Chicago, Jan. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global unmanned electronic warfare market was valued at US$ 2,728.12 million in 2025 and is projected to reach US$ 5,032.44 million by 2035, growing at a CAGR of 7.04% during the forecast period 2026–2035.
Key Findings
- In the product type segment of the global unmanned electronic warfare market, Unmanned Electronic Warfare Equipment emerges as the dominant category. Holding an impressive 71.74% market share.
- In the capability segment, Electronic Protection (EP) holds the highest market share at 36.65%.
- In the platform-based segmentation, the Airborne segment takes the lead with a 41.74% market share in the global unmanned electronic warfare market. The segment is also expected to grow at the highest CAGR of 7.82% during the forecast period.
- In the end-user segment, the government & defence category is leading the global market, holding an overwhelming 86.07% market share and the highest projected CAGR of 7.28%.
- North America holds a commanding position with over 35% of the global market share.
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The unmanned electronic warfare market is experiencing unprecedented demand due to stark cost-exchange ratios. State actors now pivot toward attritable systems because human operators cannot manually process swarm attacks at required speeds. Operational data from August 2025 indicates that Ukrainian interceptor drones now handle approximately 20% of incoming Shahed-type threats. These interceptors cost roughly USD 2,500 per unit yet defeat Russian targets valued between USD 30,000 and USD 50,000. Such financial efficiency forces major powers to abandon exquisite platforms for distributed architectures.
Market momentum accelerates further when analyzing saturation attacks. Russian forces launched a record 818 drones and missiles in a single September 2025 strike against infrastructure. Defending against such volume requires the scalable solutions found within the unmanned electronic warfare market. High-speed automated responses are no longer optional. Cost disparities and volume metrics confirm that low-cost, expendable assets now define modern procurement cycles.
United States Driving Global Demand Through Unrivaled Cognitive Warfare Superiority
The United States stands as the undisputed gravitational center of the unmanned electronic warfare market, a position solidified not merely by budget size but by a radical doctrinal pivot known as "Mosaic Warfare." As of fiscal year 2025, the U.S. has moved beyond experimental prototypes to the systemic fielding of attritable, networked EW assets. This surge is primarily fueled by the Department of Defense’s Replicator Initiative, which has rapidly accelerated the production of thousands of autonomous systems. The goal is clear: to flood the battlespace with so many EW-capable nodes that adversary targeting loops collapse under the sheer volume of targets.
This demand is anchored in specific, high-value programs that have transitioned to procurement. The U.S. Army’s Multi-Function Electronic Warfare-Air Large (MFEW-AL) program is a prime example, having successfully entered Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) in late 2024. By mounting sophisticated jamming and sensing pods onto the MQ-1C Gray Eagle, the Army has effectively operationalized the ability to blind enemy communications from safe standoff distances. Simultaneously, the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program is driving a massive industrial requirement for modular EW payloads. These "loyal wingmen" are designed to act as forward-deployed jammers, screening the F-35 and B-21 fleets from advanced integrated air defense systems.
Furthermore, the U.S. holds the production edge because it dominates the supply chain for Gallium Nitride (GaN) components. This semiconductor technology is the heart of modern EW, allowing amplifiers to be smaller, more powerful, and heat-resistant—crucial traits for the size-constrained payloads of unmanned systems. While other nations rely on older Gallium Arsenide tech, U.S. defense primes like L3Harris and Northrop Grumman have successfully miniaturized cognitive EW capabilities.
Commanding 71.74% Market Share Through Specialized Unmanned Electronic Warfare Equipment
The overwhelming dominance of the equipment segment in the unmanned electronic warfare market highlights a critical evolution in defense procurement: the shift from platform-centric to payload-centric value. Holding 71.74% of the market, this category's leadership is driven by the acute engineering challenge of "Size, Weight, and Power" (SWaP). Unlike manned aircraft that can carry heavy, power-hungry jamming pods, unmanned systems require distinct, miniaturized hardware architectures.
The lucrative insight here is the move toward modular, software-defined hardware. The market is rewarding manufacturers who can deliver "cognitive" EW payloads—hardware capable of running AI algorithms at the edge. This equipment does not merely blast noise; it intelligently characterizes signals and selects jamming techniques autonomously. The high market share confirms that the current revenue engine is the physical acquisition of these advanced sensors, jamming pods, and directed energy components, rather than the associated services, indicating a hardware-hungry cycle of fleet modernization.
Securing Operational Resilience with Electronic Protection Holding 36.65% Share
While Electronic Attack (EA) often garners headlines in the unmanned electronic warfare market , the data reveals that Electronic Protection (EP) is the functional bedrock of the market, capturing the highest share at 36.65%. This dominance is a direct response to the vulnerability of unmanned links in contested environments. In recent high-intensity conflicts, commercial and tactical drones are routinely neutralized not by missiles, but by severing their command links or spoofing their navigation.
