Market Trends of Air-based Remote Weapon Stations Industry
Helicopters Segment is Projected to Dominate the Market During the Forecast Period
Airborne remote weapon systems (RWS) are primarily mounted on helicopters. Typical examples of RWS used on attack helicopters include autocannons and machine guns, which are single-barrel and rotating.
While many countries have dedicated attack helicopters that possess a wide range of armaments, there are also RWS attached to utility and transport helicopters. These customizations are being widely adopted by countries that lack the funds to procure dedicated attack helicopters. Safran鈥檚 airborne weapon systems, General Dynamics UH-1 Plank modular helicopter weapon system designed and produced for the Bell UH-1, Huey II, 212, and 412 aircraft, the Airbus HForce helicopter weapons suite, FN Herstal鈥檚 airborne pintle mounted weapon systems. Raytheon Laser weapon systems are some of the remotely operated weapon system models currently being used.
Many helicopters are being upgraded with new and advanced weapon systems. For instance, Sikorsky developed and certified a new weapons system retrofit kit for the Black Hawk helicopters. The weapons tested during the development and certification phase included fixed-forward GAU-19 and M134 guns, among others. In October 2022, the US Navy recently retired its fleet of MQ-8Bs after 13 years of service and replaced them with the larger MQ-8C. In addition, emerging technologies, like directed energy weapons, are also being tested on helicopters. Such developments will propel the growth of the market in the forecast years.
North America Will Showcase Significant Growth in the Market During the Forecast Period
Amidst escalating tensions and border disputes, countries in North America are increasing their annual defense budget for procurement of the latest combat aircraft, helicopters, and uncrewed aerial vehicles. North America, to ensure combat readiness of existing systems, several weapon modernization programs are currently underway to effectively upgrade the capabilities of the regional armed forces for effectively responding to security threats and accomplishing urgent, critical, and dangerous strategic missions.
The US is the leading user of such weapon systems in North America and is currently focusing on upgrading its existing armada. Moreover, the country is a critical global exporter and consumer of such equipment. With potential adversaries, such as Israel, Russia, and China, fielding an increasingly diverse, expansive, and modern range of regional offensive missile systems that can threaten the aerial assets of the US forces, its allies, and partners, the US-based defense contractors are actively expanding and modernizing the capabilities of their RWS portfolio. The US Department of Defense (DoD) aims to integrate the 25mm Gatling gun onboard the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).
According to General Dynamics Corporation, the four-barrel 25mm Gatling gun can fire up to 3,300 rounds per minute to enable the aircraft to perform air-to-air attacks and close-air-support missions to troops on the ground since there are several F-35 JSFs scheduled for delivery during the forecast period. Such developments will drive the market growth in the coming years.
