Fighter Aircraft Market – Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, Segmented By Type (Light Attack, Electronic Warfare, Multi-Role Fighter, Trainer, and Others), By Take-Off and Landing (Conventional Take-Off Landing, Short Take-Off and Landing, and Vertical Take-Off and Landing), By Aircraft Type (Fixed-Wing, Rotorcraft), By Region, Competition, 2020-2030F

Market Overview

The Global Fighter Aircraft Market, valued at USD 55.40 Billion in 2024, is projected to experience a CAGR of 6.19% to reach USD 79.45 Billion by 2030. Fighter aircraft are military fixed-wing platforms engineered primarily for air-to-air combat, often possessing multirole capabilities for ground attack. The market's expansion is fundamentally supported by escalating geopolitical tensions globally, which necessitate enhanced air defense capabilities and drive increased national defense expenditures. Furthermore, the persistent requirement for air forces to modernize aging fleets and integrate advanced aerospace technologies fuels procurement initiatives. According to the Aerospace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD), in 2023, the European defence sector experienced a 17% increase in turnover, indicating significant investment across defence platforms including fighter aircraft.

Despite these growth enablers, a significant impediment to market expansion lies in the substantial research and development costs associated with next-generation fighter aircraft programs. These extensive financial outlays for advanced systems, including stealth technology and artificial intelligence integration, can constrain acquisition volumes, particularly for nations with limited defense budgets or competing military priorities.

Key Market Drivers

Escalating geopolitical tensions and regional conflicts significantly influence the global fighter aircraft market by compelling nations to enhance their defense capabilities. Heightened international instability and ongoing disputes directly translate into increased military spending to safeguard national interests and project power. Governments prioritize advanced aerial platforms to deter potential aggressors and maintain air superiority, viewing modern fighter aircraft as critical defense components. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), in April 2025, "Unprecedented rise in global military expenditure as European and Middle East spending surges" report, world military expenditure reached $2718 billion in 2024, an increase of 9.4 percent in real terms from 2023, marking the steepest year-on-year rise since at least the end of the Cold War. Such substantial allocations directly facilitate new fighter jet acquisitions.

The consistent pursuit of military modernization and fleet replacement programs constitutes another significant driver for the global fighter aircraft market. Many air forces worldwide operate aging aircraft technologically outmatched by contemporary threats. Consequently, nations initiate comprehensive programs to replace these older fleets with next-generation fighter aircraft offering superior capabilities in avionics and multi-role versatility. This replacement cycle ensures operational readiness and technological parity, creating sustained demand for new platforms. For example, according to Dassault Aviation, in January 2025, "Deliveries, order intakes and backlog in number of new aircraft as of December 31, 2024" press kit, 21 Rafale fighter jets were delivered in 2024, demonstrating active procurement within these modernization efforts. The sustained nature of these programs ensures a strong market outlook, with a backlog of 220 Rafale aircraft as of December 31, 2024, according to the same Dassault Aviation report.

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Key Market Challenges

A significant impediment to the expansion of the global fighter aircraft market stems from the substantial research and development costs associated with next-generation programs. These extensive financial outlays for advanced systems, including stealth technology and artificial intelligence integration, create considerable budgetary pressures. Such high development expenditures often lead to increased unit costs for modern fighter jets, subsequently constraining acquisition volumes for many nations.

This challenge directly hampers market growth as defense ministries face difficult choices between investing heavily in developing advanced capabilities and procuring sufficient quantities of aircraft for fleet modernization. For instance, according to Flight Global, the US Air Force's fiscal year 2025 budget request indicated a reduction in the overall F-15EX program acquisition target to 98 aircraft from a previous goal of 104, with fiscal constraints explicitly cited as the reason for this adjustment. This illustrates how the immense investment required for cutting-edge technologies limits the number of aircraft that can be acquired, particularly impacting countries with finite defense budgets or competing military priorities.

Key Market Trends

Unmanned-manned teaming (UMT) represents a strategic evolution in aerial combat, integrating unmanned aerial vehicles with manned fighter jets to enhance operational capabilities. This approach extends sensor reach, increases weapon capacity, and mitigates pilot risk, driving demand for advanced data links and autonomous systems. According to the European Defence Agency (EDA), investments in researching, developing, and procuring new defence capabilities in EU Member States were expected to rise from around €59 billion in 2021 to €102 billion in 2024. This substantial investment supports UMT development. The U. S. Marine Corps announced on October 17, 2024, that the XQ-58A Valkyrie successfully completed its first multi-service integration during Emerald Flag 2024, demonstrating its "loyal wingman" role alongside manned fighter jets. This exemplifies practical advancements in UMT solutions.

Artificial intelligence (AI) integration into fighter aircraft combat systems is a pivotal trend, transforming aerial operations by enhancing sensor fusion, target recognition, threat assessment, and mission planning. This improves operational effectiveness and reduces pilot workload, driving investment in advanced processors and specialized algorithms. In its 2024 annual report, the European Defence Agency (EDA) reported engaging in over 100 Research and Technology (R&T) projects valued at €681 million, spanning AI, autonomous systems, and cyber defence. This investment underscores AI's strategic importance in modern defense. BAE Systems' FAST Labs received a US $4 million contract in September 2024 from DARPA to advance autonomous air combat under the Artificial Intelligence Reinforcements program, focusing on developing tactical autonomy for multi-ship, beyond visual range air combat missions. These programs demonstrate specific efforts to leverage AI for enhancing fighter aircraft capabilities.