From a market perspective, this prioritizes "link assurance" technologies. Stakeholders are investing heavily in Controlled Reception Pattern Antennas (CRPAs), anti-jamming GPS modules, and frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) datalinks. The dominance of EP signifies that before an unmanned system can be used as a weapon, it must first be survivable. The lucrativeness of this segment lies in "hardening" technologies—solutions that allow unmanned assets to operate inside enemy interference bubbles without losing autonomy.
Airborne Segment Dominance Soars to 41.74% Share with Highest Growth Trajectory
The Airborne segment’s leadership, commanding 41.74% of the market, is rooted in the physics of electromagnetic propagation. Aerial platforms offer the superior line-of-sight required to detect enemy emissions and project jamming energy effectively. However, the projected CAGR of 7.82% signals a deeper tactical shift toward "Stand-in Jamming."
Militaries are aggressively moving away from risking expensive manned growler-type aircraft for close-in suppression missions. Instead, they are utilizing swarms of expendable UAVs and loitering munitions equipped with EW payloads to penetrate Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) zones. This segment is highly lucrative because it encompasses a wide range of airframes, from High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) surveillance drones to micro-UAVs used for tactical proximity jamming. The growth rate confirms that air superiority is now inextricably linked to unmanned electromagnetic superiority.
Government & Defence Sector Monopolizes Unmanned Electronic Warfare Market with 86.07% Share Thanks to Aggressive Procurement
The Government & Defence segment’s massive 86.07% share underscores that unmanned EW is almost exclusively a sovereign capability. With a projected CAGR of 7.28%, this dominance is fueled by the return of great power competition. Unlike the commercial drone market, the EW sector is insulated from economic downturns by long-term national security budgets.
The insight for stakeholders lies in the "sovereignty" of the technology. Governments are prioritizing domestic supply chains for EW strictly to avoid "kill switches" or compromised chips in critical defense infrastructure. The growth in this sector is not just about buying more drones; it is about the integration of unmanned EW assets into the broader Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) architectures. The spending power here is concentrated on systems that can seamlessly share spectrum data across the entire defense network, making interoperability the key driver for future contracts.
Red Sea Naval Conflict Accelerates Unmanned Electronic Warfare Market Adoption
Maritime conflict zones provide critical data points validating the urgent need for persistent surveillance meshes. Houthi forces executed 16 confirmed attacks on commercial vessels in June 2024 alone. Coalition forces subsequently intercepted 15 one-way attack drones during a single engagement in March 2024. These events prove that the unmanned electronic warfare market is essential for protecting global shipping lanes. Persistent unmanned surveillance allows navies to maintain operational continuity despite constant asymmetric threats.
Naval strategies now heavily integrate autonomous systems to counter these dangers. Task Force 59 logged over 60,000 hours of unmanned surface vessel operations by January 2024. Task Group 59.1 was commissioned on January 3, 2024, to specifically operationalize these technologies. Such organizational restructuring within the US Navy signals long-term investment. The unmanned electronic warfare market continues to expand as naval forces seek to reduce risk to manned vessels through autonomous sensor networks.
Advanced Fiber Optic Threats Expand Unmanned Electronic Warfare Market Range
Technological escalations in drone warfare are pushing the boundaries of detection and interception capabilities. Summer 2025 saw the deployment of Russian fiber-optic guided drones which act immune to traditional jamming. These units extended operational ranges to 20 km. Advanced variants fielded in late 2025 further increased this range to 50 to 60 km. The market must now deliver kinetic solutions to address this expanded danger zone.
Traditional electronic countermeasures often fail against hard-wired threats. Defense mechanisms consequently require kinetic interceptors capable of operating at these extended distances. Demand is shifting toward systems that can physically neutralize targets immune to soft-kill effects. Consequently, the unmanned electronic warfare market is diversifying into kinetic interception to counter unjammable threats. These operational realities drive the development of hardware capable of engaging enemies well beyond the visual horizon.
Rapid Anduril Contracts Signal Unmanned Electronic Warfare Market Disruption
Agile competitors are outmaneuvering traditional primes by delivering software-defined hardware on aggressive timelines. Anduril Industries secured a USD 249,978,466 contract in October 2024 to deliver Pulsar EW capabilities and Roadrunner-M units. The agreement commits to delivering over 500 Roadrunner-M systems by the end of 2025. Such volume highlights the unmanned electronic warfare market shift toward mass manufacturing. Production roadmaps now target annual outputs in the hundreds before scaling to thousands.
Portability and speed constitute primary competitive advantages in this sector. Anduril unveiled the Pulsar-L system in April 2025. It weighs less than 25 lbs and allows dismounted troops to deploy EW capabilities. Operators can deploy the system in under 2 minutes. The US Marine Corps awarded a USD 642 million contract in March 2025 for these capabilities. Development timelines from concept to fielding take just 8 months, setting a new pace for the market.
