Electronic Warfare (EW) Market Size 2026-2030
The electronic warfare (ew) market size is valued to increase by USD 8.02 billion, at a CAGR of 6% from 2025 to 2030. Rising geopolitical tensions and conflicts will drive the electronic warfare (ew) market.
Major Market Trends & Insights
- North America dominated the market and accounted for a 39% growth during the forecast period.
- By Application - Support segment was valued at USD 11.11 billion in 2024
- By Platform - Airborne segment accounted for the largest market revenue share in 2024
Market Size & Forecast
- Market Opportunities: USD 13.23 billion
- Market Future Opportunities: USD 8.02 billion
- CAGR from 2025 to 2030 : 6%
Market Summary
- The Electronic Warfare (EW) Market is defined by the strategic imperative to control the electromagnetic spectrum. This involves a triad of core functions: electronic attack to disrupt adversary capabilities, electronic protection to ensure the integrity of friendly systems, and electronic warfare support to gather intelligence.
- A key driver is the global escalation in defense modernization programs, as nations seek to gain an edge in network-centric warfare and multi-domain operations. Concurrently, a major trend is the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to enable cognitive EW capabilities for autonomous threat response.
- For instance, a defense organization can deploy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with AI-driven signal intelligence platforms. These systems can autonomously perform real-time data analysis in a contested electromagnetic environment, identifying and prioritizing new threats with an efficiency that surpasses human analysis by over 40%.
- However, the high costs of developing and integrating these sophisticated technologies, along with the complexity of multi-domain signal processing, pose significant challenges to widespread adoption.
What will be the Size of the Electronic Warfare (EW) Market during the forecast period?
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How is the Electronic Warfare (EW) Market Segmented?
The electronic warfare (ew) industry research report provides comprehensive data (region-wise segment analysis), with forecasts and estimates in "USD million" for the period 2026-2030, as well as historical data from 2020-2024 for the following segments.
- Application
- Support
- Protection
- Attack
- Platform
- Airborne
- Ground
- Naval
- Space
- Technology
- IR missile warning
- Antennas
- Anti-jam system
- Others
- Geography
- North America
- US
- Canada
- Mexico
- APAC
- China
- Japan
- India
- Europe
- Germany
- UK
- France
- Middle East and Africa
- Saudi Arabia
- UAE
- Israel
- South America
- Brazil
- Argentina
- Colombia
- Rest of World (ROW)
- North America
By Application Insights
The support segment is estimated to witness significant growth during the forecast period.
The electronic warfare (EW) market is segmented by application, including Support, which provides the foundational layer for electromagnetic operations. This involves the systematic detection, identification, and location of radiated electromagnetic energy for real-time situational awareness and strategic planning.
The primary objective is to build an electronic order of battle, enabling immediate threat recognition.
Modern systems now incorporate machine learning algorithms and cognitive sensors to automate the classification of unidentified signals, achieving up to a 35% reduction in cognitive load for operators.
The use of system-on-chip (soc) architectures and multi-domain signal processing is crucial for handling the increasing complexity of signal modulation in contested electromagnetic environments.
This intelligence gathering through electronic warfare support is a prerequisite for any effective defensive or offensive action, shaping multi-domain operations and ensuring battlefield survivability.
The Support segment was valued at USD 11.11 billion in 2024 and showed a gradual increase during the forecast period.
Regional Analysis
North America is estimated to contribute 39% to the growth of the global market during the forecast period.Technavio’s analysts have elaborately explained the regional trends and drivers that shape the market during the forecast period.
See How Electronic Warfare (EW) Market Demand is Rising in North America Request Free Sample
The geographic landscape of the Electronic Warfare (EW) Market is dominated by North America, which accounts for nearly 39% of the incremental growth, driven by the United States' substantial defense budget and focus on multi-domain operations.
This region leads in developing and deploying advanced technologies like cognitive electronic warfare, directed energy weapons, and gallium nitride-based systems. In contrast, the APAC region is the fastest-growing market, fueled by escalating geopolitical tensions and widespread military modernization.
Nations across APAC are heavily investing in electronic countermeasures and signal intelligence platforms to secure maritime and land borders. For instance, the adoption of new signal jamming technologies in the region has improved coastal surveillance effectiveness by over 20%.
This global dynamic creates a competitive environment where both established and emerging powers prioritize electromagnetic spectrum dominance and secure communication networks.
Market Dynamics
Our researchers analyzed the data with 2025 as the base year, along with the key drivers, trends, and challenges. A holistic analysis of drivers will help companies refine their marketing strategies to gain a competitive advantage.
- The strategic development of the global electronic warfare (EW) market is increasingly focused on specialized applications and integrated system performance. The effective development of software-defined radio for EW is a cornerstone of this evolution, enabling platforms to adapt to dynamic threats.
- A key area is the enhancement of EW solutions for unmanned aerial vehicles, which require a balance of low weight and high performance. Concurrently, advancements in gallium nitride for EW systems are pushing the boundaries of power and efficiency, directly impacting the offensive capabilities of electronic attack systems.
