Military Helicopters Market Report 2026

The military helicopters market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $46.61 billion in 2025 to $49.28 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.7%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to expansion of military operations increasing demand for troop transport and utility helicopters, rising procurement of attack helicopters equipped with weapons and artillery systems, advancements in onboard radar and sensors enhancing mission capability, increased use of helicopters for csar and medevac missions, modernization of aging helicopter fleets across major defense forces.

The military helicopters market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $63.58 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.6%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to rising demand for next-generation multi-role military helicopters, increasing integration of advanced avionics and network-centric systems, development of lightweight composite materials improving helicopter performance, growth in unmanned and optionally piloted helicopter concepts, expanding defense budgets supporting procurement of versatile rotary-wing platforms. Major trends in the forecast period include rising demand for multi-role mission flexibility, growing adoption of heavy-lift helicopters for troop and equipment transport, increasing modernization of legacy helicopter fleets, expansion of specialized csar and medevac helicopter programs, shift toward enhanced survivability and protection systems.

The rise in military expenditure has fueled the growth of the military helicopter market. For example, in April 2024, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), a Sweden-based non-governmental organization, reported that global military spending reached $2.44 trillion in 2023, reflecting a 6.8% increase in real terms compared to 2022. This growth in military expenditure has resulted in heightened procurement of warships, submarines, aircraft, and helicopters, consequently generating higher revenues for the military helicopter market.

Major companies in the military helicopter market are introducing new products, including combat-capable helicopters, to expand their customer bases, increase sales, and boost revenue. Combat-capable helicopters, or attack helicopters, are specifically designed and equipped for offensive operations in combat scenarios. In April 2023, Airbus unveiled the H125 military configurations, known as AH-125 and MH-125 Ares. While the AH-125 Ares is designed as the armed variant, the MH-125 Ares serves as a multi-role helicopter capable of performing diverse activities, contributing to the extensive lineup of military helicopters offered by Airbus.

In October 2025, Airbus, a Netherlands-based multinational aerospace corporation, partnered with Leonardo to conduct an architecture study aimed at defining the foundation for the long-term evolution of the NH90. The collaboration seeks to initiate NH90 Block 2 studies following a request from NAHEMA, with a focus on enhancing next-generation capabilities and improving the operational performance of the NH90 helicopter. Leonardo is an Italy-based global aerospace and defense company.

Major companies operating in the military helicopters market are The Boeing Company, Airbus, Russian Helicopters, Lockheed Martin, Leonardo SpA, China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, Textron Inc., BAE Systems, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation, TATA Advanced Systems, Korea Aerospace Industries, Kawasaki Aerospace Company, NHIndustries, Kazan Helicopters, MD Helicopters, Inc., Kaman Aircraft, Cicaré S.A., Embraer S.A., Empresa Nacional de Aeronautica (ENAER), Calidus LLC, Israel Aerospace Industries, Denel Aerostructures (Pty) Ltd.

Asia-Pacific was the largest region in the military helicopters market in 2025. Western Europe is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the global military helicopters market share during the forecast period. The regions covered in the military helicopters market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa.

Note that the outlook for this market is being affected by rapid changes in trade relations and tariffs globally. The report will be updated prior to delivery to reflect the latest status, including revised forecasts and quantified impact analysis. The report’s Recommendations and Conclusions sections will be updated to give strategies for entities dealing with the fast-moving international environment.

Tariffs have introduced significant cost pressures in the military helicopter market by increasing the price of imported components such as avionics, rotor assemblies, and protection systems. These added costs particularly affect medium and heavy helicopter segments and regions reliant on cross-border supply chains, including Europe and Asia-Pacific. The delays in sourcing critical materials have slowed modernization and procurement programs, although some regions benefit from tariffs through increased incentives for domestic manufacturing and localized production of helicopter systems.

The military helicopter market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides military helicopter market statistics, including global market size, regional shares, competitors with a military helicopter market share, detailed military helicopter market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the military helicopter industry. This military helicopter 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.

Military helicopters are rotary-wing aircraft designed and equipped specifically for defense, security, and combat operations. They are used by armed forces for a wide range of missions, including troop transport, close air support, surveillance and reconnaissance, search and rescue, medical evacuation, anti-submarine warfare, and logistics. Built to operate in challenging environments, military helicopters feature advanced avionics, weapon systems, armored protection, and enhanced maneuverability to perform tactical and strategic missions across land, air, and maritime domains.

The primary types of military helicopters are light military helicopters, medium military helicopters, and heavy military helicopters. Various components and systems used in military helicopters include airframes, main rotor systems, anti-torque systems, electrical systems, hydraulic systems, avionics, stability augmentation systems, flight control systems, undercarriages, environmental control systems, emergency services, special-purpose systems, and engines. The number of engines can be single or twin. Military helicopters serve various applications, including utility military helicopters, transport military helicopters, attack/assault military helicopters, search and rescue military helicopters, multi-role military helicopters, and reconnaissance and observation military helicopters. Utility military helicopters are highly versatile aircraft capable of performing a range of missions, from reconnaissance and attack to transport and evacuation.

The countries covered in the military helicopters market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The military aircraft market consists of sales of aircraft with weapons, artillery tanks, and radar equipment for military purposes. 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.

This product will be delivered within 1-3 business days.