Low-Band Electronic Warfare Systems Market – Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, Segmented By Type (Electronic attack, Electronic protection, Electronic support), By Platform (Airborne, Naval, Ground, Space), By Application (Communication jamming, Radar jamming and deception, Surveillance & signal intelligence (SIGINT)), By End Use (Military, Homeland security, Commercial), By Region, By Competition, 2021-2031F

Forecast Period	2027-2031
Market Size (2025)	USD 3.13 Billion
CAGR (2026-2031)	5.64%
Fastest Growing Segment	Airborne
Largest Market	North America
Market Size (2031)	USD 4.35 Billion

Market Overview

The Global Low-Band Electronic Warfare Systems Market is projected to grow from USD 3.13 Billion in 2025 to USD 4.35 Billion by 2031 at a 5.64% CAGR. Low-band electronic warfare (EW) systems utilize lower frequency ranges, including HF and VHF, to jam communications and neutralize threats such as remote-controlled improvised explosive devices (RCIEDs) or unmanned aerial systems. The market is primarily driven by the urgent need to counter asymmetric threats, particularly commercial loitering munitions that rely on these frequencies for navigation and control. Furthermore, the imperative for force protection drives procurement to safeguard ground units against radio-triggered explosives, establishing a baseline demand that is distinct from broader technological modernization trends.

However, spectrum congestion presents a significant challenge to market expansion, as the expansion of civilian wireless networks increasingly interferes with military operations, complicating signal isolation and risking collateral disruption. This density necessitates high precision to avoid friendly fire within the electromagnetic spectrum. Indicating the sector's scale, according to the Association of Old Crows, in 2024, the global electronic warfare and signals intelligence market was worth more than $20 billion in annual sales. This data highlights the substantial investment environment supporting the continued development of low-band solutions.

Key Market Drivers

Escalation in global defense budgets and military spending acts as a primary catalyst for the procurement of low-band electronic warfare systems. As nations prioritize the modernization of electromagnetic spectrum operations to address rising geopolitical tensions, significant capital is being allocated toward jamming and sensing technologies capable of disrupting adversary communications and navigation in the HF and VHF ranges. This fiscal expansion facilitates the transition from legacy analog systems to software-defined architectures, ensuring forces can operate effectively in contested environments. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), April 2025, in the 'Trends in World Military Expenditure, 2024' Fact Sheet, global military expenditure reached $2718 billion in 2024, reflecting the intensified commitment to strengthening defense postures that underpins the current demand for advanced spectrum dominance capabilities.

Proliferation of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and asymmetric threats necessitates the rapid deployment of specialized low-band countermeasures. Adversaries increasingly utilize commercial-off-the-shelf drones and loitering munitions operating on lower frequency bands to evade detection by traditional high-frequency radars, compelling defense forces to invest in dedicated electronic attack solutions. This operational requirement drives the development of systems designed specifically to degrade enemy kill chains and protect ground units from radio-controlled improvised explosive devices. Highlighting the industrial response to this demand, according to BAE Systems, February 2025, in the 'Preliminary Results Announcement 2024', the company's Electronic Systems segment recorded sales of £7.2 billion, driven by the acute need for superior situational awareness and survivability solutions. To support these long-term modernization efforts, according to BAE Systems, in 2025, the company reported a record order backlog of £77.8 billion, indicating sustained market activity.

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Key Market Challenges

Spectrum congestion constitutes a formidable barrier to the growth of the Global Low-Band Electronic Warfare Systems Market. As civilian telecommunications infrastructure expands, the electromagnetic spectrum becomes increasingly saturated, severely complicating military operations that rely on precise signal isolation. This density forces low-band electronic warfare systems to operate in environments where distinguishing between hostile transmissions and neutral commercial signals is technically arduous. The risk of collateral disruption to non-combatant communications or friendly forces creates operational liabilities, making potential buyers hesitant to deploy systems that lack extreme selectivity in urbanized conflict zones.

This challenge is intensifying due to the rapid global proliferation of next-generation wireless networks, which reduces the available maneuver space within the spectrum. According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), in 2025, 5G networks were estimated to cover 55 percent of the world's population. This widespread commercial coverage creates a high noise floor in frequency bands often utilized by low-band jamming equipment. Consequently, manufacturers face elevated development costs to engineer higher-precision discrimination capabilities, while defense agencies face deployment limitations, thereby constraining the addressable market for standard low-band solutions.

Key Market Trends

The Resurgence of Low-Band Radar for Stealth Detection alters procurement priorities as nations seek to counter low-observable airframes optimized against high-frequency bands. Low-band systems in VHF and UHF ranges exploit physical resonance effects of stealth structures to detect targets that remain invisible to fire-control radars. This physics-based advantage accelerates the deployment of passive radar architectures utilizing ambient low-frequency signals for covert surveillance, allowing defenders to track threats without emitting detectable energy. Reflecting the momentum for such resilient sensing technologies, according to Hensoldt, February 2025, in the 'Financial year 2024' report, the company’s order intake increased to EUR 2,904 million, underscoring the expanding demand for advanced sensor solutions in contested environments.

