Defense buyers shift focus as drone threats expand worldwide
Synopsis
New buyers are entering the counter-drone market as governments reassess defenses against increasingly accessible drone technology. Industry executives point to growing demand beyond traditional military customers, while recent conflicts and rising defense budgets continue to drive investment in drone detection, tracking, and mitigation systems.
The counter-drone market is expanding as governments respond to lessons from recent conflicts. Rising defense spending and infrastructure security concerns are bringing new buyers into drone detection and protection programs.
Key Highlights
- New buyers are entering the counter-drone market, according to Terma's chief executive.
- Global military spending reached a record $2.72 trillion in 2024, SIPRI reported.
- Ukraine war and Red Sea attacks have intensified focus on drone threats.
- MarketsandMarkets forecasts the counter-drone market could exceed $7 billion by 2030.
- IMT and PABLO AIR signed a cooperation agreement during CANSEC 2026.
Governments and security forces are re-evaluating the ways in which they defend their military bases, critical infrastructure, and public property against the growing availability of attack drones, which has expanded the number of potential counter-drone buyers.
But in the experts' eyes, the list of "old" defense customers is no longer limited. As drone related security concerns rise up the national procurement agenda, fresh buyers are entering the counter-drone market.
Lessons From Recent Conflicts
The rising demand comes in the wake of the war in Ukraine where drones have been used for years and attacks on commercial shipping lanes through the Red Sea, where drones are proving to be a more cost-effective threat to much more expensive defense systems.
Those advancements have spurred investments in technologies designed to detect, track, identify and disrupt drones before they get to the sensitive area.
Military spending worldwide is on the rise, reaching a new record high of $2.72 trillion in 2024, up 9.4% from the previous year, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Europe saw its biggest annual growth since the end of the Cold War, and defense budgets on North America, Asia and the Middle East also grew, the organization said.
New Buyers, New Procurement Priorities
The company is having to expand its customer base to meet "new customers" entering into the counter-drone market, says Terma Chief Executive Henriette Hallberg Thygesen, indicating that greater interest is being shown in anti-drone capabilities beyond the well-established military procurement programs.
The trend fits in with governments taking the time to look at vulnerabilities at airports, energy facilities, ports, military installations, and other critical infrastructure.
According to MarketsandMarkets, the global counter-drone market is expected to reach a value of over $7 billion by 2030, rising from an estimated value of $2.8 billion in 2025, due to the growing demand for drone detection and mitigation systems.
Industry Activity Picks Up
It is evident that there is strength in the industry as evidenced by recent industry agreements.
During CANSEC 2026, IMT, a Canadian drone manufacturer, and PABLO AIR, a South Korean drone manufacturer, agreed to explore possibilities for cooperation in both autonomous drone applications and manufacturing, systems integration and defense applications.
The deal is part of a trend for companies to be targeting growing procurement activity from governments throughout the wider drone and counter-drone industry, where multi-layered defenses are increasingly being sought that incorporate radar, sensors, cameras and software-based monitoring technologies.
FAQs
Q1. Why are more governments investing in counter-drone systems?
Governments are increasing investments as drones become more common in conflicts, surveillance operations, and security incidents involving critical infrastructure.
Q2. How large is the global counter-drone market expected to become?
MarketsandMarkets estimates the counter-drone market could grow from about $2.8 billion in 2025 to more than $7 billion by 2030.
Q3. What is driving demand for anti-drone technology?
Growing drone threats, rising defense budgets, infrastructure security concerns, and lessons from recent conflicts are driving procurement of anti-drone systems.
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Pooja Malik is a business journalist with over six years of experience covering startups, entrepreneurship, and emerging trends. She has previously worked with leading media platforms such as YourStory Media and BW BusinessWorld, where she reported on business, policy, and market developments. Currently, she serves as Editor at The Inspirepreneur Magazine, where she writes and edits stories across business, lifestyle, and travel, with a focus on clarity, accuracy, and reader relevance.
