Latin America Small UAV Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

The Latin American Small UAV market is anticipated to register a CAGR of over 5% during the forecast period (2022-2027).

The COVID-19 pandemic positively affected the market, owing to the stringent lockdown and social distancing norms implemented across the country. With the strict norms, small UAVs were used by several government organizations for monitoring and delivery of critical medicines during the pandemic.

With several potential applications such as agricultural survey, mining, engineering, and construction, the small UAVs market has witnessed decent growth in the region. It is expected to witness a significant growth rate during the forecast period.

The growth of the small UAV market in the region could be affected by certain restraints during the forecast period. These factors include strict airspace regulations across major countries of the region, where government agencies are setting up regulations for the commercial use of drones.

Key Market Trends

Civil and Commercial Sector Projected to Register the Highest CAGR during the Forecast Period

The use of small UAVs in Latin America is constantly increasing in the civil and commercial sectors. Small UAVs are being widely adopted for monitoring applications, like mining, agriculture, engineering, and construction, in various regions. Small UAVs have a bright future in Latin America with other potential applications, including shipping, transportation, and security. Also, with a large forest base and uninhabited lands in the region, it becomes imperative for the forest officials and government authorities to possess the capability to survey the vast lands. This led to an increase in demand from the respective organizations for small UAVs to be used for these applications. Furthermore, the immense size of the amazon rainforest that covers much of northwestern Brazil and extends into Colombia, Peru, and other Latin American countries, together with its damp nature, makes it difficult for any human intervention. As a result, the forest is being surveyed and looked after by private companies. Since 2020, drones have been used by indigenous tribes to detect and fight illegal deforestation in their territory, thereby protecting the Amazon rainforest. Farming has been another application that is witnessing an increased adoption of UAVs. Small UAVs are working together with local business owners to introduce farming UAVs for aerial seeding. For instance, in Dec 2021, government and agricultural research institutes began utilizing drones to drop seeds in Chile's Highland Farms for agricultural purposes. Such developments are expected to drive the segment's growth during the forecast period.

Brazil, the Largest Market for Drones in 2021

Brazil has been the largest user of drones in farming and agricultural activities. The country also has established developers of unmanned aerial vehicles used for agriculture, forest, and urban center mapping. A Brazilian drone manufacturer Xmobots, in December 2021, announced that the company aims to become a global pioneer in the use of drones in the sugarcane and cotton industry. Starting in 2022, the company aims to increase exports that now reach multiple countries. Furthermore, the increasing government operations against narcotics in the region have increased the demand for surveillance drones. As a result, there has been a constant rise in the number of UAVs or small drones being utilized for various purposes in the country. For instance, the number of officially registered drones in Brazil was valued at about 30 thousand units in 2017. This increased to more than 90 thousand units as of February 2022. The use of small UAVs is also increasing in the military, as the country is slowly trying to enhance its autonomous capabilities. In March 2022, the Brazilian army received the Nauru 1000C UAVs. These UAVs were ordered for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions. These new drones are expected to improve the army's effectiveness significantly. Thus, the ongoing developments in UAV technologies are expected to help the country dominate the Latin American small UAV market in the years to come.

Competitive Landscape

DJI, Parrot Drones SAS, The Boeing Company, AeroVironment, Inc., and JETWIND are currently some of the major players in the market. Most of the players, mainly in military small UAV technologies, are local manufacturers supplying small UAVs to military organizations. Latin America is one of the smallest markets in the world for small UAVs but with large growth potential. The United States is also influencing the military procurements of the countries in the region, like Columbia and Mexico, with many bilateral initiatives, such as Plan Colombia and the Merida Initiative. This is expected to bring more contracts to US-based companies in Latin America in the next few years. Local manufacturers can compete with prominent foreign players by upgrading their offerings with advanced technologies, thereby increasing their regional market share.

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support

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