Sonar Systems Market – Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, Segmented By Type (Active Sonar, Passive Sonar), By Application (Defense and Commercial), By Region, Competition, 2021-2031F

Forecast Period	2027-2031
Market Size (2025)	USD 2.15 Billion
CAGR (2026-2031)	8.56%
Fastest Growing Segment	Passive Sonar
Largest Market	North America
Market Size (2031)	USD 3.52 Billion

Market Overview

The Global Sonar Systems Market will grow from USD 2.15 Billion in 2025 to USD 3.52 Billion by 2031 at a 8.56% CAGR. Sonar systems are acoustic instruments that utilize sound wave propagation to detect, locate, and identify objects underwater for navigation and communication purposes. The market is primarily supported by increased defense budgets aimed at strengthening anti-submarine warfare and maritime security measures. Additionally, the continued expansion of the offshore energy sector, specifically for renewable projects and deep-sea exploration, requires precise seabed mapping and hydrographic data, further sustaining the demand for these technologies.

However, the market encounters a significant challenge regarding the environmental impact of acoustic emissions on marine life, leading to strict regulatory compliance requirements that can delay project approvals and increase development costs. Despite these constraints, commercial drivers remain resilient, particularly in the renewable sector. According to the Global Wind Energy Council, in 2024, the global offshore wind industry installed 8 GW of new capacity, a development that directly amplifies the necessity for sub-bottom profiling and side-scan sonar surveys for site characterization.

Key Market Drivers

Rising global defense expenditures and naval modernization act as the primary catalysts for the sonar systems market, driven by the need to secure maritime borders and counter evolving underwater threats. As geopolitical tensions escalate, particularly in the Indo-Pacific and Eastern Europe, naval forces are prioritizing the procurement of advanced anti-submarine warfare capabilities and underwater surveillance networks. This strategic shift necessitates the integration of high-frequency and low-frequency sonar arrays on surface vessels, submarines, and coastal defense platforms to detect increasingly quiet adversarial submarines. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, April 2024, in the 'Trends in World Military Expenditure, 2023' fact sheet, global military spending grew for the ninth consecutive year to an all-time high of $2443 billion, a fiscal expansion that directly funds the acquisition of next-generation acoustic sensing technologies required to maintain maritime superiority.

The rapid expansion of offshore renewable energy infrastructure serves as the second major driver, necessitating extensive hydrographic surveys and seabed mapping for site development. Developers rely on side-scan and synthetic aperture sonar to identify geological hazards and optimize turbine foundation placement, ensuring the structural integrity of wind farms. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, August 2024, in the 'Offshore Wind Market Report: 2024 Edition', the U.S. offshore wind energy project pipeline expanded to a total capacity of 80,523 MW, highlighting a substantial long-term opportunity for survey equipment providers. Furthermore, the market is seeing large-scale sustainment commitments to ensure these complex acoustic systems remain operational. According to Thales, January 2024, in a company press release, the firm secured a contract worth £1.8 billion to maximize the availability and resilience of the Royal Navy's sensors and communication systems, underscoring the critical value placed on sustaining acoustic capabilities across maritime domains.

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Key Market Challenges

The Global Sonar Systems Market faces significant constraints due to the rigorous regulatory environment surrounding the environmental impact of acoustic emissions on marine ecosystems. Sonar operations emit sound waves that can disrupt the critical life functions of marine mammals, prompting international bodies to enforce strict compliance standards. These regulations compel operators to conduct extensive environmental impact assessments and adhere to narrow operational windows, which directly inflates project costs and extends development timelines. The complexity of meeting these acoustic standards creates a substantial barrier to operational flexibility for defense and commercial entities, often delaying essential seabed surveys. According to Green Marine Europe, in 2024, only 21% of certified shipowners achieved a Level 3 rating or higher on the underwater noise performance indicator. This statistic highlights the industry-wide difficulty in implementing effective noise mitigation strategies, as the vast majority of operators continue to struggle with meeting advanced environmental benchmarks. Consequently, the challenge of adhering to these stringent acoustic requirements creates a bottleneck for new deployments, thereby hampering the overall market growth.

Key Market Trends

The Widespread Adoption of Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS) for High-Resolution Imaging is fundamentally altering underwater survey standards by offering resolution independent of range, a critical capability for both mine countermeasures and seabed infrastructure inspection. Unlike traditional side-scan systems, SAS technology utilizes advanced signal processing to create ultra-high-definition images, allowing operators to detect minute objects such as naval mines or pipeline fatigue cracks with centimeter-level precision. This technological superiority is driving substantial procurement activity as defense and commercial entities seek to upgrade their survey assets to meet more demanding operational requirements. According to Kraken Robotics, December 2025, in the 'Kraken Robotics Announces $12 Million in Orders for Synthetic Aperture Sonar and Subsea Batteries' press release, the company secured purchase orders totaling $12 million, reflecting the surging demand for these sophisticated imaging systems in both naval and offshore energy applications.