Capability Demonstrations Define Competitive Market Leaders
Operational success rates in controlled tests are determining market winners. Shield AI won a USD 198 million IDIQ contract from the US Coast Guard in July 2024. Their V-BAT platform offers 10 hours of endurance and carries a 25 lb payload. Epirus demonstrated its Leonidas system defeating 61 out of 61 targets in September 2025. Gallium Nitride power amplifiers enable these high-power microwave effects. The unmanned electronic warfare market rewards such 100% success rates.
Kinetic and non-kinetic solutions are advancing simultaneously. Epirus received a USD 43.5 million contract in July 2025 for two IFPC-HPM systems. Fortem Technologies reported over 4,500 successful captures with its DroneHunter F700. The F700 boasts a 4 km detection range and a rapid reload time of under 3 minutes. These metrics prove that the market offers mature solutions ready for immediate deployment against swarm threats.
Federal Budget Allocations Fuel Unmanned Electronic Warfare Market Expansion
Government spending is pivoting aggressively toward autonomous systems to ensure force protection. The US Navy proposed FY2026 budget allocates USD 5.3 billion specifically for autonomy. That figure represents a USD 2.2 billion increase for unmanned maritime systems over the previous year. The Replicator Initiative Tranche 2 focuses exclusively on C-sUAS systems. The DoD selected 30 prime contractors from over 500 applicants, significantly widening the unmanned electronic warfare market base.
Corporate consolidation and army procurement further illustrate this financial trend. Axon Enterprise acquired Dedrone for approximately USD 400 million in October 2024. That move expanded Axon’s Total Addressable Market by USD 14 billion. The US Army awarded Mastodon Design USD 99.9 million for TLS-BCT Manpacks. Procurement documents show requests for 52 units in FY2024 and another 51 units in FY2025. These specific line items guarantee sustained revenue growth within the market.
Maritime Systems and Charging Tech Bolster Unmanned Electronic Warfare Market
Underwater and surface innovations are creating persistent sensor meshes in contested waters. Northrop Grumman completed the Manta Ray prototype in April 2024. Its modular design fits into five standard shipping containers for global transport. Kraken Technology Group collaborated with L3Harris to integrate control systems into the K40 MANTA USV. L3Harris also received a USD 520 million contract modification for Viper Shield. The unmanned electronic warfare market thrives on such modularity and interoperability.
Support infrastructure is equally vital for maintaining continuous defensive swarms. The Skycharge docking system used by Fortem weighs just 25 grams. It recharges drone batteries in approximately 30 minutes. Shield AI’s V-BAT contract covers a 5-year period of performance. Continuous operation requires these rapid turnaround times. Innovations in power management and logistics are effectively removing downtime constraints, thereby accelerating the growth of the market.
Geopolitical Tensions and Testing Validate Market Growth
Strategic deployments in the Indo-Pacific are driving massive capital injections into drone technology. Taiwan proposed a special defense budget of NT 1.25 trillion (approx USD 40 billion) in December 2025. A specific allocation of NT 1.01 billion (USD 32 million) targets drone integration. The US defense bill passed in December 2025 includes USD 1 billion for Taiwan security cooperation. These funds directly stimulate the unmanned electronic warfare market as Taiwan aims to produce 100,000 drones.
Rigorous testing ensures these investments yield combat-ready technologies. Silent Swarm 2024 tested 57 distinct technologies with over 500 participants. The event focused on Technology Readiness Levels 2 to 5. Northern Edge exercises utilized F-15EX platforms to demonstrate cognitive EW capabilities. Contracts worth NT 3.8 billion have been established with firms like Skydio and Parrot. Such global cooperation and testing protocols ensure the unmanned electronic warfare market delivers reliable asymmetric defense capabilities.
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Unmanned Electronic Warfare Market Major Players:
- BAE Systems
- Elbit Systems Ltd.
- General Dynamics Corporation
- L3Harris Technologies
- Lockheed Martin Corporation
- Northrop Grumman Corporation
- Raytheon Technologies Corporation
- ROBIN RADAR SYSTEMS
- Thales Group
- UAV Navigation
- Other Prominent Players
Key Market Segmentation:
By Product Type
- Unmanned Electronic Warfare Equipment
- Jammers
- Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs)
- Software Defined Radio (SDR)
- Frequency Hopping (FH) Radios
- Acoustic Sensors (Microphones)
- Optical Sensors (Cameras)
- Antennas / Antenna Arrays
- Other Equipment
- Unmanned Electronic Warfare Operational Support
By Capability
- Electronic Support (ES)
- Electronic Protection (EP)
- Electronic Attack (EA)
By Platform
- Airborne
- Ground
- Space
- Naval
By Mode of Operation
- Semi-Autonomous
- Fully Autonomous
By End User
- Government & Defence
- Commercial & Industrial
By Region
- North America
- Europe
- Asia Pacific
- Middle East & Africa (MEA)
- South America
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