Market Trends of Software Defined Radio Industry
This section covers the major market trends shaping the Software Defined Radio Market according to our research experts:
The Land Segment Accounted for a Major Share of Revenue in 2020
The land segment currently dominates the market and is expected to continue its dominance during the forecast period. The increased demand is majorly due to the integration of software-defined radios into infantry soldiers and armored vehicles for secured communication. Currently, the armies are replacing their existing infrastructure with SDRs for more secured communication channels between ground-to-air and ground-to-ground platforms. In February 2021, Ultra Electronics was awarded a delivery order for the procurement and deployment of ORION radio systems to the US Army. This contract worth USD 26.7 million and is a part of the USD 497 million indefinite award/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract provided to the company in 2019, under the TRILOS Radio Program of the US Army. The company has delivered more than 500 ORION SDR systems since the inception of the program. Similarly, as of February 2021, the Indian Army is in plans to replace its communication systems with Very/Ultra High Frequency (V/UHF) Manpack SDRs under the Make-II category. The contract is expected to be awarded to one of the 18 local manufactures post-development of the SDR prototype as per the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category of DAP 2020. Such plans of the armed forces will drive the growth of this segment during the forecast period.
The Asia-Pacific Region is Anticipated to Generate Significant Demand for SDRs During the Forecast Period
The Asia-Pacific region is expected to generate demand for SDRs primarily due to the growing tension among major economies, which has resulted in higher defense spending on enhancing situational awareness. The military spending of the region increased by more than 20% during the 2015 - 2020 period. The majority of the investments are into the modernization of the land, air, and sea platforms. In addition, the investments are directed toward the procurement of advanced communication systems that will enhance their battlefield capabilities and situational awareness of the military personnel in complex terrain. For instance, India has been rapidly investing in the replacement of existing radio systems with indigenously developed SDR systems into various platforms of the armed forces. In this regard, in February 2021, the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) selected Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for the acquisition of Software Defined Radio Tactical (SDR-Tac) over a period of three years. The contract was worth USD 136.9 million (USD 1,000 crore). Similarly, in September 2020, Hindustan Aeronautics Restricted (HAL) began the integration of SDRs supplied by Rafael Defense Systems (as a part of the contract to deliver 400 SDRs) onboard the fleet of Su-30MKI of the Indian Air Force. Such investments into the deployment of SDR are expected to propel the growth of the market in the Asia-Pacific region during the forecast period.
