Middle East & Africa Loitering Munition Market Forecast to 2028 -Regional Analysis

The loitering munition market in Middle East & Africa is expected to grow from US$ 445.54 million in 2023 to US$ 678.71 million by 2028. It is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 8.8% from 2023 to 2028.

Integration of Advanced Warfare Technologies in Defense Systems is Fueling Middle East & Africa Loitering Munition Market

The loitering munitions market is expected to benefit from increased modularity, increased use of artificial intelligence (AI) and swarm technology, mission modules, and increased sensor capabilities over the forecast period. The rising adoption of unmanned systems is projected to offer various growth opportunities for the loitering munition market. Loitering munitions are engineered with seamless, persistent, and robust sensor-to-shooter links, ensuring the shortest loop between acquisition and targeting. Furthermore, integrating mission modules enables greater flexibility and a lower cost of operations, as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) roles can be fulfilled before a munition. Loitering munitions are anticipated to become a game-changer in artillery and fill the existing voids in surveillance-precision engagement capability between 40 and 200 km. Various countries are investing in enhancing their defense systems with advanced warfare technologies such as autonomous weapon systems. The purchase of an undisclosed number of loitering munitions is expected to be concluded in the first quarter of 2023. Such growing demand for advanced warfare technologies is projected to witness an upward trend over the forecast period.

Middle East & Africa Loitering Munition Market Overview

The MEA loitering munition market is segmented into South Africa, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the Rest of MEA. Several countries are procuring loitering munitions manufactured by key market players in the region. For instance, Russia is widely deploying loitering munitions manufactured by Iran to combat Ukraine. Russia was initially deploying its domestically made loitering munitions in the war and faced shortages due to supply issues and licensing issue; as a result, the critical components of loitering munitions experienced a decline in production. Due to the shortages of loitering munitions, Russia started procuring and using Iranian-made loitering munition “Shahed” in the war, which is propelling the loitering munition market in the region. In addition, during the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020, Azerbaijan procured Harop loitering munitions manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries, which increased the demand for Harop drones in the market. In February 2021, Israel Aerospace Industries signed three deals worth approximately US$ 100 million to supply its Harop loitering munitions in its land and naval version to Asian countries. Furthermore, governments of several countries across the globe increased their military expenditure to strengthen their defense industries. For instance, according to SIPRI, Serbia increased its military expenditure to US$ 1,426.4 million in 2022 from US$ 1,270.8 million in 2021. This increased the country’s capabilities to establish a robust defense sector by procuring missiles and loitering munitions. In March 2023, the Serbian Armed Forces (SAF) ordered loitering munitions developed by Edge Group, a UAE-based advanced defense technology company, in an effort to fortify its defense sector. Thus, such contracts with other nations for the procurement of loitering munitions developed by key players such as Shahed Aviation Industries and Israel Aerospace Industries in the MEA are propelling the loitering munition market in the region.

Middle East & Africa Loitering Munition Market Overview Revenue and Forecast to 2028 (US$ Million)

Middle East & Africa Loitering Munition Market Segmentation

The Middle East & Africa loitering munition market is segmented into type, platform, and country.

Based on type, the loitering munition market is segmented into fixed wing and rotary wing. The fixed wing segment held the larger Middle East & Africa loitering munition market share in 2023.

Based on platform, the loitering munition market is segmented into air, naval, and land. The land segment held the largest Middle East & Africa loitering munition market share in 2023.

Based on country, the loitering munition market is segmented into the UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the Rest of Middle East & Africa. The Rest of Middle East & Africa dominated the Middle East & Africa loitering munition market share in 2023.

AeroVironment Inc; Elbit Systems Ltd; Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd; Lockheed Martin Corp; Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd; STM AS; and the UVision Air Ltd. are the leading companies operating in the loitering munition market in the Middle East & Africa.