Segmental Insights

In the Global Fighter Aircraft Market, the multi-role fighter segment is experiencing significant expansion, driven by its exceptional operational flexibility and economic advantages. This rapid growth stems from the capability of multi-role aircraft to undertake diverse missions, including air-to-air combat, ground attack, and reconnaissance, thereby eliminating the necessity for numerous specialized platforms. Nations are increasingly prioritizing these versatile aircraft for fleet modernization efforts and to address evolving geopolitical complexities, which necessitate adaptable combat solutions. The integration of advanced avionics, sensor fusion, and stealth technologies further enhances the appeal of multi-role fighters, allowing defense forces to maintain robust capabilities efficiently.

Regional Insights

North America holds a leading position in the global fighter aircraft market, predominantly due to the substantial defense budgets and continuous fleet modernization efforts in the United States and Canada. The region's dominance is further strengthened by the presence of prominent aerospace manufacturers, such as Lockheed Martin and Boeing, which actively engage in advanced research and development for next-generation fighter technologies. Extensive procurement programs undertaken by the United States Department of Defense, focusing on superior capabilities like stealth and advanced avionics, ensure a consistent demand for sophisticated aircraft. These strategic investments are pivotal in maintaining the region's technological advantage and market leadership.

Recent Developments

• In September 2025, Lockheed Martin was awarded a contract totaling $12.5 billion by the Pentagon for the production of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters. This contract modification finalized 148 F-35s from the 18th lot and added the scope for the production and delivery of an additional 148 fighters in lot 19, bringing the total value for these two lots to approximately $24.3 billion, building on an earlier December 2024 announcement. Lockheed Martin will primarily manufacture these jets at its Fort Worth, Texas, facility, with deliveries anticipated to commence in 2026. This extensive order continues to expand the global F-35 fleet, which already includes over 1,230 aircraft in service across twelve nations.

• In October 2024, Dassault Aviation initiated development work on the Rafale F5 Standard, marking a significant upgrade to its multirole fighter aircraft. The F5 standard aims to integrate advanced electronic warfare capabilities, new missile systems, and the capacity to control "loyal wingman" drones. This development is part of France's strategy to enhance the Rafale's operational capabilities, ensuring its role as a primary combat aircraft for decades. The F5 is also optimized to work with an unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) being developed by Dassault Aviation, intended to complement the Rafale in collaborative combat scenarios.

• In July 2024, BAE Systems, in collaboration with Leonardo of Italy and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan, unveiled a new concept model for their next-generation combat aircraft, known as Tempest in the UK. This concept, part of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), showcased an evolved design with an increased wingspan for improved aerodynamics and enhanced internal capacity for fuel and weapons. Engineers from the three companies utilized advanced digital tools, including computer-based modeling and virtual reality, to advance the aircraft’s design during its initial concept phase. This collaboration aims to develop a future fighter jet scheduled to enter service around 2035.

• In April 2024, the U.S. Air Force announced that it had selected Anduril and General Atomics to proceed with the design, manufacturing, and testing of their Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) prototypes. These drone wingmen are intended to operate autonomously alongside piloted fighter jets like the F-35 and Next Generation Air Dominance system, performing missions such as airstrikes, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare. The Air Force views the CCA program as a critical effort to modernize its fleet by introducing advanced capabilities at a lower cost than traditional crewed fighters. This initiative represents a significant step towards fielding at least 1,000 CCAs.

Key Market Players

• Lockheed Martin
• Boeing
• Dassault
• Saab
• Eurofighter
• Sukhoi
• Mikoyan
• Chengdu
• HAL
• KAI

Report Scope:

In this report, the Global Fighter Aircraft Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

• Fighter Aircraft Market, By Type:

o   Light Attack

o   Electronic Warfare

o   Multi-Role Fighter

o   Trainer

o   Others

• Fighter Aircraft Market, By Take-Off and Landing:

o   Conventional Take-Off Landing

o   Short Take-Off and Landing

o   Vertical Take-Off and Landing

• Fighter Aircraft Market, By Aircraft Type:

o   Fixed-Wing

o   Rotorcraft

• Fighter Aircraft Market, By Region:

o   North America

§  United States

§  Canada

§  Mexico

o   Europe

§  France

§  United Kingdom

§  Italy

§  Germany

§  Spain

o   Asia Pacific

§  China

§  India

§  Japan

§  Australia

§  South Korea

o   South America

§  Brazil

§  Argentina

§  Colombia

o   Middle East & Africa

§  South Africa

§  Saudi Arabia

§  UAE

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies presents in the Global Fighter Aircraft Market.

Available Customizations:

Global Fighter Aircraft Market report with the given market data, TechSci Research offers customizations according to a company's specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

Company Information

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

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