U.S. responding to Gulf states push for UAV systems

Phil Finnegan, director of corporate analysis at the U.S. Teal Group aerospace defense consultancy, estimates the Middle East market for UAVs is currently worth around $260 million a year. He predicts this will total around $3.8 billion over the next decade, with the Middle East accounting for about 8 percent of the global UAV market. Teal estimates the global market for UAVs is likely to double from $5.2 billion to $11.6 billion by 2023. “In the international market, the Middle East is going to be very important in terms of size and for U.S. manufacturers,” Finnegan predicted.