Autonomous Military Weapon Market Forecasted to Reach $36.5 Billion By 2033 Pushing the Boundaries of Traditional Defense

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NEW YORK, Aug. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Autonomous Military Weapon Market is experiencing rapid growth as nations increasingly invest in advanced technologies to bolster their defense capabilities.  A report from Verified Market Reports said that the Autonomous Military Weapon Market size stood at USD 12.3 Billion in 2024 and is forecast to achieve USD 36.5 Billion By 2033, registering a 13.2% CAGR From 2026 To 2033.  The report added: "The Autonomous Military Weapon Market is rapidly evolving as nations around the globe prioritize advanced defense capabilities. These autonomous systems are designed to operate with minimal human intervention, leveraging artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotics to enhance military precision and effectiveness. Governments across the world are increasing defense budgets to develop and deploy autonomous weapons. For example, the United States allocated over $740 billion for defense spending in 2023, with a significant portion dedicated to research and development in autonomous technologies. Additionally, NATO members and other defense alliances are closely monitoring this space to ensure that they remain competitive in the rapidly evolving landscape of military technologies.  The increasing use of autonomous military weapons is driven by a number of factors, including the desire to reduce human casualties, enhance decision-making speed, and increase the accuracy of strikes. In conflict zones, these systems can make rapid decisions that would otherwise take human operators much longer to process. As the technology behind these weapons improves, nations are focusing on systems that can function with greater autonomy. In 2023, the European Defense Agency allocated nearly €2 billion to artificial intelligence and robotics programs aimed at enhancing defense systems, reflecting the growing reliance on autonomous solutions."  Active Companies leading the way in autonomous systems and military & defense operations include VisionWave Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:VWAV), BigBear.ai (NYSE:BBAI), Pony AI Inc. (NASDAQ:PONY), Aurora Innovation, Inc. (NASDAQ:AUR), Leonardo DRS, Inc. (NASDAQ:DRS).

Verified Market Reports continued: "The growing integration of autonomous systems in warfare raises questions about the implications for global security. The term "autonomous systems" encompasses a variety of technologies, such as drones, automated surveillance systems, and missile defense mechanisms. These systems are developed with varying degrees of autonomy, from semi-automated tools that require human supervision to fully autonomous systems that operate independently. Companies in the defense sector are increasingly exploring advanced AI to improve the decision-making abilities of these systems. As a result, the Autonomous Military Weapon Market is expected to grow significantly over the coming years.  The applications of autonomous military technologies extend beyond the battlefield and defense sector. These technologies are being tested in industries such as border security, law enforcement, and even space exploration. For instance, autonomous drones are already being deployed for surveillance in civilian and industrial settings, improving operational efficiency in sectors like energy and transportation. As autonomous technologies continue to advance, the market is poised to grow across multiple industries, offering both military and non-military applications that push the boundaries of traditional defense systems."

VisionWave (NASDAQ:VWAV) Advances Discussions for Strategic Opportunities in Indian Defense Modernization Programs - VisionWave Holdings Inc. ($VWAV), ("VisionWave" or the "Company"), a U.S.-based defense technology company specializing in advanced imaging, autonomous systems, and its proprietary Evolved Intelligence (EI) powered threat detection, today announced meaningful progress in its engagement with India's evolving defense modernization landscape.

The Company has initiated exploratory discussions with leading defense entities and system integrators in India with the goal of obtaining multi-year procurement and battlefield technology upgrade programs.

According to SIPRI 2024 and India's latest Union Budget 2025-26, India represents one of the world's largest and fastest-growing defense markets, with annual expenditures exceeding $80 billion and modernization initiatives projected at more than $250 billion this decade. VisionWave believes its platform and EI core technologies, which is built around real-time autonomous threat detection, super-resolution radar, and advanced sensor fusion, are strongly aligned with India's strategic goals of enhancing armored mobility, force survivability, and indigenous defense capabilities as part of its next-generation active protection and counter-UAS solutions.

The opportunities under discussion are aligned with armored fleet upgrades and innovation initiatives and include:

• Integration of VisionWave's modular counter-UAS solutions and proprietary detection systems into next-generation armored platforms, delivered as part of the VisionWave Tactical Active Protection System (T-APS);
• Participation in demonstration trials of counter-UAS solutions with integrated detection systems under India's battlefield innovation initiatives;
• Retrofitting VisionWave's Tactical Active Protection System (T-APS) to strengthen force protection and survivability across legacy armored fleets.

To support these initiatives, VisionWave has executed a mutual non-disclosure agreement with a domestic Indian defense partner and is in advanced discussions seeking to enter into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to govern future collaboration. In parallel with its ongoing live-fire trial program in Abu Dhabi, which is scheduled for September 2025, VisionWave is evaluating the feasibility of a similar live demonstration in India, subject to regulatory coordination and program readiness.

"India is a strategically important market for VisionWave, and we are committed to supporting its defense innovation objectives with our scalable, proprietary, EI-driven technologies," said Noam Kenig, CEO of VisionWave. "We see growing demand for Active Protection Systems, counter-UAS capabilities, the elimination of incoming threats, and real-time sensing — all areas where VisionWave maintains a clear technological edge."

