Description
What do tactical communications mean?
Tactical communications are military communications in which any type of information, including commands and military intelligence, is passed from one person to another on a battlefield, especially during combat. Tactical communication encompasses a wide range of communication channels, including verbal, written, visual, and audio among others.
Regional Mapping of Tactical Communication Market
During the projected period, the tactical communications industry in the United States country is expected to account for the largest share. The high investments in military communication equipment by the United States are significantly influencing the market demand. For instance, in September 2020, under the Handheld Manpack and Small Form-Fit program of the US Army, L3Harris Technologies has received full-rate production orders for innovative tactical radios. The company received this contract worth USD 200 million from the US Army. Under the contract, The US Army Program Executive Office Command, Control, Communications-Tactical will provide PacStar 400-Series platform for the US Department of Defense’ SCOUT. In January 2021, Envistacom, an advanced communication, cyber, and others intelligence solution provider had announced the award of a three-year contract worth USD 235 million by the US Army. Under this contract, Envistacom will deliver Field Service Representative support services for IT and communications infrastructure to the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and NATO units to ensure mission connection in crucial theatres throughout the world. Envistacom will cater on-site technical services for tactical and strategic satellite communications systems, logistics, satellite terminals, system, and network engineering and administration, as well as information assurance and cybersecurity. Furthermore, in the coming years, Canada also intends to invest heavily in the procurement of portable communication systems. During the forecast period, such modernization initiatives to improve the capabilities of the region’s armed forces are likely to move the market in North America forward.
In addition, the Asia Pacific region is also anticipated to expand in the near future owing to an increase in military expenditures in India, Japan, South Korea, and Australia. For instance, in February 2021, Bharat Electronics Limited and the Ministry of Defence had signed a contract worth USD 137.50 million for the supply of Software Defined Radio Tactical. The SDR-Tac is a multi-band, multi-mode, four-channel, rack-mountable Software Defined Radio system for shipboard use. Its purpose is to provide voice and data connection between ships, ships and shores, and ships and air enabling network-centric operations. Moreover, in February 2021, The Indian Army has declared that it will get Very/Ultra High-Frequency Manpack SDRs under the Make-II category in order to rebuild the military communication infrastructure. After a thorough review of vendor comments, a Project Sanction Order has been issued to 18 Indian suppliers, allowing them to begin prototyping. Following the successful development of a prototype, a contract will be awarded to one of the enterprises under the Indian-IDDM category of DAP 2020. The development of a V/UHF Manpack SDR is in line with the government’s “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” policy, which aims to achieve “Self Reliance” in innovative communication technologies.
Simultaneously, in 2021, The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded Babcock International Group a contract worth USD 151.8 million to deliver a new Defence Strategic Radio Service (DSRS) to strategic military activities. The DSRS permits transmission of radio signals more than thousands of kilometers across the ionosphere, which is the upper portion of the Earth’s atmosphere. This technology will allow the armed personnel to communicate more efficiently and rapidly when deployed in remote locations and challenging terrains such as jungles and mountains. Additionally, flight safety communications can also be used in all military aircraft. In December 2020, Indra, a Spain-based IT company, was awarded a contract by Thales Alenia Space to provide 25 mobile tactical Satcom systems to the French Ministry of Defence. Additionally, Norway will build a nanosatellite in the Arctic for military tactical communication. The Norwegian Defence Study Establishment (FFI) has begun a two-year research project. The mission will use a polar Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite to demonstrate military Ultra High-Frequency tactical communications. GomSpace has been chosen by FFI to design and manufacture the satellite. The main goal of the mission is to show how an arctic satellite relay can be used for tactical communication by the military. Hence, certain investments plans in military equipment, and research and development activities in this industry are projected to accelerate the market growth in years to come.
Impact of COVID-19
In the COVID-19 epidemic, the travel restrictions and lockdowns, have disrupted the supply chains of numerous business domains. However, in the second half of the year, players revised their operations in reaction to the pandemic, minimizing the pandemic’s influence on the market. Despite a drop in global GDP, worldwide military spending increased by 2.6 percent in 2020, according to SIPRI. Meanwhile, due to the worldwide economic downturn precipitated by the epidemic, defense funding may be reduced in the near future. This may pose a threat to the market’s growth during the forecast period.
Some of the major market participants in the Tactical communication market include General Dynamics C4 Systems, Raytheon Company, Harris Corporation, Thales Group, and Ultra Electronics Advanced Tactical Systems Inc., and Northrop Grumman Corporation among others. Companies are expected to benefit from investment in research and development of more reliable, and secure tactical communication solutions and systems that will help them in expanding their market presence and share.
