GITNUXREPORT 2026

Aerospace Defense Industry Statistics

The global aerospace and defense market is a massive, growing industry valued at over $814 billion.

Written by Julian Richter·Edited by Astrid Bergmann·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson

Published Feb 13, 2026·Last verified Mar 28, 2026·Next review: Sep 2026

How We Build This Report

Primary Source Collection

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

Editorial Curation

Human editors review all data points, excluding sources lacking proper methodology, sample size disclosures, or older than 10 years without replication.

AI-Powered Verification

Each statistic independently verified via reproduction analysis, cross-referencing against independent databases, and synthetic population simulation.

Human Cross-Check

Final human editorial review of all AI-verified statistics. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited they are.

Statistics that could not be independently verified are excluded regardless of how widely cited they are elsewhere.

Our process →

Statistic 1

U.S. aerospace and defense industry employed 2.2 million people directly in 2023.

Statistic 2

Aerospace manufacturing workforce in the U.S. grew by 4.7% to 1.1 million in 2023.

Statistic 3

45% of U.S. A&D jobs require STEM skills, with 320,000 engineers employed in 2023.

Statistic 4

Global A&D workforce totals 4.5 million, with 1.8 million in manufacturing roles as of 2023.

Statistic 5

Women represent 20.5% of the U.S. aerospace workforce in 2023, up from 18% in 2020.

Statistic 6

California hosts 1.3 million A&D jobs, 28% of U.S. total in 2023.

Statistic 7

Average U.S. A&D engineer salary $128,000 in 2023.

Statistic 8

150,000 skilled labor shortage projected in U.S. A&D by 2025.

Statistic 9

UK A&D sector employs 164,000 people directly in 2023.

Statistic 10

France A&D workforce at 205,000 in 2023.

Statistic 11

Texas A&D jobs 450,000 in 2023.

Statistic 12

12% growth in A&D apprenticeships U.S. 2023.

Statistic 13

Germany A&D employment 120,000 high-skill jobs 2023.

Statistic 14

Canada aerospace workforce 170,000 in 2023.

Statistic 15

Diversity: 15% underrepresented minorities in U.S. A&D 2023.

Statistic 16

Florida A&D employment 250,000 in 2023.

Statistic 17

25% of A&D jobs unfilled due to skills gap U.S. 2023.

Statistic 18

Italy A&D sector 85,000 jobs 2023.

Statistic 19

Australia defense workforce 60,000 direct 2023.

Statistic 20

Veteran hiring in A&D 18% of workforce U.S. 2023.

Statistic 21

U.S. DoD FY2024 budget for RDT&E is $145 billion, 14.5% of total $997 billion.

Statistic 22

Top 100 defense contractors received $465 billion in U.S. contracts in FY2023.

Statistic 23

Lockheed Martin secured $58.2 billion in U.S. DoD contracts in FY2023.

Statistic 24

F-35 program contract value exceeds $1.7 trillion over lifecycle, with $12B awarded in 2023.

Statistic 25

NATO allies spent $1.3 trillion on defense in 2023, 2.0% of collective GDP.

Statistic 26

U.S. DoD procurement budget FY2023 $168 billion.

Statistic 27

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter $428 billion total program cost to date.

Statistic 28

Boeing KC-46 tanker program $44.5 billion contract value.

Statistic 29

Virginia-class submarine program $348 billion lifetime cost.

Statistic 30

Global military spending $2.44 trillion in 2023, 6.8% increase.

Statistic 31

U.S. Army aviation contracts $32B FY2023.

Statistic 32

NGAD program $2.5B funding FY2024.

Statistic 33

Trident II missile sustainment $1.2B contract 2023.

Statistic 34

Constellation-class frigate $22B program cost.

Statistic 35

EU defense spending €270B in 2023.

Statistic 36

U.S. Navy shipbuilding contracts $40B FY2023.

Statistic 37

B-21 Raider bomber $203B program cost.

Statistic 38

Patriot missile system $14B exports since 2022.

Statistic 39

Columbia-class sub $132B total program.

