Flat Panel Antenna Market Forecasts to 2028 – Global Analysis By Frequency (C and X Band (4 GHZ–12 GHZ), Ku, K and Ka Band (13 GHZ–40 GHZ), Type (Electronically Steered, Mechanically Steered, End User, and By Geography

According to Stratistics MRC, the Global Flat Panel Antenna Market is accounted for $316.52 million in 2021 and is expected to reach $1871.45 million by 2028 growing at a CAGR of 28.9% during the forecast period. Flat panel antenna is a kind of directional antenna, which means it only, sends and receives radio signals from one direction. It has a broader beam, allowing the signal to reach a larger area. Flat-panel antennas are used for military, naval, and commercial aircraft radar and are being developed for marine satellite communications applications. Developments are in hand to make flat panel antennas a more viable option in the maritime marketplace and several technology types are in the running, with ‘phased array’ currently the most viable.



Market Dynamics:

Driver:

Evolution of low profile, ultra-compact flat panel antennas

Low-profile and ultra-compact flat panel satellite antennas are designed to operate with the new generation of Ka-band high-throughput satellites for any IP-based voice, video, or data Beyond-Line-of-Sight (BLoS) applications. For instance, ThinKom solutions’ ThinPack flat-panel antennas combine the easy, fast setup of ultra-compact terminals with the power, throughput and performance of their bulkier counterparts so users can reap the most out of global satellite broadband. These antennas provide full-duplex satellite communication, linking advanced ground combat vehicles to ground control stations. The forward link provides command and control capabilities, while the return link transfers sensor data. These integrated terminals comprise very small aperture terminal technologies.

Restraint:

Lack of skilled and technically qualified workforce

The lack of skilled and technically qualified workforce poses challenges to the flat panel antenna market. Critical space operations increasingly rely on well-qualified personnel for various tasks such as R&D, patent development, and software development & application, among others. Thus, the recruitment of a technical workforce forms a crucial part of ensuring innovation in business processes and products in the space industry. Moreover, the countries such as South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh lack a skilled technical workforce in the space industry. Potential workforce issues affect the safety and effectiveness of space operations, which further limits the number of space exploration missions, thereby acting as a major restraint to the growth of the flat panel antenna market.

Opportunity:

Rising inclination for electronically steered flat panel antennas

Electronically steered flat panel antennas show great performance efficiency in a very thin, low-profile package, and are very rugged and completely weatherproof for extremely long life in harsh environments. Therefore, there has been a rising demand for these types of antennas in several critical environments. These antennas can track and maintain satellite links even when platforms such as military vehicles, trains, or boats, are in motion. Hybrid beam steering is used in these phased array antennas for COTM, both electronically for elevation and mechanically for azimuth. An antenna terminal steering plays a major role in acquiring a satellite link. Moreover, the rising demand for communication on the move solutions for platforms such as military vehicles, trains, commercial vehicles, and boats has led to the greater use of electronically steered phased flat panel antennas (ESPA).

Threat:

Hefty development and maintenance costs

The hefty costs pertaining towards development and maintenance of the antennas are the major threat that hinders the growth of the flat panel antenna market. Most of the required components are typically custom-fabricated or purchased from commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) vendors, which is expensive. Significant investments are required in the R&D, manufacturing, system integration, and assembly stages of the value chains of these systems. In addition, the design, development, and construction of these antennas and their components require several hours of work by trained personnel. The level of skill required itself poses a significant barrier to entry.

The commercial segment is expected to be the largest during the forecast period

The commercial segment is estimated to have a lucrative growth owing to a variety of applications, especially boating, super yachts, commercial shipping, passenger vehicles and other applications. These flat panel antennas include ESA OR phased array antennas which track satellites electronically while the units themselves are stationary, so there are no moving parts to wear out and potentially fail. The flat panel antennas used for such applications are smaller and more discreet than the large radomes generally used on bigger vessels for broadband satellite communication. Therefore, the growing demand for such antennas in different commercial applications is driving the growth of the market.