This initiative directly aligns with VisionWave's previously disclosed strategic roadmap. As noted in the Company's most recent SEC filings:  "The Indian Ministry of Defense is working with Target to install and deploy its solutions along India's borders. This engagement is structured as a 10-year agreement to provide Target's solutions and ongoing services. As part of this initiative, Target anticipates establishing manufacturing facilities in India, enabling a substantial long-term partnership and large-scale deployment."  (Source: SEC filing, VisionWave S-4/A Prospectus, Page 170)  Continued…  Read this full release and additional news for VWAV by visiting:  https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/VWAV/news/

Other recent developments in the markets include:

BigBear.ai (NYSE:BBAI), a leading provider of mission-ready AI solutions for national security and critical infrastructure, recently announced the launch of a next-generation cargo security management solution in partnership with Narval Holding Corp., through Narval's subsidiary International Shipping Compliance, S.A. (ISC), in Panama. Designed to protect the global supply chain, advance transparency, and counter illicit trafficking, the initiative will begin in Panama with planned expansion across the region and worldwide in key international corridors.

"Securing the global supply chain requires innovation, trust, and the ability to verify each handoff along the way," said Kevin McAleenan, CEO of BigBear.ai. "By partnering with Narval Holding Corp. in Panama – a critical gateway for global trade – we will deliver an AI-driven solution to strengthen cargo security today, while laying the foundation for broader regional adoption and collaborations with the international shipping lines," he continued.

Pony AI Inc. ("Pony.ai" or the "Company") (NASDAQ:PONY), a global leader in achieving large-scale commercialization of autonomous mobility, recently announced its unaudited financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025.

Dr. James Peng, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pony.ai, commented, "This quarter marked a significant milestone in our journey toward large-scale production and deployment, further solidifying our leadership in the Robotaxi industry. Since mass production started two months ago, over 2001 Gen-7 Robotaxi vehicles have rolled off the production line, putting us firmly on track to hit the year-end 1,000-vehicle target. Our robust Robotaxi revenues more than doubled, with fare-charging revenues surging by over 300% year-over-year. The path toward positive unit economics is also clear, as we made substantial improvements in key cost items such as remote assistance and vehicle insurance. These achievements are underpinned by our rapid scaling and operational breakthroughs in all four tier-one cities in China, coupled with expanded presence in Dubai, South Korea and Luxembourg. As we enter the second half of this pivotal year of mass production, we are driving strongly toward positive unit economics and accelerating our multi-year growth trajectory."

Dr. Tiancheng Lou, Chief Technology Officer of Pony.ai, commented, "Our leading position in the Robotaxi industry is built on two key pillars, fully-driverless and scale, both of which we have already achieved. With extensive real-world testing and operations across diverse conditions, we have demonstrated our commitment to rigorous engineering practices, the reliability of the autonomous driving stack and the strong generalization capabilities powered by our proprietary PonyWorld. With mass production underway, we are not just on track to reach 1,000 vehicles but building the foundation for sustained future growth."

Aurora Innovation, Inc. (NASDAQ:AUR), the leader in self-driving trucks, recently announced a significant expansion of its commercial operations, including surpassing 20,000 driverless miles at the end of June, recently growing its driverless fleet to three trucks, beginning driverless commercial operations at night, and opening its Phoenix terminal.

"Efficiency, uptime, and reliability are important for our customers, and Aurora is showing we can deliver," said Chris Urmson, co-founder and CEO of Aurora. "Just three months after launch, we're running driverless operations day and night and we've expanded our terminal network to Phoenix. Our rapid progress is beginning to unlock the full value of self-driving trucks for our customers, which has the potential to transform the trillion-dollar trucking industry."

Aurora has expanded driverless operations on the Dallas-to-Houston lane to now include nighttime driving. This capability more than doubles truck utilization potential, significantly shortening delivery times on long-haul routes and creating a path to profitability for autonomous trucking.

Leonardo DRS, Inc. (NASDAQ:DRS) recently announced that is has successfully completed its first series of open-water demonstrations of its advanced maritime Mission Equipment Package (MEP) for counter‑UAS (C‑UAS) naval fleet protection.

The DRS maritime MEP is a scalable C-UAS system based on DRS's proven land-based mobile short-range air defense and C-UAS systems. This system is designed to be mounted on a range of small uncrewed surface vessels providing remote ship protection at varying distances, providing a real solution as the Navy looks to autonomous surface vessels to protect ships from air and surface threats.

The initial demonstrations were conducted under realistic sea conditions and demonstrated the MEP's core integrated systems performance – the detection, identification and tracking of a UAS threat and counter-surface ship tracking. The mission equipment package used in the demonstration included a suite of DRS sensors and command-and-control technologies including the BlackLab passive radio frequency (RF) detection system, STAG electro-optic/infrared (EO/IR) gimbal with advanced thermal cameras, and a tactical data management system using DRS's sensor fusion operating system and AI to support fusion and target recognition using RF and Optical modalities.

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