Statistic 40

UK MoD budget £50.1B in 2023/24.

Statistic 41

Lockheed Martin reported $67.6 billion in net sales for 2023, with Aeronautics segment at $27.9 billion.

Statistic 42

Boeing's defense, space & security division generated $25.6 billion in revenue in 2023, down 10% YoY.

Statistic 43

RTX (Raytheon) achieved $68.9 billion total revenue in 2023, with Collins Aerospace at $27.3 billion.

Statistic 44

Northrop Grumman net sales were $39.3 billion in 2023, up 6.5% from 2022.

Statistic 45

General Dynamics reported $42.3 billion in 2023 revenue, with Aerospace at $10.5 billion.

Statistic 46

BAE Systems reported £25.3 billion revenue in 2023, up 10% YoY.

Statistic 47

Airbus Defence and Space revenue €11.8 billion in 2023.

Statistic 48

L3Harris Technologies $19.4 billion revenue in FY2023.

Statistic 49

Huntington Ingalls Industries shipbuilding revenue $11.5 billion in 2023.

Statistic 50

Thales Group aerospace & defense sales €10.6 billion in 2023.

Statistic 51

Leonardo S.p.A. orders €15.4B in 2023.

Statistic 52

Saab AB revenue SEK 52.8B in 2023.

Statistic 53

Textron Inc. aerospace revenue $4.7B in 2023.

Statistic 54

Elbit Systems $6.0B revenue 2023.

Statistic 55

Dassault Aviation orders €14.8B backlog end-2023.

Statistic 56

Rolls-Royce aerospace revenue £13.8B 2023.

Statistic 57

Spirit AeroSystems $6.0B revenue 2023.

Statistic 58

Kratos Defense $1.08B revenue FY2023.

Statistic 59

Embraer revenue R$27.6B 2023.

Statistic 60

MBDA missile systems sales €4.2B 2023.

Statistic 61

The global aerospace and defense market was valued at $814.8 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $1,089.5 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 4.2%.

Statistic 62

U.S. aerospace and defense industry revenue reached $424 billion in 2023, accounting for 52% of the global market.

Statistic 63

Commercial aviation segment of aerospace market generated $452 billion in 2023, while defense was $362 billion.

Statistic 64

Asia-Pacific aerospace and defense market is expected to grow at 5.1% CAGR from 2024-2030, reaching $289 billion.

Statistic 65

European A&D market size stood at $178 billion in 2023, with 3.8% projected growth through 2028.

Statistic 66

Global A&D market projected to hit $1.1 trillion by 2028 at 5.2% CAGR from $778B in 2022.

Statistic 67

U.S. MRO segment in aerospace valued at $78 billion in 2023, growing 4% YoY.

Statistic 68

Defense electronics market size $221 billion in 2023, to $312B by 2030.

Statistic 69

Middle East A&D market at $62 billion in 2023, CAGR 6.1% to 2030.

Statistic 70

Space economy segment within A&D reached $447 billion globally in 2023.

Statistic 71

U.S. defense budget FY2023 $816 billion, up 4.1% real terms.

Statistic 72

Aftermarket services in A&D $250 billion globally 2023.

Statistic 73

Sustainable aviation fuel market in A&D $2.8B in 2023.

Statistic 74

Latin America A&D market $18.5B in 2023, 3.9% CAGR.

Statistic 75

Engines segment $85B in global A&D 2023.

Statistic 76

Global A&D IT spending $98B in 2023.

Statistic 77

eVTOL urban air mobility market $9.2B by 2030 from $1.1B 2023.

Statistic 78

Missile defense systems $15.4B U.S. market 2023.

Statistic 79

Africa A&D market $4.2B in 2023.

Statistic 80

Rotorcraft segment $52B global 2023.

Statistic 81

Global A&D R&D spending reached $135 billion in 2023, with U.S. at $75 billion.

Statistic 82

Hypersonic weapons R&D investments by U.S. DoD hit $4.7 billion in FY2023.

Statistic 83

Space domain awareness tech R&D funded at $1.2 billion by DARPA in 2023.

