Analysis 2 The Market for Multimission Communications Systems 2020-2029

摘要

An estimated $8.5 billion will be spent over the next 10 years on the key multimission communications programs covered in this analysis. During this period, a total of 438,215 units will be produced. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has certainly put a significant strain on defense budgets and production schedules, especially in the hardest hit nations of the world. Still, major programs are moving forward steadily, along with development of the critical supporting systems. The multimission technology covered in this report provides critical communications and situational awareness capabilities for dismounted soldiers and operators of a wide variety of tactical vehicles. Particularly in the U.S. and several European nations, much of the focus since the late 1990s has been on the fulfillment of systems for long-running modernization efforts. Moving forward, this activity will continue with a renewed emphasis on even newer, more advanced radios and software to replenish and replace the much-used technology. The market leaders through 2029 based on the data presented in this analysis will be L3Harris Technologies, Raytheon Technologies, General Dynamics, and Thales. In the case of the newly formed L3 Harris Technologies and, to a somewhat lesser extent, Raytheon Technologies, the dominance of these companies can be attributed in large part to recent corporate merger and consolidation strategies that have made much bigger fish of already major players. L3Harris Technologies has held and greatly increased its dominant position in this market. Many of the company's offerings are relied on by not only the U.S., but also major militaries around the world. In February 2016, the relatively new PRC-158 multichannel, manpack radio received a tremendous jumpstart when (then) Harris Corp was one of three entities awarded a potential $12.7 billion, five-year contract to supply 60,000 handheld, manpack, small form-fit (HMS) radios to the U.S. Army to fulfill a long-standing requirement for sweeping modernization of its communications systems. In September 2019, L3Harris was awarded contracts from two European nations totaling more than $100 million for manpack and handheld tactical radios, including the PRC-158. Haif a year later, in April 2020, the company received a third low-rate initial production (LRIP) PRC-158 order valued at $95 million from the U.S. Army under the earlier HMS, $12.7 billion contract. Like L3Harris, the newly formed Raytheon Technologies will continue to benefit from the remaining years of the 2016 multibillion-dollar U.S. Army contract. The company will also accrue profits through its recently acquired Collins Aerospace division. The next 10 years will see steady production of that division's PRC-162 two-channel, software-defined networking ground radio. In April 2020, Collins Aerospace received its eighth delivery order from the U.S. Army to provide PRC-162 ground radios for the HMS program. Through the analysis period, Thales-produced PR4G radios should also be made in relatively steady numbers for the French Army and a number of European and Middle Eastern applications. Adding to the system's potential, in December 2017 Thales announced that it would extend the PR4G family and continue to offer its PR4G F@stnet HD radio alongside the launch of its new VHF/UHF CONTACT and Synaps tactical radio product lines. In July 2019, Belgium tapped Thales to provide electronics, including software-defined radios, for 382 Griffon multirole armored vehicles and 60 Jaguar reconnaissance and combat vehicles ordered for Belgium's land forces.