Short-range air defense market seen reaching $20.17 billion by 2030

The Business Research Company says the short-range air defense system market will grow from $16.45 billion in 2026 to $20.17 billion by 2030, driven by demand for counter-UAV defenses, AI-enabled detection and layered air defense networks. North America led the market in 2025, while Asia-Pacific is expected to grow fastest.

Why it matters: - Short-range air defense systems are becoming more important as militaries respond to low-altitude threats, including drones, missiles and aircraft. - The market’s growth points to rising procurement, modernization and maintenance spending across defense forces. - Terrorism and geopolitical tensions are adding pressure to protect military bases, airports, critical infrastructure and public events.

What happened: - The Business Research Company published a 2026 report on the global short range air defense system market. - The market is valued at $16.45 billion in 2026, up from $15.63 billion in 2025. - The report projects the market will reach $20.17 billion by 2030, implying a 5.2% compound annual growth rate. - North America was the largest regional market in 2025. - Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region during the forecast period. - The report covers Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, the Middle East and Africa. - The company also made the report available through a free sample and the full market report.

The details: - Growth in 2025 and 2026 is tied to rising military demand, escalating geopolitical tensions, missile interception and tracking improvements, integrated radar-and-missile systems, and stronger maintenance, repair and testing activity. - The forecast period is expected to benefit from AI-driven target detection, mobile and modular defense systems, integration into multi-layered air defense networks, cybersecurity upgrades, next-generation interceptor missiles and precision tracking technologies. - The report says missile-based systems are gaining preference over gun-based options. - The report also flags increasing focus on countering UAVs and drone swarms, upgrading legacy air defense systems and expanding multi-layered deployments in conflict-prone zones. - Short-range air defense systems are designed to detect, track and intercept low-altitude aerial threats over short distances. - These systems are used to protect military installations and other strategic assets. - The report identifies rising terrorism as a major demand driver. - Vision of Humanity reported in 2024 that the United States accounted for 76% of terrorism-related deaths among Western democracies in 2023, even as incident rates hit a 15-year low.

Between the lines: - The market outlook suggests defense buyers are shifting from point-defense tools toward networked systems that can respond faster to drones and other low-cost aerial threats. - The emphasis on AI, cybersecurity and modularity points to a broader modernization cycle in air defense procurement. - Regional growth patterns suggest higher urgency in Asia-Pacific even as North America remains the biggest spending base.

What’s next: - The report expects continued growth through 2030 as militaries expand layered air defense and replace older systems. - The Business Research Company says the 2026 edition adds market attractiveness scoring, TAM analysis, company scoring matrices, Excel-based forecasting dashboards, market hotspot infographics and updated graphics and tables. - The company says it offers more than 17,500 reports across 27 industries and 60 geographies, along with the Global Market Model platform for updated forecasts. - More information is available through the company’s website and LinkedIn pages.