Surveillance Radars Market Size, Share, Trends, Growth and Forecast 2026–2034

Surveillance Radars Market Overview Analysis By Fortune Business Insights Analysis

Market Size & Growth Outlook

According to Fortune Business Insights: The global surveillance radars market was valued at USD 11.04 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow from USD 12.35 billion in 2025 to USD 23.60 billion by 2032, exhibiting a CAGR of 9.7% during the forecast period. Asia Pacific dominated the market with a 40.31% share in 2024.

Radars are essential for monitoring critical infrastructure and facilities including airports, camps, borders, and ports — detecting and tracking non-linear, cooperative, and moving targets for national security while improving border security across commercial and defense sectors. Radar systems operate across land, naval, air, and space platforms, with most systems operating within the S-band frequency range for search and targeting functions. Air-to-ground radars provide critical support for aerospace and maritime security, detecting aircraft, ultralight aircraft, stealth targets, UAVs/UAS, helicopters, boats, and ships during tactical missions in unknown areas. Major players including Northrop Grumman, Raytheon Technologies, Thales Group, Saab AB, Leonardo S.p.A., and Lockheed Martin offer advanced air and ground surveillance radars — with Raytheon providing integrated platforms including SENTINEL and AMDR systems, and Thales specializing in multi-mode solutions including Ground Master and STAR NG radars.

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Russia-Ukraine War Impact

The war has disrupted global economic recovery from COVID-19, resulted in economic sanctions, rising commodity prices, and supply chain disruptions, while fundamentally changing global defense procurement approaches. India, China, Canada, Estonia, Iraq, and Taiwan have prioritized radar industry defense spending to build infrastructure combating growing security threats. In June 2022, Blighter Surveillance Systems supplied A422 medium-range military airborne radars — capable of detecting targets up to 20 km away with exceptional noise reduction near horizons, cities, and coastlines — as part of Anti-UAS capability supporting Ukrainian forces. In May 2024, Sweden announced donation of two Airborne Surveillance and Control (ASC) Radar aircraft to Ukraine as part of a USD 1.3 million defense package, reflecting the growing emphasis on surveillance radar systems in modern warfare.

Market Drivers

Advancement in Border Surveillance Systems: Border surveillance systems including autonomous drones and acoustic radar technologies continue advancing, with mobile border security radars enabling more effective protection across countries facing border disputes, drug trafficking, and illegal immigration. In February 2025, India unveiled new air surveillance radars at Aero India 2025, including the VHF SR RSV radar developed by DRDO's Electronics & Radar Development Establishment (LRDE) — specifically designed to detect stealth aircraft within the 30–300 MHz frequency band, encouraging indigenous technology investment globally.

Expansion of New and Maintenance of Existing Airports: Airport surveillance radars are in growing demand to reduce accidents as air travel becomes more efficient and safer, with governments making substantial investments in internal security and sophisticated airport radars amid increased passenger traffic. In November 2022, Indra was awarded a USD 103+ million, 13-year contract by German air navigation provider DFS to upgrade the country's aerial radar network. In December 2024, Thales secured a contract from the Dutch Air Navigation Services Provider to supply RSM NG — a digital Secondary Surveillance Radar at Schiphol Airport — replacing the current secondary radar with enhanced performance and reliability.

Market Restraints

High Maintenance Cost: Radar requirements demand high operational efficiency, advanced systems, cross-platform compatibility, and wide frequency range, operating in harsh environments where equipment failure can cause catastrophic damage. In January 2023, Thales offered a USD 1,850 million radar system with supply and support services to French, Italian, and British Armies, signing a three-year service contract (with optional two-year extension) with OCCAR covering French, Italian, and British navies — illustrating the substantial ongoing cost commitments required to sustain radar infrastructure.

Market Opportunities

Integration of AI for Autonomous Target Recognition: AI integration enabling autonomous target recognition and real-time data analysis represents a key market opportunity. AI-powered radar systems can differentiate objects, recognize patterns, and make rapid decisions without human intervention — significantly improving situational awareness and operational efficiency for military and civilian applications, addressing growing demand for advanced border, infrastructure, air, and maritime surveillance security.

Market Trends

Development of Active Electronically Steered Array (AESA) Radar Production: AESA radar technology uses next-generation Trans-Receive (TR) modules and high-performance Software-Defined Radios (SDRs), extensively deployed to upgrade and replace older radar technologies. The modular AESA design increases reliability — failure of a critical TR module does not render the entire radar unusable, as the system can be restored through quick module replacement. Companies including Leonardo S.p.A. and Northrop Grumman provide AESA radars offering fast scanning speeds, improved tracking, and better jamming resistance than mechanical radars. In June 2024, the Brazilian Air Force procured the Ground Master 200 Multi-Mission "All-in-One" (GM200 MM/A) radar featuring advanced 4D AESA technology for enhanced situational awareness and threat detection flexibility.

