AIRCRAFT RADOME MARKET SIZE AND SHARE ANALYSIS - GROWTH TRENDS AND FORECASTS (2023 - 2030)

Aircraft Radome Market Size and Trends

The Aircraft Radome Market size is expected to reach US$ 1,141.5 Million by 2030, from US$ 640.7 Million in 2023, at a CAGR of 8.6% during the forecast period.

Aircraft Radome Market Trends

• Development of conformal and seamless radomes: Conformal radomes molded into the aircraft surface contours instead of protruding shapes offer aerodynamic advantages of lower drag. Conformal designs are enabled by advanced composite fabrication techniques and are being adopted for UAVs, fighter aircraft and business jets to reduce RCS. Seamless single piece radomes are also being produced using out-of-autoclave curing to ensure smooth surfaces without gaps for enhanced stealth performance. Raytheon, Nordam, and Saint Gobain are among companies at the forefront of conformal and seamless radome development.
• Adoption of gallium nitride based radars Gallium nitride (GaN): Gallium nitride (GaN) based radars are gaining increasing adoption in military aircraft and airliners owing to advantages like higher power densities, reduced cooling needs and high frequency agile beams. GaN enables the construction of compact radar arrays with highly integrated front-ends. However, GaN radars require radomes engineered to mitigate elevated antenna sidelobes and backlobes. Design techniques like adding absorber layers and shaping precise contours are therefore needed. GaN adoption is spurring specific radome solutions to facilitate beam shaping and minimize sidelobes.
• Use of additive manufacturing: Additive manufacturing techniques like 3D printing are enabling production of radome shapes with complex geometries and integrated features like internal cooling channels, not feasible previously. 3D printing using materials like thermoplastics and ceramic composites allows construction of seamless optimized radome shapes without joints/fasteners. Companies like Saab are adopting AM processes for fabrication of structural aircraft components including radomes and antenna enclosures to reduce parts and lead times. AM provides benefits like design flexibility, part consolidation, and weight reduction for aircraft radomes.
• Development of smart active radomes: Ongoing research efforts are focused on enabling active radomes with electronic beam steering capabilities integrated into the structure. This can eliminate the need for mechanical gimbals/actuators for radar beam pointing. Next gen active radomes will incorporate miniaturized tunable radio frequency circuits that can modulate antenna beam patterns dynamically for functions like electronic countermeasures. Smart programmable software-defined radomes with phased array elements are also being developed by Raytheon and could unlock future market potential through the long term.