The directed energy weapons market has seen considerable growth due to a variety of factors.
• There has been significant expansion in the directed energy weapons market in the past few years. A leap from $7.01 billion in 2024 to $8.76 billion in 2025 is projected, demonstrating a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25.1%.
The historical development of this market can be associated with the rise in threats and security predicaments, modernization of military and defense budget allocations, geopolitical conflicts, improved countermeasures against drones and missiles, and non-lethal means of crowd control.
The directed energy weapons market is expected to maintain its strong growth trajectory in upcoming years.
• Expectations for the directed energy weapons market size are for substantial expansion in the coming years, with a projected increase to $20.07 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.0%.
Anticipated growth during the forecast period is linked to factors such as cybersecurity and electromagnetic spectrum protection, a rise in non-lethal civilian uses, growing defense against hypersonic threats, expansion of commercial and civilian markets, and improvements in energy efficiency and cost reduction. Global arms control agreements, technological innovations, creative solutions, strategic alliances, and advancements in energy weapon technology are seen as significant trends for the forecast period.
Boosted by increasing modernization and funding in military realms, the directed energy weapons market is experiencing substantial growth. The ongoing global power struggle underscores the need for amplified modernization and investment in defense strategies. Countries are increasingly turning to innovative, high-tech weaponry like directed energy weapons to uphold their power and compete internationally. As reported in April 2024 by Truthout, a California-based non-profit organization, global military spending reached an unprecedented high of $916 billion in 2023, a 2.3 percent increase from the previous year. China significantly contributed to this figure, investing an estimated $296 billion into its military. Additionally, U.S. military expenditure data highlighted that militarized programs made up almost two-thirds (62%) of the nation's federal discretionary budget in 2023, overshadowing domestic facets like healthcare, housing, nutritional help, and education. Such defense investments are predicted to fortify the momentum of the directed energy weapons market.
The directed energy weapons market covered in this report is segmented –
1) By Product: Lethal Weapons, Non-Lethal Weapons
2) By Technology: High Energy Laser, High Power Microwave, Electromagnetic Weapons, Sonic Weapons
3) By End-User: Land, Airborne, Naval
Subsegments:
1) By Lethal Weapons: High-Energy Laser Weapons, Particle Beam Weapons, Kinetic Energy Weapons
2) By Non-Lethal Weapons: High-Power Microwave Weapons, Acoustic Weapons, Electromagnetic Pulses (EMP), Non-Lethal Laser Systems
The directed energy weapons market is experiencing a surge in popularity driven by technological advancements. Leading players in this market are concentrating on the production of weapons equipped with artificial intelligence. This addition of AI would facilitate a complete network connection of command, control, and communication for advanced weaponry such as hypersonic weapons. To illustrate, in June 2022, a group of Chinese military scientists stated they had developed AI technology capable of predicting the trajectory of a hypersonic glide missile moving towards a target at speeds exceeding five times the speed of sound.
Major companies operating in the directed energy weapons market include:
• Lockheed Martin Corporation
• Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Raytheon Company
• Boeing Co.
• BAE Systems PLC
• L3Harris Technologies Inc.
• Rheinmetall AG
• Thales Group
• Leonardo S.p.A.
• QinetiQ
• General Atomics
• Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd.
• Dynetics Inc.
• Kord Technologies Inc.
• Applied Research Associates Inc.
• BlueHalo LLC
• Radiance Technologies Inc.
• Saab AB
• Textron Inc.
• Moog Inc.
• Elbit Systems Ltd.
• Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Inc.
North America was the largest region in the directed energy weapons market share in 2024. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the directed energy weapons market report include Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa.