of the market, gain insights to improve the position of their businesses and plan suitable go-to-market strategies. This report is also expected to help them understand the pulse of the market and provide them with information on key drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities influencing the growth of the market.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Research Methodology
3 Executive Summary
4 Premium Insights
5 Market Overview
6 Industry Trends
7 Unmanned Ground Vehicles Market, by Mobility
8 Unmanned Ground Vehicles Market, by Size
9 Unmanned Ground Vehicles Market, by Mode of Operation
10 Unmanned Ground Vehicles Market, by System
11 Unmanned Ground Vehicles Market, by Application
12 Unmanned Ground Vehicles Market, by Region
13 Competitive Landscape
14 Company Profiles
15 Appendix
Companies Mentioned
- Aselsan A.S.
- Autonomous Solutions, Inc.
- BAE Systems
- Cobham plc
- Eca Group
- Elbit Systems
- General Dynamics
- Hexagon Ab
- Horiba Ltd.
- Hyundai Motor Company
- Icor Technology
- Israel Aerospace Industries
- L3Harris Technologies
- Lig Nex 1
- Lockheed Martin
- Mistubishi Electric
- Nexter Group
- Northrop Grumman Corporation
- Oshkosh Corp.
- Qinetiq
- Re2, Inc.
- Rheinmetall Ag
- St Engineering
- Teledyne Technologies
- Textron Inc.
- Thales Group
Methodology
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Table Information
| Report Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| No. of Pages | 266 |
| Published | June 2022 |
| Forecast Period | 2022 - 2027 |
| Estimated Market Value ( USD | $ 2.7 billion |
| Forecasted Market Value ( USD | $ 3.6 billion |
| Compound Annual Growth Rate | 5.7% |
| Regions Covered | Global |
| No. of Companies Mentioned | 26 |
