US spending on airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) programmes between 2008 and 2013 is expected to total US$36.3bn, although defence budget cuts may limit growth in the sector, according to recent industry analysis.

In its US Airborne ISR Platforms Market report, industry analyst Frost & Sullivan says airborne ISRs are “crucial to maintaining US superiority in the battlefield” and Department of Defence (DoD) spending reflects their importance.

Yet due to military-wide budget cuts, defence spending will decrease across a number of programmes, which will slow down development of ISRs, Frost & Sullivan says.

With the DoD delaying and realigning developmental airborne ISR programmes, US military services have accelerated the upgrade and modernisation efforts of legacy platforms to keep them operational for the next 15 years.

“The army is updating both its Guardrail and Airborne Reconnaissance Low platforms,” Frost & Sullivan research analyst Lindsay Voss says.

“Both the Air Force and Navy are upgrading their older ISR platforms as well, which will offer opportunities for prime and subcontractors over the next five years to modernise these aircraft.”

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

“While enabling legacy technology to work in a network-centric environment is a challenge, the market for new technologies that meet the DoD’s networking needs will be profitable over the net six years,” Voss says.

By Elizabeth Clifford-Marsh