Statistic 84

Additive manufacturing adoption in A&D grew 28% YoY, with $2.5B market in 2023.

Statistic 85

AI integration in defense systems R&D spend: $12.4 billion globally in 2023.

Statistic 86

Directed energy weapons R&D budget $1.1 billion by U.S. in FY2024.

Statistic 87

Quantum tech for defense R&D $850 million globally in 2023.

Statistic 88

UAV/autonomous systems R&D spend $22 billion worldwide 2023.

Statistic 89

Digital twin tech adoption in A&D R&D valued at $3.2B in 2023.

Statistic 90

Cybersecurity R&D for A&D $8.7 billion in 2023.

Statistic 91

Sustainable propulsion R&D $5.2B global A&D 2023.

Statistic 92

Stealth tech R&D $3.8B U.S. DoD FY2023.

Statistic 93

Biotech for soldier performance R&D $450M 2023.

Statistic 94

5G/6G comms R&D in defense $2.1B 2023.

Statistic 95

Supply chain digitization R&D spend $4.3B A&D 2023.

Statistic 96

Electric propulsion R&D $1.9B A&D global 2023.

Statistic 97

Exoskeleton tech R&D $650M 2023.

Statistic 98

Swarm drone tech R&D $1.4B U.S. 2023.

Statistic 99

AR/VR training sims R&D $2.8B 2023.

Statistic 100

Materials science R&D for hypersonics $900M 2023.

1/100

Sources

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While surpassing an $800 billion valuation and hurtling towards trillion-dollar status, the global aerospace and defense industry is navigating a complex flight path defined by geopolitical tensions, technological arms races, and a fierce competition for talent.

Key Takeaways

The global aerospace and defense market was valued at $814.8 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $1,089.5 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 4.2%.
U.S. aerospace and defense industry revenue reached $424 billion in 2023, accounting for 52% of the global market.
Commercial aviation segment of aerospace market generated $452 billion in 2023, while defense was $362 billion.
Lockheed Martin reported $67.6 billion in net sales for 2023, with Aeronautics segment at $27.9 billion.
Boeing's defense, space & security division generated $25.6 billion in revenue in 2023, down 10% YoY.
RTX (Raytheon) achieved $68.9 billion total revenue in 2023, with Collins Aerospace at $27.3 billion.
U.S. aerospace and defense industry employed 2.2 million people directly in 2023.
Aerospace manufacturing workforce in the U.S. grew by 4.7% to 1.1 million in 2023.
45% of U.S. A&D jobs require STEM skills, with 320,000 engineers employed in 2023.
Global A&D R&D spending reached $135 billion in 2023, with U.S. at $75 billion.
Hypersonic weapons R&D investments by U.S. DoD hit $4.7 billion in FY2023.
Space domain awareness tech R&D funded at $1.2 billion by DARPA in 2023.
U.S. DoD FY2024 budget for RDT&E is $145 billion, 14.5% of total $997 billion.
Top 100 defense contractors received $465 billion in U.S. contracts in FY2023.
Lockheed Martin secured $58.2 billion in U.S. DoD contracts in FY2023.

The global aerospace and defense market is a massive, growing industry valued at over $814 billion.

Employment and Workforce

1U.S. aerospace and defense industry employed 2.2 million people directly in 2023.

Verified

2Aerospace manufacturing workforce in the U.S. grew by 4.7% to 1.1 million in 2023.

Verified

345% of U.S. A&D jobs require STEM skills, with 320,000 engineers employed in 2023.

Verified

4Global A&D workforce totals 4.5 million, with 1.8 million in manufacturing roles as of 2023.

Directional

5Women represent 20.5% of the U.S. aerospace workforce in 2023, up from 18% in 2020.

Single source

6California hosts 1.3 million A&D jobs, 28% of U.S. total in 2023.

Verified

7Average U.S. A&D engineer salary $128,000 in 2023.

Verified

8150,000 skilled labor shortage projected in U.S. A&D by 2025.

Verified

9UK A&D sector employs 164,000 people directly in 2023.

