Continued aviation spending boosts pulsed rf power semiconductor markets

The market analyst cites the S-Band radar device market as an example, which it observes is growing at greater than 10% per annum. Research director, Lance Wilson, pictured, said: "Some macroeconomic analysts talk about declines in military spending, but our data suggests that military procurement of pulsed rf power semiconductors will continue at an almost undiminished rate. Budgets for major weapons systems – very costly aircraft carriers or new fighter aircraft – may suffer, but when it comes to 'bang for your buck', military electronics are comparatively inexpensive." Wilson believes that electronic warfare and other forms of electronic communications are going to gain greater prominence. "National defence and air safety are fairly immune to the vagaries of consumer markets, so while there may be pauses as military budgets are thrashed out, we expect that we'll generally see increased spending." ABI believes that civil aviation safety is also something that has to be addressed, as many existing air traffic control and safety systems are now 30 years old and nearing the end of their lifecycles. According to the analyst, upgrades to radar, improved transponders, and other steps to enhanced safety can't be ignored.