Segmentation Analysis

By Platform: Ground dominated with the largest market share in 2024, as countries utilize ground surveillance radar systems for infiltration protection and threat identification. In December 2024, India's Border Security Force employed ground radar and anti-drone systems to identify tunnels and stop intrusion activities across the Indo-Pakistan border in Jammu and Punjab. Space is estimated to witness the fastest growth due to technological advantages over other platforms; in March 2022, ISRO announced launching a space-based radar for tracking space debris under the NETRA project (tracking debris over 1,500 km range), while in February 2025, Indra was awarded a German Air Force contract to supply space surveillance radar detecting objects in low space orbits to protect operational satellites from debris collisions. Airborne and naval segments are expected to grow marginally due to increased demand from airlines and navies/coastal forces.

By Radar Type: Long-range held the largest market share and is expected to grow fastest, driven by rising defense applications and space-based synthetic aperture radar demand. In February 2024, Lockheed Martin promoted its TPY-4 ground-based long-range surveillance radar for the Republic of Singapore Air Force's air-defense requirements, offering improved detection range versus FPS-117 radars. Medium-range holds the second-highest share, anticipated to grow through global upgrades and new procurements, while short-range demand is supported by increasing smart traffic management adoption; in September 2022, Iran announced deployment of horizon radar capable of detecting targets within 3,000 km range.

By Application: Military is projected to grow at the highest CAGR, driven by cross-border conflicts, increased defense budgets, and rising geopolitical tensions fueling procurement and upgrades for enhanced threat detection and multi-domain integration. Commercial applications are expected to grow significantly due to rising aerospace industry demand. Homeland security holds the third-largest share, with growing AI-enabled traffic management systems driving demand. The others segment includes radars used by wildlife departments and airlines to track animals, birds, and other moving entities.

Regional Outlook

Asia Pacific is estimated to account for the highest market share, driven by growing demand for advanced naval radars from India and China, alongside rising need for enhanced national security and stable border integrity. In December 2024, India negotiated a USD 4 billion defense deal with Russia to procure the Voronezh radar system, strengthening India's air defense and surveillance across Asia and the Indian Ocean, providing strategic situational awareness advantage over China, South Asia, and the Indian Ocean region.

North America is estimated to be the second-largest market, supported by large defense department budgets and the U.S.'s aging fleet upgrade and advanced equipment procurement initiatives. North America's approximately 8.5 lakh miles of coastline creates substantial opportunities for coast guard radar system deployment, with U.S. and Canadian governments maintaining reasonable defense budgets. In June 2024, the U.S. Navy awarded Raytheon Technologies a USD 677 million contract to produce AN/SPY-6(V) radars, adding seven additional maritime surveillance radars and bringing the total procurement to 38 units.

Europe holds the third position, expected to grow significantly due to increased defense and commercial industry investment, with regional manufacturers modernizing production facilities and infrastructure amid rising industrial automation. In May 2023, the U.K. signed a contract with Elbit Systems UK to supply 90 GBSR systems between 2023–2024 (with an option for 40 additional systems), featuring customized optimized stabilization units and capture software for improved frontline surveillance.

Middle East & Africa growth is catalyzed by increased UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Israel investments. In August 2022, Indra offered Saudi Arabia radar systems for the Royal Saudi Air Defense Force alongside a Transfer of Technology (ToT) contract.

Latin America expects moderate growth through new acquisitions from Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. In April 2022, Thales announced installation of new solar-powered air traffic radars in Calama, Chile. In December 2024, the Brazilian Army awarded Embraer a USD 16.6 million contract for SABER M200 Vigilante S-band air surveillance radar to modernize its defense system.

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Competitive Landscape

The global market is highly competitive with several major players, driven by rapid radar technology development and substantial R&D investment focused on innovative solutions. Key players include BAE Systems Plc (U.K.), Hensoldt AG (Germany), Leonardo S.p.A. (Italy), Honeywell International (U.S.), Lockheed Martin Corporation (U.S.), L3Harris Technologies Inc. (U.S.), Northrop Grumman Corporation (U.S.), Raytheon Technologies Corporation (U.S.), SAAB AB (Sweden), and Thales Group (France).

Key recent developments include Israel Aerospace Industries' February 2025 delivery of its new C-catcher Multi-Mode, Multi-Role Airborne Surveillance Radar equipped with GaN AESA technology to a strategic customer; Saab's December 2024 USD 48 million contract for multiple Giraffe 4A radar systems from BAE Systems supporting U.S. Air Forces in Europe; BAE Systems and Leonardo UK's October 2024 successful first flight test of the European Common Radar System Mark 2 (ECRS Mk2) on a UK Typhoon test aircraft, offering combined radar functions and electronic warfare capabilities; BAE Systems' June 2023 USD 341 million (£270 million) 10-year contract to support, upgrade, and maintain Royal Navy Artisan, Sampson, and Long-Range Radar systems; and Blighter Surveillance Systems' March 2023 contract to supply multi-modal A800 3D e-scanning radars to Raytheon UK for a laser weapons project with the U.K. Ministry of Defense.

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