Military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan have highlighted the ability of the unmanned aerial vehicle to perform a wide range of missions from reconnaissance to dropping bombs on enemy combatants. UAVs are now in service in more than 50 countries. During 2007, these aircraft logged more than 500,000 flight hours. In terms of UAV procurement, the largest share of the market goes to the U.S. military and defense agencies (64%). The Asia-Pacific region accounts for 20% and European and NATO requirements account for the remaining 16%.

Geographic reference: World
Year: 2007-2008
Market size: 6,314 aircraft produced
Source: Chris Red, “The Outlook for Unmanned Aircraft,” Composites Technology, April 20, 2009 available online here.