The global ballistic protective equipment market size was valued at USD 3.87 billion in 2015. The industry is anticipated to witness sustainable growth over the forecast period on account of growing internal as well as external security threats as a consequence of conflicts between nations along with rising warfare situations. Growing national anti-terrorist attack preparedness in most of the economies has also dramatically impacted sales of armor wear globally.
North America remained a dominant consumer of armor wear globally with the U.S. being the frontrunner over the past decade. Active involvement of the U.S. military in the Middle Eastern conflicts coupled with threats of fatal attacks from various terrorist organizations over the past few years has fueled the North America ballistic wear market growth. Increasing pressure on the U.S. federal government to sustain itself as a military superpower is also projected to drive the regional industry.
U.S. ballistic protective equipment market by material, 2014 - 2025 (USD Million)
Increasing need for innovative devices and gadgets on account of technological advancement is also anticipated to increase the product demand over the forecast period. The high cost associated with protective equipment is projected to hamper the industry growth over the projected period.
The heavy material weight is affecting the personnel mobility adversely which is also expected to negatively impact the industry growth. Increasing usage of better raw materials to decrease ballistic product weight along with innovation of breathable armor wear is anticipated to create new opportunities for the industry participants for further investments.
The major raw materials include powder mixture of ceramics & metallic compounds, fabrics, and other high performance materials such as carbon polymers, steel, and titanium. Aramid fiber emerged as the leading raw material segment and accounted for over 33% of the total revenue in 2015. Ability of the aramid fiber and relative blends to be easily molded for manufacturing ballistic helmets and body armor is the key factor responsible for high market penetration.
Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is anticipated to emerge as the fastest growing material segment with an estimated CAGR of 4.6% from 2016 to 2025. The finished products are majorly used across the defense industry for personnel protection and tactical armor wear, owing to its very high impact strength and excellent stab resistance. Excellent mechanical properties that tend to decrease time spent in material molding and cutting, thus enhancing faster manufacturing on short delivery time-periods are the major factors expected to drive the segment growth over the forecast period.
Majority of the recent developments were focused towards the use of composites consisting of carbon nanotubes, graphene, and other nanomaterial’s for providing lightweight with enhanced protection from high-velocity projectiles to the protective wear is anticipated to increase the composite material growth especially from hard armor segment.
Soft armor market net worth exceeded USD 1,600 million in 2015. Innovations in developing integrated under suit system, exoskeletons, and soft ballistic protection plates are anticipated to drive soft armor demand and provide better speed with improved flexibility suited for a broad range of missions.
Helmets are anticipated to emerge as the fastest growing end-use and gain product share by 1.1% by 2025. Increasing head protection equipment demand by counter-terrorism units, terrestrial army, military sniper teams, and infantry combat is anticipated to drive the segment growth over the next nine years.
Hard armor is projected to account for the highest proportion of expenditure especially due to rising demand for body armor and personal protection from Brazil over the next few years. Brazilian law enforcement and military sectors are moving towards upgrading their armor and ammunition inventory for tackling the domestic crime and terrorism which is anticipated to increase the hard armor demand in the region over the forecast period.
The defense sector enjoyed the lion’s share in the global market owing to the significant demand for ballistic helmets and hard body armor. A large number of counter-terrorism initiatives adopted by several countries over the past few years have contributed to the significant penetration of product demand in the defense sector.
Global ballistic protective equipment market by end-use, 2015 (USD Million)
Ballistic protective equipment demand in law enforcement industry was valued at USD 1,258.5 million in 2015 and is anticipated to emerge as the fastest growing end-use segment, which can be attributed to the increasing adoption of efficient bulletproof equipment such as shields, body armor, and helmets to counter the civil unrest and riots.
Growing concern towards body protection against small arms across various countries in North America and Europe has significantly contributed to soft body armor demand over the past few years.
North America is the major market for soft armors owing to most of the soldier modernization programs being conducted in the region. The U.S. is also involved in the expansion of Buffalo A2 Bar Armor Kits program which will also increase the demand for ballistic protective equipment market.
Asia Pacific is expected to witness significant growth on account of dynamic geopolitical relations among South Asian countries such as Pakistan, Vietnam, India, China, and Bangladesh. The rising military spending by China and India as part of their geopolitical strategies is projected to balance Asia Pacific market growth over the forecast.
Africa ballistic protective equipment industry value is anticipated to reach over USD 205 million by 2025. Modernization of armed forces mainly influences African military expenditure. There is an enduring threat of militants and insurgency problems in the Eastern and Northern Africa countries including Egypt, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan, which is likely to escalate the product demand. Ballistic protective equipment demand in the region is anticipated to witness moderate growth due to the rising hard body armor requirements from South African defense and law enforcement departments.
The prominent raw material vendors in the body armor industry include DuPont Company, Honeywell International, Inc., Toyobo Co., and Teijin Twaron. The ballistic protective equipment manufacturers procure the raw materials for commencing the production of bulletproof helmets, soft, and hard armors. The major vendors operating in this industry include MKU, 3M Company, BAE Systems Plc, EnGarde, PSP, Inc., and Tencate.
Attribute |
Details |
Base year for estimation |
2015 |
Actual estimates/Historical data |
2014 - 2015 |
Forecast period |
2016 - 2025 |
Market representation |
Revenue in USD Million & CAGR from 2016 to 2024 |
Regional scope |
North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Central & America, Middle East, and Africa |
Country scope |
U.S., Canada, Mexico, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Japan, China, India, South Korea, Indonesia, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, UAE, among others |
Report coverage |
Revenue forecast, company share, competitive landscape, growth factors and trends |
15% free customization scope (equivalent to 5 analyst working days) |
If you need specific market information, which is not currently within the scope of the report, we will provide it to you as a part of customization |
This report forecasts revenue growth and provides an analysis on the industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2014 to 2025. For the purpose of this report, Grand View Research has segmented the global ballistic protective equipment market on the basis of material, product, end-use, and region:
Material Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)
Aramid
Composites
UHMWPE
Steel
Others
Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)
Head protection
Soft armor
Hard armor
End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)
Defense
Commercial
Law Enforcement & Security
Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)
North America
U.S
Canada
Mexico
Austria
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Bulgaria Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Malta
Montenegro
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Republic of Macedonia
Romania
Russia
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Ukraine
United Kingdom
Asia Pacific
Australia
China
India
Indonesia
Japan
Malaysia
Mongolia
New Zealand
Philippines
Singapore
South Korea
Thailand
Vietnam
Central & South America
Brazil
Argentina
Middle East
Saudi Arabia
UAE
Africa
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The shortage in supply of raw materials from Chinese manufacturers has resulted in a severe demand-supply gap. The manufacturers are further expected to be stranded on raw material orders owing to the logistics industry being significantly impacted due to lockdown amid COVID-19. However, the producers are expected to move away from China aiming to reduce the future risks that would affect the business and to reduce the manufacturers' cluster in a single country in order to smoothen the supply chain. The report will account for Covid19 as a key market contributor.