SONAR System Market Overview
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries across the world adopted lockdowns to flatten the curve of the infection. Most of the SONAR system companies had to close their manufacturing facilities owing to the outbreak of COVID-19. In the wake of the pandemic, the supply of essential components like transmitters, transducers and synchronizers got disrupted which resulted in slow production by many companies thereby reducing their overall revenue in different regions across the world.
SONAR system is a device which uses technique of sound navigation ranging for visualization of underwater object. There are various applications of SONAR that can be used in defense, commercial and scientific research sectors. Manufacturers have developed SONAR systems which operate at lower frequencies (below 5 kHz) that provides comparatively greater area coverage and improved performance. Global SONAR system accounted for a market value of USD 2,960.60 million in 2019 and is anticipated to grow up to USD 4,177.53 million by 2028, at a CAGR of 3.90% during the forecast period 2020-2028. Factors such as enhancements in the anti-submarine warfare techniques, advancements in digital signal processing which has enhanced the underwater SONAR signal processing and communication, and rising demand for sonobuoy in tactical defense operations are anticipated to drive the market growth of SONAR system market in the coming years.
Regional Growth Highlights during 2019-2028
North America SONAR system market is expected to grow at a robust pace during the forecast period. It is anticipated that US has the largest market for underwater surveillance systems. It is involved in a massive number of exports and imports of SONAR systems worldwide, which has resulted in the spur of the SONAR system market growth across the region. The Europe SONAR system market is anticipated to grow at a significant rate during the forecast period on account of the shipbuilding industry, which is currently going through a slump across the region. The increasing demand for autonomous ships and cruise ships is anticipated to fuel the SONAR system market's growth across the European market. Asia Pacific SONAR system market growth is attributed to the rise in maritime trade and increasing oil and gas exploration. Technological advancements have resulted in the procurement of advanced SONAR systems for the naval fleet and are expected to propel the growth of the SONAR system market across the region.
The study further incorporates Y-O-Y Growth, demand & supply and forecast future opportunity in North America (United States, Canada), Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Rest of LATAM), Europe (U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Hungary, BENELUX [Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg], NORDIC [Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland], Poland, Russia, Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, India, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Rest of Asia-Pacific), Middle East and Africa (Israel, GCC [Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman], North Africa, South Africa, Rest of Middle East and Africa).
Market Segmentation Synopsis
By Type
The global SONAR system market is segmented by type into active SONAR system, passive SONAR system, and dual SONAR system, out of which, passive SONAR system accounted for the largest market share of 55.75% in 2019. Passive SONAR system performs detection and estimation of target/object based on the controlled object's noise. Its main advantage is that it doesn't emit any echo, which helps it to remain in stealth mode in the defense sector. Active SONAR system uses a pulse of acoustic energy, which is launched in water for echo generation. A well-defined signal called a “ping” is transmitted in an active SONAR system, which illuminates a target, and the reflected signal or “echo” is sensed, processed, and displayed by a receiver. Dual SONAR systems are the systems that use both active acoustic techniques in combination with passive acoustic systems. Dual SONARs are used mostly in commercial and scientific research operations, including hydrography, fisheries, and object detection.
By Acoustic Frequency
The global SONAR system market is segmented by acoustic frequency into infrasonic SONAR and ultrasonic SONAR. Infrasonic SONAR touched a market value of USD 1131.99 million in 2020. An infrasonic SONAR system can also be used in shallow water for hydrography, which helps the scientific research segment. The main advantage of ultrasonic SONAR is the presence of low frequency owing to which the sound waves travel to a greater distance, which helps in easy detection of objects in the sea. Ultrasonic SONAR has a complete application in defense, commercial, and scientific segments.
By Installation
The global SONAR system market is segmented by installation into hull mounted SONAR, stern mounted SONAR, airborne SONAR, dipping SONAR, and others. Hull mounted SONAR accounted for the largest market share of 46.64% in 2019 and is expected to grow at a significant rate during the forecast period. These SONARs are used in various naval missions, including submarine detection, mine detection, and diver detection. Stern mounted SONAR is installed at the back of the ship. The placement of the system is essential so that maximum information can be obtained. Airborne SONAR is gaining popularity across the defense sector owing to the quick drop & pick-up of the SONAR system from the air and more accurate & reliable data collection.
By Component
The global SONAR system market is segmented by component into receiver, transmitter, hydrophone, beamforming processor, transducer, synchronizers, cables, and others. The synchronizers segment accounted for the largest market share of 26.70% in 2019 and is expected to grow at a significant rate in the coming years. The role of synchronizer is to give the overall coordinates and timing of the system. The application of synchronizers in SONAR system is to help pinpoint the location of ships and submarines. The receiver segment is designed to intercept and amplify the sound signals produced by the identified target object.
By Application
The global SONAR system market is segmented by application into defense, commercial, and scientific, out of which, defense segment accounted for the largest market share in 2019. Growing expenditure in the military is expected to boost the SONAR system market during the forecast period. U.S., China, India, Russia, and Korea are the top five countries that spend a massive amount of resources in their defense sector. The commercial application of SONAR system includes fisheries, object detection, and offshore activities by the oil & gas sector. Scientific application of SONAR system includes hydrography and object detection for research purposes. A large amount of research operation is performed by an unmanned underwater vehicle that uses SONAR system to get a clear underwater structure.
Market Drivers & Challenges
Growth Indicators
Growing Defense Operation Across the World
The demand for SONAR systems is increasing on account of growing advancements in defense operations across the world. Nowadays, most of the submarines are designed based on the Ohio-Class, reducing their vulnerability to passive SONARs. Furthermore, new anti-submarine technologies are increasing, which will reduce their reliance on noise generated by a target submarine.
Developments in Offshore Energy Sector and Fisheries
The global offshore energy sector is growing at a robust pace and is anticipated to rise even more over the forecast period. The industry aims to provide an affordable and dependable source of energy across the world. Also, the quantity of fish produced at the global level is projected to grow as it is predominantly consumed as food worldwide. SONAR systems are one of the acoustic technologies that help researchers study the habitat of fishes.
Challenges
Impact of SONAR on Marine Life
The increase in underwater surveillance systems such as submarines, SONARs, seismic air gun blasts, and others which are used for offshore energy exploration and underwater warfare is disrupting the life of marine creatures. These underwater warfare systems are negatively impacting marine life, and the whole aquatic life is attributed to vanish in the future.
Top Featured Companies Dominating the Market
Some of the prominent industry leaders in the global SONAR system market are Ultra (Ultra Electronics), Thales Group, Raytheon Technologies Corporation, Neptune Sonar Ltd., Kongsberg Gruppen ASA, L3Harris Technologies, Inc., Mind Technology, Inc., General Dynamics Mission Systems, Inc., Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, Nisshinbo Holdings Inc., Lockheed Martin Corporation, SONARDYNE, and others.
