Missile Composite Parts

Global Missile Composite Parts Market to Reach US$2.9 Billion by 2030

The global market for Missile Composite Parts estimated at US$1.8 Billion in the year 2024, is expected to reach US$2.9 Billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 8.8% over the analysis period 2024-2030. Carbon Fiber Material, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is expected to record a 9.7% CAGR and reach US$1.5 Billion by the end of the analysis period. Growth in the Glass Fiber Material segment is estimated at 9.2% CAGR over the analysis period.

The U.S. Market is Estimated at US$484.0 Million While China is Forecast to Grow at 13.7% CAGR

The Missile Composite Parts market in the U.S. is estimated at US$484.0 Million in the year 2024. China, the world`s second largest economy, is forecast to reach a projected market size of US$646.4 Million by the year 2030 trailing a CAGR of 13.7% over the analysis period 2024-2030. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at a CAGR of 4.4% and 8.4% respectively over the analysis period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 5.9% CAGR.

Global Missile Composite Parts Market - Key Trends & Drivers Summarized

How Are Composite Materials Revolutionizing Missile Structural Design?
Missile systems are undergoing a profound transformation in terms of design, functionality, and performance-driven largely by the integration of advanced composite materials in their structural components. Missile composite parts, which include nose cones, airframes, fins, propulsion casings, and control surfaces, are increasingly being manufactured using high-performance fiber-reinforced polymers, carbon-carbon composites, and hybrid laminates. These materials offer exceptional strength-to-weight ratios, thermal stability, and resistance to high aerodynamic loads, making them ideal for next-generation missile applications.

Conventional metal alloys, although structurally competent, pose limitations in terms of weight, corrosion resistance, and radar visibility. Composite materials, on the other hand, provide enhanced maneuverability, increased range, and stealth capabilities due to their radar-absorbing properties. These benefits have led to the widespread substitution of metal parts with composites in both tactical and strategic missile systems across major defense platforms. Notably, hypersonic glide vehicles, long-range cruise missiles, and surface-to-air interceptors now routinely feature composite shells and modular composite booster casings.

What Are the Key Technologies and Material Innovations Driving Composite Integration?
Recent developments in composite manufacturing technologies-such as automated fiber placement (AFP), resin transfer molding (RTM), pultrusion, filament winding, and thermoplastic composite welding-have streamlined the production of complex missile structures with precise dimensional tolerances. AFP and ATL (automated tape laying) enable rapid, repeatable, and defect-minimized layering of carbon and aramid fibers along programmed geometries, supporting the fabrication of aerodynamically optimized missile bodies with integral structural and thermal properties.

High-temperature resistant matrices such as polyimides, bismaleimides, and cyanate esters are now being adopted alongside advanced carbon fibers for airframe components that encounter extreme thermal and mechanical stresses during reentry or sustained high-speed flight. Ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) are also being explored for specific segments like propulsion system linings, where thermal shock resistance and ablation tolerance are critical. Hybrid composite-metallic structures-particularly in joining flanges and interfaces-enable functional integration while maintaining structural coherence under dynamic load conditions.

Radar cross-section (RCS) reduction is another major area of focus. Radar-absorbing composites embedded with conductive fillers, such as carbon nanotubes or metal oxides, allow missile surfaces to be engineered for stealth while simultaneously preserving aerodynamic stability. These composite materials are also tailored to mitigate vibrations and acoustic signatures, contributing to low-observability designs critical for modern warfare environments.

Which Geographies and Defense Programs Are Accelerating the Use of Composite Missile Parts?
The United States is a leading market in missile composite part development and deployment, fueled by programs such as the Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM), and Tomahawk modernization initiatives. U.S.-based defense OEMs and aerospace contractors are aggressively incorporating composite solutions in missiles to enhance platform agility and reduce weight penalties. Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman are key stakeholders integrating high-performance composites into their missile product lines.

European countries-including France, Germany, and the UK-are advancing composite integration via multinational collaborative platforms such as the Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon (FC/ASW) program. Meanwhile, in the Asia-Pacific region, China and India are both investing in missile programs with a clear emphasis on stealth and high-speed capabilities. China`s DF-17 and India’s BrahMos-II are both understood to feature advanced composite airframes and nose cones to withstand extreme flight conditions while maintaining aerodynamic control and low observability.

Emerging defense-industrial nations such as South Korea, Turkey, and Israel are also stepping up their capabilities in composite missile production, either via indigenous development or through joint ventures with established Western aerospace suppliers. These countries are recognizing the strategic advantages of composites in producing compact, lightweight, long-range missile systems optimized for various land, naval, and airborne launch platforms.

What Is Fueling Growth in the Global Missile Composite Parts Market?
The growth in the global missile composite parts market is driven by several factors, including the strategic shift toward lightweight, long-range, and stealth-oriented missile platforms. The demand for superior flight performance, thermal endurance, and structural integrity under dynamic loads is compelling defense contractors and national militaries to adopt composites over traditional materials. As defense budgets pivot toward high-value, low-footprint platforms that offer superior lethality and survivability, composites are becoming the baseline material of choice in missile architectures.

The rising geopolitical tensions across Eastern Europe, East Asia, and the Middle East are amplifying the demand for agile and high-speed missile systems. These new-generation weapons require materials capable of withstanding complex aero-thermal environments without compromising payload delivery precision or radar evasion. The need to ensure high mission success rates while reducing weight and increasing speed has elevated composites to a strategic priority across missile development programs.

Furthermore, sustainability goals and lifecycle considerations are pushing OEMs toward modular, repairable, and recyclable composite designs. The integration of digital manufacturing methods and simulation-driven optimization is reducing time-to-market and enabling rapid prototyping of novel composite missile configurations. Government R&D funding, defense contractor collaboration, and dual-use technology transfer from civil aerospace sectors are likely to maintain a steady growth trajectory for composite adoption in missile systems over the coming years.

SCOPE OF STUDY:

The report analyzes the Missile Composite Parts market in terms of units by the following Segments, and Geographic Regions/Countries:

Segments:
Material (Carbon Fiber Material, Glass Fiber Material, Aramid Fiber Material, Other Materials); Manufacturing Process (Filament Winding Manufacturing, Lay-up Manufacturing, Resin Transfer Molding Manufacturing, Other Manufacturing Processes); Application (Air-to-Air Missiles Application, Surface-to-Air Missiles Application, Surface-to-Surface Missiles Application, Other Applications); End-User (Defense End-User, Aerospace End-User, Other End-Users)

Geographic Regions/Countries:
World; United States; Canada; Japan; China; Europe (France; Germany; Italy; United Kingdom; Spain; Russia; and Rest of Europe); Asia-Pacific (Australia; India; South Korea; and Rest of Asia-Pacific); Latin America (Argentina; Brazil; Mexico; and Rest of Latin America); Middle East (Iran; Israel; Saudi Arabia; United Arab Emirates; and Rest of Middle East); and Africa.

Select Competitors (Total 42 Featured) -

• Aerojet Rocketdyne
• AIM Composite
• Albany Engineered Composites
• ATK Space Systems (Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems)
• BAE Systems
• BlueForce Technologies
• CPI Aero
• Curtiss-Wright Corporation
• General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems
• GKN Aerospace
• Hexcel Corporation
• Kratos Defense & Security Solutions
• L3Harris Technologies
• Leonardo S.p.A.
• Lockheed Martin Corporation
• Meggitt PLC (now part of Parker Hannifin)
• Orbital ATK (acquired by Northrop Grumman)
• Raytheon Missiles & Defense
• RUAG Space
• Spirit AeroSystems

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