Integration of Cognitive AI for Adaptive Threat Response is essential to manage the increasing agility of the modern electromagnetic spectrum. Legacy systems relying on pre-programmed threat libraries are often ineffective against software-defined emitters that rapidly change waveforms to evade jamming. Cognitive electronic warfare algorithms now employ machine learning to characterize unknown signals in real-time and synthesize countermeasures dynamically, ensuring effective operation despite high noise floors. This operational necessity is driving substantial contract activity for digitized, intelligent electronic warfare suites. Highlighting the sector's growth, according to Leonardo, February 2025, in the 'Board of Directors reviewed 2024 preliminary results' announcement, new orders reached €20.9 billion, driven significantly by the robust performance of the Electronics for Defense and Security segment.

Segmental Insights

Based on market analysis from trusted industry sources, the Airborne segment constitutes the fastest-growing category in the Global Low-Band Electronic Warfare Systems Market. This rapid expansion is primarily driven by the increasing integration of electronic warfare pods onto Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and modern fighter aircraft. Defense organizations are prioritizing these aerial platforms to ensure effective countermeasures against hostile radar networks and surface-to-air missiles. Furthermore, the enhanced mobility and extended detection range offered by airborne systems allow for superior situational awareness in contested environments, making them essential for maintaining air superiority.

Regional Insights

North America leads the Global Low-Band Electronic Warfare Systems Market, primarily due to significant defense appropriations by the United States. This regional dominance is supported by a robust industrial base of prime contractors, including Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, who deliver essential electromagnetic countermeasure technologies. The U.S. Department of Defense plays a critical role by prioritizing the modernization of spectrum operations to secure tactical advantages across naval, air, and land domains. Consequently, these strategic investments in multi-domain capabilities ensure North America maintains its position as the central hub for market innovation and revenue generation.

Recent Developments

• In June 2025, Honeywell was selected by L3Harris Technologies to provide critical support for the development of the Next Generation Jammer Low Band (NGJ-LB) system. This strategic collaboration leveraged Honeywell’s specialized engineering capabilities and manufacturing facilities to produce custom tactical jamming pods for the U.S. Navy’s EA-18G Growler aircraft. The partnership aimed to accelerate the delivery of advanced airborne electronic attack solutions that can disrupt and degrade enemy air defense and communication systems operating in the low-frequency spectrum. The initiative underscored the industry's focus on modernizing electronic warfare assets to address increasingly sophisticated adversarial capabilities and ensure mission readiness.
• In September 2024, L3Harris Technologies was awarded a major contract by the U.S. Navy to advance the Next Generation Jammer Low Band (NGJ-LB) program. The deal, worth up to $587.4 million, initiated the engineering and manufacturing development phase for the new system, which is intended to replace the legacy ALQ-99 tactical jamming pods on the EA-18G Growler. Under this agreement, the company was responsible for delivering operational prototype pods that utilize software-defined technologies to counter emerging low-frequency threats. The program represented a collaborative effort with the Royal Australian Air Force to ensure air superiority against peer adversaries through modernized electronic attack capabilities.
• In June 2024, Teledyne e2v HiRel introduced a new radiation-tolerant Low Noise Amplifier designed specifically for harsh environments in space and defense sectors. The product, identified as the TDLNA0840SEP, operates across UHF to S-band frequencies, making it highly suitable for low-band electronic warfare systems, phased array radars, and communication applications. The company highlighted that the amplifier delivers exceptional performance with ultra-low power consumption and a compact footprint, addressing the critical size, weight, and power requirements of modern military platforms. This launch expanded the organization's portfolio of high-reliability components essential for maintaining signal integrity in contested electromagnetic spectrums.
• In April 2024, Northrop Grumman Corporation secured a significant contract from the U.S. Department of Defense to enhance the electronic warfare capabilities of the EA-18G Growler fleet. The agreement, valued at $60.34 million, tasked the company with the manufacture and delivery of low-band dedicated receivers and upgrade kits for the aircraft's AN/ALQ-218 tactical jamming receiver. This project, conducted in collaboration with the U.S. Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force, was designed to modernize airborne electronic attack systems by improving signal detection in the lower frequency spectrum. The work was scheduled to be performed at the company’s facilities in Maryland and New York, with completion expected by August 2027.

Key Market Players

• BAE Systems plc
• Elbit Systems Ltd.
• Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)
• L3Harris Technologies, Inc.
• Leonardo S.p.A.
• Lockheed Martin Corporation
• Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Raytheon Technologies Corporation
• Saab AB
• Thales Group

By Type	By Platform	By Application	By End Use	By Region
Electronic attack Electronic protection Electronic support	Airborne Naval Ground Space	Communication jamming Radar jamming and deception Surveillance & signal intelligence (SIGINT)	Military Homeland security Commercial	North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa

Report Scope:

In this report, the Global Low-Band Electronic Warfare Systems Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

• Low-Band Electronic Warfare Systems Market, By Type:

• Electronic attack
• Electronic protection
• Electronic support

• Low-Band Electronic Warfare Systems Market, By Platform:

• Airborne
• Naval
• Ground
• Space

• Low-Band Electronic Warfare Systems Market, By Application:

• Communication jamming
• Radar jamming and deception
• Surveillance & signal intelligence (SIGINT)

• Low-Band Electronic Warfare Systems Market, By End Use:

• Military
• Homeland security
• Commercial

• Low-Band Electronic Warfare Systems Market, By Region:

• North America
• United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• Europe
• France
• United Kingdom
• Italy
• Germany
• Spain
• Asia Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• Australia
• South Korea
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Colombia
• Middle East & Africa
• South Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE