Advancing UK Aerospace, Defence, Security & Space Solutions Worldwide
  • Home
  • /
  • Defence
  • /
  • Rising geopolitical tensions boost EW spend

Defence

Rising geopolitical tensions boost EW spend

An evolving threat landscape and impending modernisation of military aircraft will sustain demand for new, improved Electronic Warfare (EW) systems, according to a new report from Frost & Sullivan.


Courtesy Frost & Sullivan.

The emergence of stealth and low observable aircraft along with Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) systems has made integrated air defence networks very complex and difficult to counter. Also, the development of new missile-seeker technologies for surface-to-air missiles poses a serious threat to aircraft as they bypass existing missile-detection systems.

Advertisement
ODU RT

The presence of these new threats is driving the demand for modern electronic warfare (EW) systems that are sensitive enough to detect and engage targets before they are visually seen. A recent analysis of the global military airborne electronic warfare market forecasts the sector to rake in revenues over $30.8 billion between 2018 and 2028, with $21 billion worth of addressable opportunities arising from the planned and forecasted procurement of EW equipment.

"Many countries will be modernising their aging fleets through upgrade or replacement programmes in the next 10 years," said Ryan Pinto, Research Analyst, Aerospace and Defence at Frost & Sullivan. "With an increased focus on EW systems, this modernisation phase will provide opportunities to replace their existing EW capabilities with modern systems that can counter new threat environments."

Frost & Sullivan's latest research, Global Military Airborne Electronic Warfare Market, Forecast to 2028, investigates the potential of military electronic warfare (EW) equipment in today's volatile geopolitical climate.

The report explores the trends influencing electronic warfare and the factors driving sector growth and offers a segment-wise analysis of the global electronic warfare market. The research also provides detailed revenue forecasts and identifies promising opportunities for growth in the sector.

With Russia demonstrating its advanced electronic warfare capabilities in Ukraine and Syria, China has refocused its efforts toward showcasing similar capabilities in the Pacific.

The two countries see EW as an important force multiplier during a conflict. This has made bridging the EW capability gap a major priority for the US and NATO countries to maintain their advanced capabilities and remain competitive. New threats in the EW domain will drive new research and procurement programmes.

"There is a growing need for indigenisation and collaborative production, especially in emerging markets such as Saudi Arabia and India," noted Pinto. "Defence majors will have to vary their market strategy accordingly to access emerging opportunities in these markets."

Companies operating in this sector can also foster growth by:

Advertisement
ODU RT
  • Offering more robust EW systems that would enable assets to conduct hybrid EW and CW tasks simultaneously.
  • Developing faster signal processing and miniaturisation to increase the sensitivity of jammers.
  • Integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) and neural networks to enable quicker reactions, faster identification and effective suppression.
  • Reducing the size of EW payload to enable horizontal integration of multiple payloads.

Global Military Airborne Electronic Warfare Market, Forecast to 2028, is a part of Frost & Sullivan's Aerospace & Defense Growth Partnership Service program, which helps organisations identify a continuous flow of growth opportunities to succeed in an unpredictable future.


 

 

Advertisement
FIA2026 animated banner
UK and France to develop next-gen air-to-air missile

Defence

UK and France to develop next-gen air-to-air missile

1 April 2026

The United Kingdom and France have today signed a Memorandum of Understanding to conduct a joint study into the development of a successor to the Meteor missile, one of the world's most advanced beyond-visual-range air-to-air weapons.

Solar array to be installed at Bassingbourn Barracks

Defence Events

Solar array to be installed at Bassingbourn Barracks

1 April 2026

The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), working with Custom Solar on behalf of the British Army, held a ground-breaking ceremony for a new solar array at Bassingbourn Barracks.

QinetiQ to establish Belgian Mission Data Factory

Defence

QinetiQ to establish Belgian Mission Data Factory

1 April 2026

QinetiQ is to support the Government of Belgium in strengthening its ability to collect, manage and exploit mission data, the information and intelligence critical to modern defence operations.

HMS Active completes float off feat

Defence Events

HMS Active completes float off feat

30 March 2026

Building on the momentum of February's dual milestone event at Babcock’s Rosyth site, the Type 31 frigate programme has reached another significant stage, with HMS Active completing the float-off process.

Advertisement
ODU RT
Lockheed Martin joins MTC as Tier 1 member

Defence

Lockheed Martin joins MTC as Tier 1 member

30 March 2026

Lockheed Martin has joined the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) as a Tier 1 member which will see it collaborate on core research, capabilities and investments and play a key role in managing projects that address some of the pressing challenges being faced by defence industry supply chains.

RFA Lyme Bay gets mine hunting tech upgrade

Defence

RFA Lyme Bay gets mine hunting tech upgrade

30 March 2026

The Royal Navy is stepping up its mine hunting capabilities with new cutting-edge uncrewed equipment being added to RFA Lyme Bay in the coming days.

Advertisement
ODU RT
Advertisement
Gulfstream banner