Market Trends of Aircraft Cameras Industry
Military Aircraft Segment to Dominate Market Share During the Forecast Period
- Military aircraft use cameras for a wide variety of applications, including surveillance, acquiring situational awareness, aerial refueling, targeting, self-protection, and monitoring the aircraft exterior, among others. On this note, the global military expenditure witnessed a YoY growth of 6% and amounted to USD 2,240 billion in 2022.
- Newer-generation military aircraft are highly dependent on imaging sensors for various operations. The growing demand for military aircraft, along with the need for enhanced situational awareness for military pilots, is driving the growth of the military aircraft segment of the market studied. For instance, in August 2023, the US government announced that it had agreed to sell Taiwan infrared search and track (IRST) technology for its fleet of F-16 Fighting Falcon jets under the Foreign Military Sales agreement worth USD 500 million. This IRST is essentially a type of camera and an ISR tool that will help obtain aerial superiority for Taiwan.
- Additionally, various OEMs are developing advanced multi-spectral IR laser-based countermeasure systems that protect a wide range of aircraft, including large and small fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and tilt-rotor platforms, from infrared-guided missiles. For instance, in August 2023, Elbit Systems showcased its various commercial and military solutions at DALO Days 2023. In this event, the company also showcased its Directed IR Countermeasures (DIRCM) solution to protect aircraft against heat-seeking ground-to-air missiles (MANPADS). This DIRCM solution features advanced laser technology along with a high frame-rate thermal camera, and it is capable of fast, accurate threat detection and jamming. Elbit Systems’ DIRCM solutions have been selected by various governments, including Israel Airforce, NATO, German Airforce, Italian Airforce, and the Brazilian Airforce to protect their military aircraft and helicopters. Such developments are expected to drive the growth of the segment during the forecast period.
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Asia-Pacific to Dominate Market Share During the Forecast Period
- Asia-Pacific is expected to be the major market for aircraft cameras during the forecast period due to the growing demand for both military and commercial aircraft from the region. The strong recovery of international passenger traffic in the Asia-Pacific is anticipated to help the commercial aviation sector in the region.
- During 2022, the regional air passenger traffic rose to 1.94 billion, with a growth of 9% compared to 2021. To cater to this demand in air travel, various airlines in the region ordered aircraft. For instance, in June 2023, Air India awarded a contract to Airbus to deliver 250 aircraft and Boeing for 220 aircraft, respectively. Among this huge order, the airline has orders for 10 B777X jets. Boeing, in its B777X jets, features a Ground Maneuver Camera System (GMCS) that is designed to assist the pilot in-ground maneuvering of the V777-300 with camera views of the nose gear and main gear areas. Also, in December 2023, the airline awarded a contract to Airbus to deliver 20 A350-900s and 20 A350-1000. The A350 aircraft due to its widebody design the aircraft features tail cameras to assist pilots when maneuvering their planes on the ground.
- Additionally, various major aircraft original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have been involved in the research and development of various solutions for commercial aircraft that involve camera systems to help the pilots land the aircraft safely. For instance, in January 2023, Airbus began testing to land a plane autonomously using its latest flight system called the DragonFly. The Dragonfly system uses computer vision and multiple cameras for automated landings during an emergency.
- Furthermore, in the military segment, cameras are used on military aircraft for conducting ISR operations. Various countries in the region are modernizing their surveillance aircraft with advanced EO/IR cameras. For instance, in March 2023, the Royal Thai Navy contracted General Atomics AeroTec Systems (GA-ATS) to provide extensive modernization and maintenance work on two Royal Thai Navy (RTN) Dornier 228s. The aircraft received various upgrades, including a 360° mission radar electro-optical/infrared camera.
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