Teal Group Predicts Worldwide UAV Market Will Reach Nearly $55 Billion

WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are
the most dynamic growth sector of the world aerospace industry, report Teal
analysts in their latest integrated market analysis.

Teal Group's 2008 market study estimates that UAV spending will more
than double over the next decade from current worldwide UAV expenditures of
$3.4 billion annually to $7.3 billion within a decade, totaling close to
$55 billion in the next ten years. (For further details and study
availability, contact the respective Teal sales rep in your area at
http://www.tealgroup.com/).

"The most significant catalyst to this market has been the enormous
growth of interest in UAVs by the US military, tied to the general trend
toward information warfare and net-centric systems," said Teal senior
analyst Steve Zaloga, one of the authors of the new study. "UAVs are a key
element in the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) portion
of this revolution, and they are expanding into other missions as well with
the advent of hunter-killer UAVs."

The study suggests that the US will account for 73% of the worldwide
RDT&E spending on UAV technology over the next decade, and about 59% of the
procurement. These US expenditures represent higher shares of the aerospace
market than for worldwide defense spending in general, with the US
accounting for about 67% of total worldwide defense RDT&E spending and 37%
of procurement spending, according to forecasts in International Defense
Briefing, another Teal Group competitive intelligence service.

The fifth edition of the sector study, "World Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Systems, Market Profile and Forecast 2008," examines the worldwide
requirements for UAVs, including UAV payloads, and provides ten-year
forecasts by country, region, and classes of UAVs.

The 2008 study also provides 10-year funding and production forecasts
for the wide range of UAV payloads including Electro-Optic/Infrared
Sensors, Synthetic Aperture Radars (SARs), SIGINT and EW Systems, C4I
Systems, and CBRN Sensors.

"The payload portion of the 2008 study includes expanded sensor
forecasts, including many new systems and system types," said Dr. David
Rockwell, second author of the new UAV study. The U.S. Air Force has stated
ISR is "the centerpiece of our global war on terrorism," and major RDT&E
efforts are bringing large-aircraft capabilities to smaller and smaller
UAVs, including mini-SARs and chem/bio sensors.

The 2008 study also includes a UAV Manufacturers Market Overview that
reflects the worldwide UAV market "as one of he hottest areas of growth for
defense and aerospace companies," said Philip Finnegan, third author of the
new UAV study.

The new UAV study will double the number of companies covered. "The
dynamism of the UAV market means that European companies are becoming
increasingly important, so we will add Thales, Safran and EMT."

"Smaller companies can successfully compete against larger players, as
AAI Corp., General Atomics and AeroVironment have all shown," Finnegan
said. In addition to continuing coverage of these successful small U.S.
companies, new ones have been added, including Insitu, Aurora Flight
Sciences, Swift Engineering and Proxy Aviation Systems.

"Our overview tracks the widely varying approaches being taken by these
key companies, ranging from outright acquisitions, to teaming arrangements
and internal development of new UAV systems," said Finnegan.

"Teal Group already covers the UAV market in its World Missiles and UAV
Briefing, which examines the UAV market on a program-by-program basis,"
said Zaloga. "The sector study examines the UAV market from a complementary
perspective, namely national requirements, and includes both a
comprehensive analysis of UAV system payloads and key UAV manufacturers."

The Teal Group is an aerospace and defense market analysis firm based
in Fairfax, Virginia USA. It provides competitive intelligence to industry
and government worldwide.

January 30, 2007 – Reston, VA – Future trends in aircraft production, UAV markets, defense electronics spending, satellite and launch services, and more will be the topic of Aerospace Markets – The Decade Ahead, a Teal Group forum presented by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) on March 6, 2007, at the Renaissance Washington Hotel, Washington, D.C.

The Aerospace Markets forum provides CEOs, financial executives, business developers, strategic planners and others a comprehensive look at aerospace business strategies and upcoming market trends from the unbiased viewpoints of expert analysts from Teal Group, an independent aerospace and defense consulting firm based in Fairfax, Virginia.

The program offers a complete look at aerospace business with analysis covering future trends in civil and military aircraft production, the aero power turbine market, UAV markets, and airborne military electronics. Attendees will also hear expert discussion on international technology transfer issues and growth opportunities in international markets, homeland security and netcentric warfare.

“The world aircraft industry is firing on both cylinders. The first simultaneous civil and military market upturn in decades is giving most primes a boost. While a handful of subsegments and programs are weak, the supplier base has the diverse program exposure necessary to enjoy this broader growth,” says Richard Aboulafia, Teal Group vice president of analysis.

Other aircraft production findings Teal Group will detail at the conference include:

ð       Production of 42,499 aircraft worth $1.253 trillion is forecast between 2007 and 2016. The military component of this market is worth $342.7 billion, while the civil sector is worth $910.1 billion.

ð       Over the last ten years (1997-2006), 32,149 aircraft worth $922.4 billion were delivered.

ð       Boeing’s jetliner product rejuvenation coupled with Lockheed Martin’s F-35 and broad U.S. defense export market dominance means expansion of the United States’ share of the industry. Europe looks to retain its market share during the next decade, although European industrial restructuring has not reached its ultimate conclusion.

Aerospace Markets – The Decade Ahead is supported by The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin Corporate Engineering and Technology, Northrop Grumman, Rolls-Royce and Safran USA.

Teal Group is a defense and aerospace market analysis firm based in Fairfax, Virginia, USA.  It provides competitive intelligence to industry and government worldwide.

AIAA advances the state of aerospace science, engineering, and technological leadership. Headquartered in suburban Washington, D.C., the Institute serves over 35,000 members in 65 regional sections and 79 countries.