- This is complemented by a focus on protecting assets with electronic protection systems, which are crucial for ensuring survivability. The integration of AI in cognitive electronic warfare allows for autonomous response mechanisms, a critical capability when countering advanced threats with electronic countermeasures. The role of electronic warfare in network-centric warfare continues to expand, demanding seamless data fusion and interoperability.
- However, significant challenges in multi-domain EW integration remain, particularly in achieving spectrum dominance in contested environments. The ability to conduct cyber operations with electronic warfare is a force multiplier, but securing communications in electronic warfare becomes even more critical.
- Solutions like infrared countermeasures for missile defense and anti-jamming systems for satellite communications address specific vulnerabilities, enhancing survivability improvements with EW suites. Modern EW applications in naval warfare platforms often require system lifecycles that are 50% shorter than previous generations due to rapid technological shifts.
- Ultimately, the successful deployment of electronic warfare systems for multi-domain operations depends on a holistic approach that addresses these interconnected technological and strategic challenges.
What are the key market drivers leading to the rise in the adoption of Electronic Warfare (EW) Industry?
- Rising geopolitical tensions and conflicts are a significant driver for the market, compelling nations to enhance their defense capabilities.
- The market is primarily driven by increased defense modernization programs globally, as nations upgrade military capabilities to address sophisticated threats in contested electromagnetic environments.
- These programs, which often see budget allocations increase by 10-15% annually in key regions, prioritize the integration of advanced technologies like AI, secure communication networks, and electronic countermeasures.
- The rising demand for systems that ensure battlefield survivability against precision-guided munitions and electronic surveillance is a major catalyst.
- Furthermore, the shift toward network-centric warfare and multi-domain operations amplifies the need for integrated EW solutions that provide real-time situational awareness across air, land, sea, and space, making operational superiority a key investment focus for defense ministries worldwide.
What are the market trends shaping the Electronic Warfare (EW) Industry?
- The integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning represents a transformative trend, driven by the need for faster and more adaptive threat responses in complex electromagnetic environments.
- A pivotal trend shaping the market is the integration of artificial intelligence into cognitive electronic warfare systems, enabling autonomous threat response. This shift allows platforms to analyze the electromagnetic environment and adapt to novel threats in real time, a capability that improves threat identification accuracy by over 30% compared to rule-based systems.
- The development of miniaturized EW components, driven by advances in system-on-chip (SoC) architectures, is enabling the deployment of sophisticated electronic warfare support on smaller platforms like unmanned aerial vehicles and even soldier-worn devices. This trend supports the broader move toward distributed spectrum dominance.
- Furthermore, the use of open systems architectures (MOSA) is becoming standard, facilitating rapid, cost-effective upgrades and enhancing interoperability in multi-domain conflicts, reducing software integration timelines by as much as 40%.
What challenges does the Electronic Warfare (EW) Industry face during its growth?
- The substantial development and integration costs associated with sophisticated electronic warfare systems present a key challenge to market growth.
- A primary challenge constraining market growth is the complexity of multi-domain EW operations and the high costs associated with development and integration. Creating systems that function seamlessly across air, land, sea, and space domains with different threat landscapes escalates development expenses by up to 50% compared to single-domain solutions.
- Integrating electronic protection, electronic attack, and advanced electronic countermeasures into legacy platforms while ensuring interoperability presents significant technical hurdles. Furthermore, stringent regulatory frameworks and export controls add layers of administrative burden, delaying project timelines by an average of 18-24 months.
- These factors create substantial barriers, particularly for smaller firms, and demand innovative, cost-effective approaches like modular designs and collaborative development to sustain market momentum.
Exclusive Technavio Analysis on Customer Landscape
The electronic warfare (ew) market forecasting report includes the adoption lifecycle of the market, covering from the innovator’s stage to the laggard’s stage. It focuses on adoption rates in different regions based on penetration. Furthermore, the electronic warfare (ew) market report also includes key purchase criteria and drivers of price sensitivity to help companies evaluate and develop their market growth analysis strategies.
Customer Landscape of Electronic Warfare (EW) Industry
Competitive Landscape
Companies are implementing various strategies, such as strategic alliances, electronic warfare (ew) market forecast, partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, geographical expansion, and product/service launches, to enhance their presence in the industry.
Airbus SE - Key offerings include advanced electronic warfare solutions such as the Arexis EW suite and integrated self-protection systems designed to enhance aircraft survivability and electronic attack capabilities.
The industry research and growth report includes detailed analyses of the competitive landscape of the market and information about key companies, including:
- Airbus SE
- ASELSAN AS
- BAE Systems Plc
- Elbit Systems Ltd.
- General Dynamics Corp.
- Israel Aerospace Ltd.
- L3Harris Technologies Inc.
- Leonardo S.p.A.
- Lockheed Martin Corp.
- Mercury Systems Inc.
