Military Wearables Market –Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, Segmented By Product Type (Eyewear, Headwear, Wristwear, Bodywear, Others), By End User (Airborne Forces, Land Forces, Naval Forces), By Region & Competition, 2021-2031F

Forecast Period	2027-2031
Market Size (2025)	USD 5.67 Billion
CAGR (2026-2031)	4.01%
Fastest Growing Segment	Land Forces
Largest Market	North America
Market Size (2031)	USD 7.18 Billion

Market Overview

The Global Military Wearables Market will grow from USD 5.67 Billion in 2025 to USD 7.18 Billion by 2031 at a 4.01% CAGR. Military wearables are body-worn electronic devices and smart textiles engineered to enhance the situational awareness, physiological monitoring, and communication capabilities of dismounted soldiers. The market is primarily driven by the critical operational requirement for network-centric warfare, where real-time data transmission and improved personnel survivability are paramount. This demand is supported by substantial government investments in soldier modernization programs aimed at digitizing infantry units. According to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, in 2024, the total military spending of its member nations reached USD 1.5 trillion, reflecting the significant capital allocation available for procuring advanced defense technologies and upgrading tactical equipment.

However, a significant challenge impeding the widespread expansion of this market is the constraint of Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP). As the functionality of wearable devices increases, so does their power consumption, necessitating heavy battery packs that add to the soldier's load and compromise mobility and endurance during extended field missions.

Key Market Drivers

Rising government investments in soldier modernization programs are fundamentally reshaping the sector as nations seek to equip infantry with superior lethality and survivability. Defense departments are allocating substantial budgets to transition from analog equipment to integrated digital soldier systems, effectively accelerating the procurement of smart textiles and body-worn electronics. This financial commitment ensures that manufacturers can overcome high research and development costs associated with next-generation ruggedized gear. For instance, according to Rheinmetall, February 2025, in the 'Rheinmetall awarded framework contract for soldier systems' press release, the company secured a record €3.1 billion framework contract to supply and modernize the Infantry Soldier of the Future system for the German Bundeswehr. These specific allocations exist within a larger fiscal context where, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, in 2025, global military expenditure reached an all-time high of $2.72 trillion in 2024, providing the necessary capital foundation for such advanced technological acquisitions.

The critical demand for enhanced situational awareness and C4ISR capabilities acts as a primary catalyst for the adoption of wearable displays and tactical computing devices. Modern combat requires dismounted soldiers to function as connected nodes within the Internet of Military Things (IoMT), capable of sharing real-time target data and navigation intelligence. This operational imperative forces manufacturers to develop low-latency solutions that integrate seamlessly with battle management networks, thereby driving market volume for sophisticated tactical processors. Highlighting this trend, according to GovCon Wire, February 2025, in the article 'ACI Secures $276M Army Contract for Nett Warrior Support', the U.S. Army awarded a $276 million contract to Augustine Consulting Inc. to support the Nett Warrior program, which is pivotal for delivering precise battlefield information to ground unit leaders.

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Key Market Challenges

The constraint of Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) constitutes a primary technical barrier restricting the growth of the global military wearables market. As reliance on network-centric capabilities grows, the energy density required to support continuous data transmission and sensor operation necessitates heavy battery packs. This increased weight burden directly hampers the physical agility and endurance of soldiers, creating a negative trade-off between technological capability and combat effectiveness. Consequently, defense agencies are forced to limit the scale of procurement for power-intensive wearable systems to avoid compromising the mobility of dismounted units during operations.

This operational limitation persists despite a historic rise in available capital for defense systems. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, in April 2024, global military expenditure reached a record high of USD 2443 billion. Although this data highlights a robust financial environment for acquiring advanced defense tools, the physical restrictions imposed by current battery technologies prevent the market from fully absorbing these funds. The adoption rate of comprehensive wearable suits therefore remains capped by the physiological limits of the human operator rather than budget availability.

Key Market Trends

The deployment of Integrated Visual Augmentation Systems (IVAS) represents a fundamental shift in soldier lethality, moving beyond traditional night vision to heads-up displays that overlay tactical data directly into the operator's field of view. This technology consolidates thermal imaging, navigation, and platoon-level connectivity into a single visor, allowing infantry to engage targets with greater precision while maintaining full situational awareness without looking down at a handheld device. The scale of this transition is evident in federal procurement priorities; according to DefenseScoop, March 2024, in the 'Army seeks $255M to procure more than 3,000 IVAS augmented reality systems in fiscal 2025' article, the U.S. Army requested $255 million to acquire 3,162 units of the IVAS 1.2 variant, underscoring the strategic emphasis on equipping dismounted units with fighter-pilot-like capabilities.

