Aerial Refueling Systems Market Size By Application (Military Aircraft, Helicopters, Commercial Aircraft, UAV), By Component (Refueling Pods, Refueling Probes, Drogues, Hoses, Boom), By System (Probe and Drogue, Flying Boom), By Distribution Channel (OEM, Aftermarket), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook, Application Potential, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2020 – 2026

Aerial Refueling Systems Market Size

Aerial Refueling Systems Market size valued at USD 4.3 million in 2019 and is expected to grow at over 4% CAGR from 2020 to 2026.

Increasing tanker aircraft demand with rising defense budget across developed and emerging economies will boost the market revenue. Growing frequency of sorties away from ground bases has made refueling an essential mission component. The AAR supports overseas deployment in a short notice. Rising adoption of effective methods for increasing endurance and range of aircrafts will propel the aerial refueling systems market growth.

The aerial refueling tankers are undergoing transformation to enhance airspeed, altitude, and range. The industry players are working to increase suitability for severe environments, lower lifecycle costs, autonomous operation, and roll on & roll off capability.
 

Inflight refueling is a complex undertaking owing to aircraft speed and proximity. Tanker advancement to reduce associated risks, operator workload and minimizing contact time will enhance product penetration. AAR systems are adopting ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) capabilities to track receiver and widen operating envelop. In addition, development of airborne tankers with higher lifting capability will influence the market growth.
 

Aerial Refueling Systems Market Analysis

In 2019, military aircraft held around 90% share in the market owing to utilization of air to air refueling systems to enhance the range of defense missions and allowing them to fly farther than that they would have normally managed. The in-flight refueling plays crucial role in strategic missions and aerial conflicts. Various countries are growing their tanker fleet to strengthen their air force.
 

For instance, in September 2019, the U.S. Air Force ordered 15 Boeing KC-46 multirole tankers to support its increasing military aircraft fleet. Further, less susceptibility of pilot error and fatigue at receiving aircraft will positively influence the market penetration across various applications.
 

Refueling pods leads the aerial refueling systems market on account of its utilization for carrying the fuel. The industry players are increasing the fuel carrying capacity of the pods to refuel more than one aircraft. In August 2016, Cobham developed Wing Aerial Refueling Pod (WARP) with stronger vertices and higher operating speed. The system is capable of transferring around 400 gallons fuel per minute to refuel more than one aircrafts.
 

Boom component segment in the market will witness around 5% growth through 2026 led by its employment for transferring the fuel from the carrier to the supplier. Refueling probes and hose play an important role in AAR system. The complete process brings the aircrafts in proximity that may lead to an accident. Thus, the system is undergoing automation for better control and enhancing safety.
 

Probe & drogue aerial refueling systems market will register gains of around 3.5% between 2020 and 2026 due to its flexibility. The system is capable of transferring fuel up to three receivers simultaneously. The Hose Drogue Unit (HDU) is safer, easy to install and allows greater relative movement between the carrier and receiver. Further, when one of the HDU unit becomes unserviceable during course, the tanker can still unload the fuel. However, low transfer rate and its limitation for large sized military aircrafts will restrict the product penetration.
 

OEM segment dominates the market size with increasing demand from military and commercial aircrafts. Growth in aircraft fleet size to serve growing passengers and missions will enhance service demand. Proliferating demand of refueling tankers to increase the flight course will fuel the segment penetration. Further, end-user propensity towards product quality, reliability and cost effective after sales services will drive the segment growth.
 

In 2019, North America accounted for over 50% market share owing to presence of largest refueling fleets. The U.S. fleet includes over 400 KC-135s and 55 large KC-10s. The U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps are enhancing their fleet to sustain their aerial supremacy that in turn will influence the market expansion across the region. Moreover, the region is witnessing replacement of old refueling tankers with versatile ones to strengthen refueling capability.
 

Aerial Refueling Systems Market Share

The aerial refueling system manufacturers are working on overcoming the potential issues in air tanker refueling including operational benefit and potential cost. The service providers are continuously increasing the number of hoses in refueling system to ensure effective use of refueling asset and interoperability. Such initiatives will propel industry growth.
 

The key industry participants include

• Lockheed Martin
• Boeing
• Cobham Plc
• Zodiac Aerospace
• Eaton Corporation
• GE Aviation System
• Engineering Corporation
• Northstar
• Omega Aerial Refueling Services, lnc.
   

The aerial refueling systems market research report includes in-depth coverage of the industry with estimates & forecast in terms of volume in units and revenue in USD Thousand from 2016 to 2026, for the following segments:

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Market, By Application

• Military Aircrafts
• Helicopters
• Commercial Aircraft
• UAV

Market, By Components

• Refueling Pods
• Refueling Probes
• Drogues
• Hoses
• Boom

Market, By System

• Probe and Drogue
• Flying Boom

Market, By Distribution Channel

• OEM
• Aftermarket

The above information is provided on a regional and country basis for the following:

• North America
  • U.S.
  • Canada
• Europe
  • Germany
  • UK
  • France
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Russia
  • Poland
  • Netherlands
  • Sweden
  • Norway
• Asia Pacific
  • China
  • India
  • Japan
  • Australia
  • Thailand
  • Vietnam
  • Malaysia
  • Indonesia
  • Singapore
  • South Korea
  • Pakistan
• Latin America
  • Brazil
  • Chile
  • Colombia
• Middle East & Africa
  • Saudi Arabia
  • UAE
  • Turkey
  • Israel
  • Iran
  • Algeria