The Integration of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Real-Time Signal Processing is rapidly becoming a standard requirement for modern sonar suites to manage the overwhelming volume of acoustic data. Manufacturers are embedding algorithms directly into sonar architectures to automate target recognition, filter out background noise, and classify threats faster than human operators can manually process. This shift towards intelligent autonomy is supported by massive capital allocations aimed at fusing algorithmic decision-making with acoustic hardware to enhance situational awareness. According to Thales, December 2025, in the 'Thales revolutionises the underwater battlespace with new Sonar 76Nano' press release, the group invests more than €4 billion per year in Research & Development for key areas including Artificial Intelligence, a strategy that directly enabled the rapid ten-month development of their latest AI-enhanced miniaturized sonar system.

Segmental Insights

Trusted industry research identifies Passive Sonar as the fastest-growing segment in the Global Sonar Systems Market. This expansion is primarily driven by the strategic necessity for stealth in anti-submarine warfare, as passive systems allow vessels to detect threats without emitting signals that reveal their own location. Furthermore, strict environmental compliance standards regarding marine biodiversity are accelerating this shift, as passive sonar avoids the harmful high-intensity acoustic emissions associated with active alternatives. Consequently, naval forces are increasingly prioritizing these systems to secure operational advantages while minimizing ecological impact.

Regional Insights

North America holds a commanding position in the Global Sonar Systems Market, primarily fueled by substantial defense appropriations and a strong industrial base. The United States Department of Defense acts as a central driver, prioritizing naval modernization and anti-submarine warfare initiatives to address evolving maritime security challenges. This sustained government investment fosters a stable environment for technological development. Additionally, the region benefits from consistent demand within the commercial marine sector, particularly for offshore energy projects and hydrographic surveys, further solidifying its leadership status in the global marketplace.

Recent Developments

• In March 2025, Thales was awarded a significant contract to supply comprehensive sonar and acoustic suites for the Royal Netherlands Navy's new Orka-class submarine program. The agreement involved equipping four new submarines with advanced sensor packages, including bow sonars, flank arrays, and towed arrays, to replace the existing Walrus-class fleet. Management noted that this deal represented a major export success, extending the company's underwater systems market beyond its traditional domestic bases. The project aimed to guarantee operational superiority and enhanced underwater situational awareness for the Dutch naval forces over the coming decades.
• In November 2024, Kongsberg Discovery launched the FS80 Trawl Sonar, a new pelagic trawling system, at the Pacific Marine Expo. This modular and compact solution was described as the market's first sonar system to integrate net monitoring, intake profiling, and bottom detection into a single unit. The technology allowed fishery operators to utilize advanced multifrequency performance for improved operational flexibility and sustainability. By combining multiple data streams, the system aimed to simplify complex underwater monitoring tasks, providing users with a competitive edge in efficient catch management and gear monitoring across diverse fishing environments.
• In September 2024, Ultra Maritime secured a sole-source firm-fixed-price contract valued at approximately $99 million from the United States Navy. The agreement facilitated the Low Rate Initial Production of the AN/SSQ-53H sonobuoy, a critical sensor system used for anti-submarine warfare. This contract was intended to support annual training, peacetime operations, and testing requirements while maintaining sufficient inventory for major combat operations. The company emphasized that this award reinforced its role in advancing maritime security and delivering essential acoustic detection capabilities to naval forces and allied nations globally to meet increasing underwater threats.
• In March 2024, Teledyne Marine introduced the Vertical Detection Mode feature for its SeaBat multibeam echosounders during the Oceanology International event in London. This new capability was designed to optimize data quality in complex environments rich in multi-path signals, such as those found during quay wall surveys and other intricate marine structures. The company also showcased its autonomous surface vehicles equipped with these advanced sonar systems, highlighting significant improvements in marine surveying efficiency. The launch underscored the organization's commitment to enhancing underwater inspection and exploration technologies through automated and precise acoustic detection solutions for challenging hydrographic conditions.

Key Market Players

• Nautel
• Mistral Solutions Pvt. Ltd
• Sonardyne International Ltd
• Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Thales Group
• Ultra Electronics Holdings
• ThyssenKrupp AG
• Western Marine Electronics Inc.
• GeoSpectrum Technologies Inc.
• Aselsan AS

By Type	By Application	By Region
Active Sonar Passive Sonar	Defense and Commercial	North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa

Report Scope:

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

• Sonar Systems Market, By Type:

• Active Sonar
• Passive Sonar

• Sonar Systems Market, By Application:

• Defense and Commercial

• Sonar 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