Autonomous Military Weapons Market Report 2025

The autonomous military weapons market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $16.08 billion in 2024 to $17.71 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.2%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to past conflicts & military strategies, R&D investments over time, regulatory milestones, past budget allocations, successes and failures.

The autonomous military weapons market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $26.17 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.3%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to adoption by non-state actors, supply chain dynamics, public opinion & advocacy, geopolitical shifts, industry competition & innovation. Major trends in the forecast period include public perception and acceptance, collaboration and alliances, geopolitical tensions, ethical concerns, cost efficiency.

The capability to execute dangerous tasks with precision has fueled the growth of the autonomous military weapons market. Autonomy in weaponry allows for the protection of military personnel from hazardous tasks or potential threats to human life. Additionally, enhanced reaction speed in decision-making and continuous monitoring of targets can significantly improve accuracy. Autonomous systems have access to a vast amount of information, which leads to increased precision and predictability for specific functions, thus freeing humans from monotonous or repetitive duties and enabling operation in environments that remote control technologies cannot access. Major nations such as the USA, China, and Russia are heavily investing in artificial intelligence (AI) for weaponry and are in competition for dominance in this area. For instance, in March 2023, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), a US-based independent agency, reported that in May 2022, a racially motivated shooter claimed the lives of 10 people in Buffalo, New York. Over the past decade, investigations into domestic terrorism have surged by 357%. The second-largest category of incidents during this period was violent extremism motivated by anti-government or anti-authority sentiments, resulting in 15 deaths. Consequently, the ability to engage targets without human intervention while reducing risks to human life is expected to drive the autonomous military weapons market.

An increase in defense spending is anticipated to drive the growth of the autonomous military weapons market in the future. Defense expenditure includes all current and capital outlays for armed forces, which encompass peacekeeping troops, defense ministries, and other government organizations involved in defense initiatives, as well as paramilitary forces. With elevated defense budgets, military organizations can dedicate more resources to the research, development, and procurement of autonomous military weapons. For example, in December 2022, a report from the UK's Ministry of Defence - a UK-based agency responsible for executing defense policy - indicated that total military expenditures for the fiscal year 2021-2022 amounted to £45.9 billion ($58.35 billion), reflecting a £3.6 billion ($4.57 billion) increase from the previous year. Additionally, total equipment spending for 2021-2022 reached £20.9 billion ($26.57 billion), marking a nominal increase of £2.1 billion ($2.66 billion) over the prior year. Consequently, increased defense expenditure is expected to bolster the autonomous military weapons market.

Concerns regarding the risks associated with autonomous weapons have led researchers and designers to opt against their development, acting as a hindrance to market growth. Approximately 240 AI organizations and 3,100 individuals worldwide have pledged not to participate in the creation of autonomous weapon systems. The global resistance to manufacturing autonomous military weapons poses a significant obstacle to the market's expansion.

Leading companies in the autonomous military weapons market are concentrating on creating innovative products, such as unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), to deliver dependable services to their clients. UGVs are vehicles that operate on the ground without the presence of a human operator. For example, in February 2023, BAE Systems Australia, an Australia-based company providing various defense and security services, introduced the STRIX hybrid VTOL uncrewed air system. This system can carry munitions for targeted attacks on ground targets, thereby enhancing combat capabilities through air-to-ground strikes. Furthermore, the STRIX is tailored for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, facilitating real-time data collection and better situational awareness. It can also act as a 'loyal wingman,' working alongside manned aircraft to offer additional support and firepower.

In December 2022, Stellantis N.V., a Netherlands-based automotive manufacturing corporation, purchased aiMotive for an undisclosed sum. This acquisition is anticipated to accelerate Stellantis' transition into a sustainable mobility technology company and assist in the mid-term development of its STLA AutoDrive platform. AiMotive is a Hungary-based developer of an autonomous driving technology platform.

Major companies operating in the autonomous military weapons market include China North Industries Group Corporation Limited, Aviation Industry Corporation of China, Raytheon Technologies Corporation, The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Airbus Group Inc., Kalashnikov Concern LLC, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, General Dynamics Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Rostec State Corporation, BAE Systems plc, L3Harris Technologies Inc., Thales Group, Textron Inc., Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd., Rheinmetall AG, Elbit Systems Ltd., Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd., Saab AB, Kongsberg Gruppen ASA, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd., Bharat Electronics Limited, Palantir Technologies Inc., Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Inc., Denel SOC Ltd., Anduril Industries Inc., Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik ve Ticaret A.Ş.

Asia-Pacific was the largest region in the autonomous military weapons market in 2024. Western Europe is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the autonomous military weapons market share during the forecast period. The regions covered in the autonomous military weapons market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the autonomous military weapons market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

Autonomous military weapons refer to automated military systems that, upon activation, independently carry out tasks such as searching, detecting, evaluating threats, tracking, and attacking enemy targets using sophisticated algorithms. These operations are executed without further intervention by a human operator. The deployment of autonomous military weapons involves the integration of core elements, including a mobile combat platform (such as a drone aircraft, ship, or ground vehicle), various sensors to analyze the surroundings, processing systems to interpret data from the sensors, and algorithms guiding the platform to initiate an attack upon detecting an identified target.

The primary categories of autonomous military weapons are autonomous and semi-autonomous. Autonomous weapons can independently choose and engage targets without requiring human involvement. Products falling under this category include missiles, rockets, guided bombs, target pods, and others, and they are utilized across various platforms, including land-based, airborne, and naval systems.

The autonomous military weapons market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides autonomous military weapons market statistics, including global market size, regional shares, competitors with an autonomous military weapons market share, detailed autonomous military weapons market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the autonomous military weapons industry. This autonomous military weapons market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenarios of the industry.

The autonomous military weapons market consists of sales of auto-operated weapons such as autonomous explosives, and missiles. Values in this market are factory gate values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD, unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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