Explosive Ordnance Disposal Market - Growth, Trends, And Forecasts (2020 - 2025)

The explosive ordnance disposal market is expected to register a CAGR of over 2% during the forecast period.

- The growing threats from terrorist and insurgent groups are forcing the governments to procure EOD tools and equipment to detect and diffuse the explosives quickly and effectively, which is fueling the growth of the market.
- The increasing emphasis on using UGVs and robotic explosive disposal units for EOD activities to reduce the threat to the military and law enforcement personnel is expected to generate new opportunities for the players in the years to come.

Key Market Trends

Growing Adoption of Unmanned Systems for EOD Operations

Technological developments in unmanned systems, especially unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), demonstrate the potential of remotely operated capabilities in alleviating the risks to humans in hostile environments near explosive ordnances. Unmanned systems can perform a wide variety of tasks that range from reconnaissance and surveillance to detection and disposal of explosives. The latest EOD robots are being fitted with a wide variety of payloads, including conventional cameras, EO/IR sensors, X-ray scanners, and metal detectors, which help in detecting explosives accurately and sending the collected information to the concerned agencies. In addition, newer EOD UGVs feature high-power manipulator arms that help in disposing the explosives. Due to these features, militaries and law-enforcement agencies are increasingly procuring these systems. For instance, in July 2019, L3Harris Technologies announced that it received a USD 46 million contract from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to provide T7 robotic systems to support explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) missions of the security forces in the country. Thus, the growing emphasis on procuring the unmanned systems for EOD operations is expected to drive the market during the forecast period.

North America Held the Largest Market Share in 2019

North America held the largest share in the market in 2019. The main reason for the higher revenue share of the region is the high demand for the EOD equipment from the United States. The US is focusing on modernizing its soldier protection systems for contingency operations. As a part of this modernization effort, it is procuring new EOD suits and helmets for its armed forces. In July 2019, Med-Eng, a brand of The Safariland Group, announced that it received a USD 10.2 million add-on delivery order for EOD 10 Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) suits and helmets for the US Marine Corps. In 2019, the Army also selected a unique variation of the EOD 10 suit architecture from Med-Eng, as its second-generation Advanced Bomb Suit (ABS II). In addition, the US Army is currently modernizing its robotic and autonomous capabilities with a range of autonomous systems. It aims to leverage the best of the available commercial technology, as it is critical in giving soldiers an overmatch in future contingency operations. In November 2019, the US Army announced that it awarded a contract to FLIR Systems to produce the Common Robotic System - Heavy, or CRS-H, worth USD 109 million. The Army plans to induce around 250 of these systems. The delivery is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2020. All these factors are expected to propel the growth of the market in North America in the years to come.

Competitive Landscape

L3Harris Technologies Inc., FLIR Systems Inc., Cobham PLC, Northrop Grumman Corporation, and Med-Eng Holdings are some of the prominent players in the market. Players are focusing on the incorporation of advanced materials and sensor technologies into the development of EOD systems, to make them more efficient than their competitorsÕ counterparts, which will help them gain new contracts in the coming years. Several players are focusing on the development of EOD robots, which are expected to become the backbone of the EOD operations in the coming years. Strategic partnerships and collaborations between players are expected to help them develop advanced systems during the forecast period, thereby contributing to their collective growth in the market.

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