Directional

10France A&D workforce at 205,000 in 2023.

Single source

11Texas A&D jobs 450,000 in 2023.

Verified

1212% growth in A&D apprenticeships U.S. 2023.

Verified

13Germany A&D employment 120,000 high-skill jobs 2023.

Verified

14Canada aerospace workforce 170,000 in 2023.

Directional

15Diversity: 15% underrepresented minorities in U.S. A&D 2023.

Single source

16Florida A&D employment 250,000 in 2023.

Verified

1725% of A&D jobs unfilled due to skills gap U.S. 2023.

Verified

18Italy A&D sector 85,000 jobs 2023.

Verified

19Australia defense workforce 60,000 direct 2023.

Directional

20Veteran hiring in A&D 18% of workforce U.S. 2023.

Single source

Employment and Workforce Interpretation

While boasting a formidable 2.2-million-strong workforce and growing, the American aerospace and defense sector is simultaneously a high-flying economic engine and a frantic search party scrambling to fill a projected 150,000 skilled seats before takeoff.

Government Contracts and Spending

1U.S. DoD FY2024 budget for RDT&E is $145 billion, 14.5% of total $997 billion.

Verified

2Top 100 defense contractors received $465 billion in U.S. contracts in FY2023.

Verified

3Lockheed Martin secured $58.2 billion in U.S. DoD contracts in FY2023.

Verified

4F-35 program contract value exceeds $1.7 trillion over lifecycle, with $12B awarded in 2023.

Directional

5NATO allies spent $1.3 trillion on defense in 2023, 2.0% of collective GDP.

Single source

6U.S. DoD procurement budget FY2023 $168 billion.

Verified

7F-35 Joint Strike Fighter $428 billion total program cost to date.

Verified

8Boeing KC-46 tanker program $44.5 billion contract value.

Verified

9Virginia-class submarine program $348 billion lifetime cost.

Directional

10Global military spending $2.44 trillion in 2023, 6.8% increase.

Single source

11U.S. Army aviation contracts $32B FY2023.

Verified

12NGAD program $2.5B funding FY2024.

Verified

13Trident II missile sustainment $1.2B contract 2023.

Verified

14Constellation-class frigate $22B program cost.

Directional

15EU defense spending €270B in 2023.

Single source

16U.S. Navy shipbuilding contracts $40B FY2023.

Verified

17B-21 Raider bomber $203B program cost.

Verified

18Patriot missile system $14B exports since 2022.

Verified

19Columbia-class sub $132B total program.

Directional

20UK MoD budget £50.1B in 2023/24.

Single source

Government Contracts and Spending Interpretation

While the Pentagon's $145 billion R&D budget aims to invent the future, the real art lies in spending trillions of today's dollars to ensure that future arrives with enough stealth bombers, angry submarines, and eternally-overbudget fighter jets to make any adversary deeply regret their life choices.

Major Companies and Performance

1Lockheed Martin reported $67.6 billion in net sales for 2023, with Aeronautics segment at $27.9 billion.

Verified

2Boeing's defense, space & security division generated $25.6 billion in revenue in 2023, down 10% YoY.

Verified

3RTX (Raytheon) achieved $68.9 billion total revenue in 2023, with Collins Aerospace at $27.3 billion.

Verified

4Northrop Grumman net sales were $39.3 billion in 2023, up 6.5% from 2022.

Directional

5General Dynamics reported $42.3 billion in 2023 revenue, with Aerospace at $10.5 billion.

Single source

6BAE Systems reported £25.3 billion revenue in 2023, up 10% YoY.

Verified

7Airbus Defence and Space revenue €11.8 billion in 2023.

Verified

8L3Harris Technologies $19.4 billion revenue in FY2023.

Verified

9Huntington Ingalls Industries shipbuilding revenue $11.5 billion in 2023.

Directional

10Thales Group aerospace & defense sales €10.6 billion in 2023.

Single source

11Leonardo S.p.A. orders €15.4B in 2023.

Verified

12Saab AB revenue SEK 52.8B in 2023.

