Demand for Light-Weight and More Effective Turret Mounted Weapons Systems

Frost & Sullivan, LONDON: Lessons learned during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have created awareness amongst the top defence equipment manufacturers about the need for new technologies that increase survivability and limit the incidence of mobility kill during armoured warfare, particularly unconventional battle scenarios. This trend is supporting the rising demand for advanced, light-weight, highly effective turret mounted weapons. 
 
New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, “European Turret Mounted Weapons Market in the Next Ten Years (2007-2016),” projects the value of the market to be worth a total of $15.3 billion over the period 2007-2016. 
 
“The demand for turret mounted weapons is increasing significantly within Europe, with many European countries recognising that a superior battlefield engagement strategy depends on having the latest generation of such weapons,” notes Frost & Sullivan Research Manager Moin Chowdhury. He also emphasized that “Demand is increasingly being shaped by lessons learned during military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, with market dynamics and technology requirements changing at a rapid pace.” 
 
After the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, customer demand has shifted to light-weight and more effective turret mounted weapons systems with enhanced crew protection and mobility to operate in unknown territories. 
 
The objective of the modern turret system is to develop light-weight, overwhelmingly lethal, strategically deployable, self-sustaining and survivable combat vehicle systems that can support the combat force and supporting technologies over the next ten years and even beyond. Additionally, the newly built combat vehicles with modern turret systems will provide significant protection to crews by incorporating technologies such as remote-controlled weapon stations, providing shields around the weapon pits over the copula so that it mitigates the effects of being fired upon. 
 
However, budgetary constraints are posing a major hindrance to market expansion. The most recent wave of defence cuts across Europe will affect the market for weapons systems. 
 
“In order to support further equipment modernisation initiatives, MODs are looking for innovative ways to transfer risk off the balance sheets,” says Chowdhury. “One of the ways is to establish high product life cycle goals and pre-planned product improvement timelines.” 
 
A key issue that armoured fighting vehicle manufacturers need to take into consideration, if they are to succeed in the marketplace, is the growing appeal of modular systems. These systems hold the promise of significantly reducing the cost of production in large volumes. 
 
European Turret Mounted Weapons Market in the Next Ten Years (2007-2016) is part of the Aerospace & Defence Growth Partnership Services Programme, which also includes research in the following markets: European Markets for Mini UAVs; European Civil and Commercial UAV Markets; and European Land-based ISTAR Market-Vehicle Electronics Systems. 
 
All research included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants. 
 
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