- Northrop Grumman Corp.
- RTX Corp.
- Saab AB
- Sierra Nevada Corp.
- Teledyne Technologies Inc.
- Thales Group
- The Boeing Co.
Qualitative and quantitative analysis of companies has been conducted to help clients understand the wider business environment as well as the strengths and weaknesses of key industry players. Data is qualitatively analyzed to categorize companies as pure play, category-focused, industry-focused, and diversified; it is quantitatively analyzed to categorize companies as dominant, leading, strong, tentative, and weak.
Recent Development and News in Electronic warfare (ew) market
- In August 2024, The United States Navy awarded a major contract for the production of the Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program Block 3, aimed at boosting the fleet's non-kinetic electronic attack capabilities against anti-ship missiles.
- In November 2024, The Australian Department of Defence finalized a strategic agreement to increase the production of electronic attack components for its EA-18G Growler fleet, strengthening international defense partnerships.
- In March 2025, The French Ministry of the Armed Forces completed the first extensive operational flight test of the SPECTRA electronic warfare suite on the Rafale F4.2 standard, which uses AI for automated threat management.
- In May 2025, BAE Systems delivered the initial production units of the Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System to the United States Air Force for integration on the F-15EX platform.
Dive into Technavio’s robust research methodology, blending expert interviews, extensive data synthesis, and validated models for unparalleled Electronic Warfare (EW) Market insights. See full methodology.
| Market Scope | |
|---|---|
| Page number | 307 |
| Base year | 2025 |
| Historic period | 2020-2024 |
| Forecast period | 2026-2030 |
| Growth momentum & CAGR | Accelerate at a CAGR of 6% |
| Market growth 2026-2030 | USD 8024.6 million |
| Market structure | Fragmented |
| YoY growth 2025-2026(%) | 5.4% |
| Key countries | US, Canada, Mexico, China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, Indonesia, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Israel, South Africa, Turkey, Brazil, Argentina and Colombia |
| Competitive landscape | Leading Companies, Market Positioning of Companies, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks |
Research Analyst Overview
- The Electronic Warfare (EW) Market is undergoing a fundamental transformation, shifting from traditional platforms to interconnected, software-defined systems. This evolution is driven by the necessity for electromagnetic spectrum dominance in multi-domain operations. Key technologies such as gallium nitride (GaN) and advanced chiplet architectures are enabling a new generation of high-performance systems.
- The integration of digital radio frequency memory and cognitive EW capabilities allows platforms to counter threats with unprecedented speed and adaptability. Boardroom-level decisions are now centered on investing in modular open systems architectures (MOSA), which can reduce system integration costs by up to 30% by decoupling hardware and software.
- The market is also seeing increased demand for sophisticated signal intelligence platforms and robust electronic countermeasures. The proliferation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has spurred the development of lightweight, soldier-worn devices and advanced system-on-chip (SoC) architectures. Technologies like directed energy weapons, cyber-electronic integration, and advanced electronic protection suites are becoming standard requirements.
- This strategic pivot ensures forces can achieve operational superiority in contested environments through superior electronic attack and secure communication networks.
What are the Key Data Covered in this Electronic Warfare (EW) Market Research and Growth Report?
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What is the expected growth of the Electronic Warfare (EW) Market between 2026 and 2030?
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USD 8.02 billion, at a CAGR of 6%
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What segmentation does the market report cover?
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The report is segmented by Application (Support, Protection, and Attack), Platform (Airborne, Ground, Naval, and Space), Technology (IR missile warning, Antennas, Anti-jam system, and Others) and Geography (North America, APAC, Europe, Middle East and Africa, South America)
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Which regions are analyzed in the report?
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North America, APAC, Europe, Middle East and Africa and South America
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What are the key growth drivers and market challenges?
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Rising geopolitical tensions and conflicts, High development and integration costs
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Who are the major players in the Electronic Warfare (EW) Market?
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Airbus SE, ASELSAN AS, BAE Systems Plc, Elbit Systems Ltd., General Dynamics Corp., Israel Aerospace Ltd., L3Harris Technologies Inc., Leonardo S.p.A., Lockheed Martin Corp., Mercury Systems Inc., Northrop Grumman Corp., RTX Corp., Saab AB, Sierra Nevada Corp., Teledyne Technologies Inc., Thales Group and The Boeing Co.
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Market Research Insights
- Market dynamics are shaped by the critical need for operational superiority in an increasingly complex electromagnetic environment. The emphasis on real-time threat recognition and battlefield survivability drives investment in systems that deliver enhanced situational awareness. For example, the adoption of new architectures has been shown to improve threat detection accuracy by over 25% compared to legacy systems.
- Furthermore, the move toward modular designs reduces system update cycles by 40%, allowing forces to adapt to new asymmetric warfare tactics more rapidly. This focus on agility and adaptability is essential for maintaining an advantage in network-centric operations and countering sophisticated precision-guided munitions. The result is a market where performance and responsiveness are key differentiators.
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