Market report: by David L. Rockwell
Isis, China, Russia Fuel New Growth In Uas Sensors And Technologies
Northrop Grumman has begun flight testing the new MS-177 sensor, derived from sensors flown on the U-2 manned aircraft. Photo: Northtop Grumman
In this first of two articles, we will look at the 10-year future for the military unmanned aircraft sensor market, focusing on U.S. systems and programs, including international markets for U.S. systems. UAS have primarily served as sensor trucks, and will largely continue to do so despite the growth of armed drones. Although Teal Group Corp. sees combat UAVs (UCAVs) as a major growth area, these and other UAS will continue to serve as vehicles for bringing ISR and other sensors to bear on an area or target — targeting sensors will just be more sophisticated and expensive. Drones and drone sensor development and funding increased rapidly in the decade after the attacks of 9/11, with 26
| Unmanned Systems | October 2017
some growth continuing in recent years. But the financial crisis of 2008, proposed budget cuts, and the possibility of sequestration resulted in several years of up-and-down funding in military markets, and considerable uncertainty. Electrooptical/infrared (EO/IR) sensors — often gimbaled “sensor balls” — have been the default sensor for the vast majority of UAS, and Teal Group historical data show a $779 million UAS EO/IR market in fiscal year 2009 and $781 million in FY ‘13. But we saw this end of growth as only a pause, as most major U.S. endurance UAS platform programs were ending or nearing the end of their planned production runs. Since 2015, budgets have extended future production for several MALE and HALE programs, such as the USAF Reaper and U.S. Army Gray Eagle. And this year the
USAF is receiving three additional Block 30 Global Hawks. Global Hawk international sales have also begun with urgent orders from South Korea and Japan, and Germany and Australia (Triton). What’s more, a comprehensive new generation of EO/IR sensors is now scheduled and paid for in U.S. defense budgets. Along with the unexpected resurgence of the high altitude long endurance (HALE) EO/IR market sector, comprehensive “next-generation” sensor ball retrofits are beginning for hundreds of Reapers and Gray Eagles. Though unheralded in the media (“upgrades” rarely grab headlines), the bulk of the U.S. endurance UAS fleet will receive all-new sensors in the next few years, worth billions of dollars to both prime contractors and subs.