Concurrently, the proliferation of soft robotic exosuits is emerging as a viable solution to the chronic issue of musculoskeletal injury caused by increasing equipment loads. Unlike rigid industrial exoskeletons, these systems utilize powered textiles and cable-driven actuators to synchronize with human gait, effectively reducing the metabolic energy cost of carrying heavy rucksacks over rough terrain. This focus on physiological augmentation is driving specific research funding to validate efficacy before widespread fielding; according to the U.S. Department of Defense, May 2024, in the 'Contracts for May 8, 2024' release, the agency awarded a $9.3 million contract to the Jackson Foundation to support exoskeleton research services, highlighting the commitment to integrating these technologies into standard infantry operations.

Segmental Insights

The Land Forces segment is witnessing the fastest growth within the Global Military Wearables Market, driven by increasing global investments in soldier modernization programs. Defense institutions, such as the U.S. Department of Defense, are prioritizing the integration of wearable technologies to enhance the safety and connectivity of dismounted troops. These initiatives focus on equipping ground personnel with communication devices and health monitoring systems to improve situational awareness during field operations. Consequently, the rising demand for integrated solutions that support real-time data exchange among infantry units fuels the rapid expansion of this segment.

Regional Insights

North America leads the Global Military Wearables Market, principally due to the U.S. Department of Defense’s substantial investment in soldier modernization strategies. The region benefits from a robust industrial base that collaborates with government agencies on key initiatives, such as the Nett Warrior program and the Integrated Visual Augmentation System. These efforts prioritize the integration of augmented reality, biometric monitoring, and secure communication networks to optimize field operations and safety. Consequently, the continuous funding for research and development allows North America to dictate the trajectory of market innovation and maintain its competitive advantage.

Recent Developments

• In May 2025, Meta Platforms Inc. and Anduril Industries Inc. entered into a strategic partnership to develop advanced wearable technology for the U.S. military. This collaboration introduces a new line of devices, including ruggedized mixed reality headsets and glasses, to the Global Military Wearables Market. The initiative aims to leverage immersive technologies to improve soldier training and battlefield situational awareness. By combining expertise in defense hardware with consumer-grade virtual reality and software capabilities, the companies intend to create versatile wearable solutions that enhance visual and auditory perception while enabling the remote control of autonomous systems in the field.
• In July 2024, Wearable Devices Ltd. reported that a major global defense company purchased its Mudra Development Kit to evaluate its capabilities for military applications. This transaction highlights the growing interest in touchless sensing technology within the Global Military Wearables Market. The kit enables the integration of AI-powered gesture control into defense systems, allowing soldiers to interact with digital devices using subtle finger and wrist movements. By adopting such neural input interface technology, defense organizations aim to enhance operational efficiency and user experience, facilitating hands-free control of connected devices in critical and demanding combat scenarios.
• In June 2024, Rheinmetall announced a collaboration with QUS Body Connected to integrate biometric data tracking into its Gladius 2.0 soldier system. This partnership represents a technological advancement in the Global Military Wearables Market by combining external situational data with internal physiological monitoring. The upgraded system allows military units to track vital signs such as heart rate and respiratory rate, providing commanders with crucial information on the physical condition of their troops. This integration of biometric sensors aims to optimize operational readiness and decision-making on the digital battlefield, ensuring that soldiers’ health and performance are continuously monitored.
• In January 2024, Elbit Systems of America secured a contract to manufacture a prototype of the Integrated Headborne Sensor System for the U.S. Army. This development significantly impacts the Global Military Wearables Market by introducing a head-up display that fuses data from multiple sensors to enhance situational awareness for dismounted soldiers. The system enables troops to acquire and share critical battlefield information while maintaining mobility. The company plans to evolve the prototype through several development phases over a six-year period, incorporating feedback directly from soldiers to tailor the wearable technology to operational needs and complex environments.

Key Market Players

• ABB Ltd.
• Aeris Technologies, Inc.
• Atmos International Limited
• Physical Sciences Inc.
• Schneider Electric S.E
• Siemens Energy AG
• Teledyne FLIR LLC
• L3Harris Technologies, Inc
• Northrop Grumman Corporation
• BAE Systems plc

By Product Type	By End User	By Region
Eyewear Headwear Wristwear Bodywear Others	Airborne Forces Land Forces Naval Forces	North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa

Report Scope:

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

• Military Wearables Market, By Product Type:

• Eyewear
• Headwear
• Wristwear
• Bodywear
• Others

• Military Wearables Market, By End User:

• Airborne Forces
• Land Forces
• Naval Forces

• Military Wearables 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