The electronically steered segment is expected to have the highest CAGR during the forecast period

The electronically steered segment is anticipated to witness the fastest CAGR growth during the forecast period. Electronically steered segment is the leading type in the flat panel antenna market in terms of CAGR. This is mainly because of its low cost and high market acceptance. Moreover, the electrically steered flat panel antenna is anticipated to gain traction owing to low cost, compact size, and significant adoption in enterprise, maritime, land mobile and aviation industries. For instance, the AlCAN Systems (Canada), C-COM Satellite Systems Inc (Canada), Hanwha Phasor (UK), and ThinKom Solutions (US) are some of the players providing electronically steered Flat Panel Antenna systems.

Region with highest share:

Asia Pacific is projected to hold the largest market share during the forecast period owing to the growing population in the region. Rapid developments related to flat panel antenna in telecommunication applications also provide growth opportunities for the market as trend for 5G in the region is growing at a rapid pace. Electronically steered flat panel antenna type is famous and reliable way initiates satellite communications and retrieve data and information in telecommunications and commercial sectors in Asia and other continents. In addition to this, the technological advancements in antenna technology, increased awareness of the benefits of using flat panel antennas among the masses, and the cost-effectiveness of these antennas also contribute to the market growth.

Region with highest CAGR:

North America is projected to have the highest CAGR over the forecast period owing to the growing use of flat antenna systems in both commercial as well as defense applications in the region. Amazon for instance recently stated that it will deliver packages using drones within months. The company has acquired permission from the US Federal Aviation Administration to operate its drones in the US. The need for flat antennas in defense is being met through such collaborative programmes. Kymeta will participate in Viasat's government-focused terminal modification kit program, which will ensure Kymeta’s terminals to interoperate with Viasat’s current and next-generation high-capacity satellite communications (SATCOM) networks.



Key players in the market

Some of the key players profiled in the Flat Panel Antenna Market include ALCAN Systems, Ball Aerospace, C-COM Satellites, Cobham Aerospace Communications, Gilat Satellite Networks, Hanwha Phasor, Isotropic Systems, Kymeta Corporation, L3Harris Technologies, NXT Communications, OneWeb, RadioWaves, SatPro Tech, ThinKom Solutions, and TTI Norte.

Key Developments:

In September 2021, Kymeta Corporation announced a launch of the Kymeta u8 MIL hybrid terminal, providing military users with a camouflaged, flexible, and more robust connectivity solution for communications-on-the-move (COTM) and networks-on-the-move (NOTM).

In November 2021, ThinKom Solutions delivered its ThinAir Ka2517 phased-array antenna system to Leidos for installation on its new high-accuracy electronic intelligence aircraft for the U.S. Army. The ThinKom Ka2517 low-profile Ka-band aero satellite antenna system, which is being integrated with a U.S. military-compliant modem, provides real-time, reliable and resilient broadband transmission to and from the aircraft in flight.
 
Frequencies Covered:
• C and X Band (4 GHZ–12 GHZ)
• Ku, K and Ka Band (13 GHZ–40 GHZ)
 
Types Covered:
• Electronically Steered
• Mechanically Steered
 
End Users Covered:
• Aviation
• Commercial
• Military
• Telecommunications

Regions Covered:
• North America
o US
o Canada
o Mexico
• Europe
o Germany
o UK
o Italy
o France
o Spain
o Rest of Europe
• Asia Pacific
o Japan       
o China       
o India       
o Australia 
o New Zealand
o South Korea
o Rest of Asia Pacific   
• South America
o Argentina
o Brazil
o Chile
o Rest of South America
• Middle East & Africa
o Saudi Arabia
o UAE
o Qatar
o South Africa
o Rest of Middle East & Africa

What our report offers:
- Market share assessments for the regional and country-level segments
- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants
- Covers Market data for the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2025, and 2028
- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)
- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations
- Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends
- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments
- Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancements

Free Customization Offerings:
All the customers of this report will be entitled to receive one of the following free customization options:
• Company Profiling
o Comprehensive profiling of additional market players (up to 3)
o SWOT Analysis of key players (up to 3)
• Regional Segmentation
o Market estimations, Forecasts and CAGR of any prominent country as per the client's interest (Note: Depends on feasibility check)
• Competitive Benchmarking
o Benchmarking of key players based on product portfolio, geographical presence, and strategic alliances