Air Defense: 80,000 New Missiles

Archives

September 14, 2007: Industry forecasts see growing demand for anti-aircraft missiles over the next ten years. The expected demand is for nearly 80,000 missiles, costing over $20 billion. The market is dominated by Raytheon (a U.S. firm) and MBDA (British), who, together, sell some 40 percent of all anti-aircraft missiles. Russia, whose anti-aircraft missiles have a spotty track record, is still expected to grab 5-10 percent of these sales. Russia sells cheaper missiles, and there are still cost conscious buyers out there.

A major factor in sales over the next decade is the demand for anti-missile missiles. There are more expensive, and tend to get upgraded rapidly (and at considerable expense.)