Verified

13Textron Inc. aerospace revenue $4.7B in 2023.

Verified

14Elbit Systems $6.0B revenue 2023.

Directional

15Dassault Aviation orders €14.8B backlog end-2023.

Single source

16Rolls-Royce aerospace revenue £13.8B 2023.

Verified

17Spirit AeroSystems $6.0B revenue 2023.

Verified

18Kratos Defense $1.08B revenue FY2023.

Verified

19Embraer revenue R$27.6B 2023.

Directional

20MBDA missile systems sales €4.2B 2023.

Single source

Major Companies and Performance Interpretation

The giants are eating, with RTX leading the table, but Boeing’s sneeze reminds everyone this feast is in a very fragile dining room.

Market Size and Revenue

1The global aerospace and defense market was valued at $814.8 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $1,089.5 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 4.2%.

Verified

2U.S. aerospace and defense industry revenue reached $424 billion in 2023, accounting for 52% of the global market.

Verified

3Commercial aviation segment of aerospace market generated $452 billion in 2023, while defense was $362 billion.

Verified

4Asia-Pacific aerospace and defense market is expected to grow at 5.1% CAGR from 2024-2030, reaching $289 billion.

Directional

5European A&D market size stood at $178 billion in 2023, with 3.8% projected growth through 2028.

Single source

6Global A&D market projected to hit $1.1 trillion by 2028 at 5.2% CAGR from $778B in 2022.

Verified

7U.S. MRO segment in aerospace valued at $78 billion in 2023, growing 4% YoY.

Verified

8Defense electronics market size $221 billion in 2023, to $312B by 2030.

Verified

9Middle East A&D market at $62 billion in 2023, CAGR 6.1% to 2030.

Directional

10Space economy segment within A&D reached $447 billion globally in 2023.

Single source

11U.S. defense budget FY2023 $816 billion, up 4.1% real terms.

Verified

12Aftermarket services in A&D $250 billion globally 2023.

Verified

13Sustainable aviation fuel market in A&D $2.8B in 2023.

Verified

14Latin America A&D market $18.5B in 2023, 3.9% CAGR.

Directional

15Engines segment $85B in global A&D 2023.

Single source

16Global A&D IT spending $98B in 2023.

Verified

17eVTOL urban air mobility market $9.2B by 2030 from $1.1B 2023.

Verified

18Missile defense systems $15.4B U.S. market 2023.

Verified

19Africa A&D market $4.2B in 2023.

Directional

20Rotorcraft segment $52B global 2023.

Single source

Market Size and Revenue Interpretation

The global aerospace and defense industry, a trillion-dollar playground where the relentless engines of commerce and the sharp tools of geopolitics are equally serious business, is soaring on a trajectory fueled by everything from sustainable fuel dreams to missile defense realities.

R&D and Innovation

1Global A&D R&D spending reached $135 billion in 2023, with U.S. at $75 billion.

Verified

2Hypersonic weapons R&D investments by U.S. DoD hit $4.7 billion in FY2023.

Verified

3Space domain awareness tech R&D funded at $1.2 billion by DARPA in 2023.

Verified

4Additive manufacturing adoption in A&D grew 28% YoY, with $2.5B market in 2023.

Directional

5AI integration in defense systems R&D spend: $12.4 billion globally in 2023.

Single source

6Directed energy weapons R&D budget $1.1 billion by U.S. in FY2024.

Verified

7Quantum tech for defense R&D $850 million globally in 2023.

Verified

8UAV/autonomous systems R&D spend $22 billion worldwide 2023.

Verified

9Digital twin tech adoption in A&D R&D valued at $3.2B in 2023.

Directional

10Cybersecurity R&D for A&D $8.7 billion in 2023.

Single source

11Sustainable propulsion R&D $5.2B global A&D 2023.

Verified

12Stealth tech R&D $3.8B U.S. DoD FY2023.

Verified

13Biotech for soldier performance R&D $450M 2023.

Verified

145G/6G comms R&D in defense $2.1B 2023.

Directional

15Supply chain digitization R&D spend $4.3B A&D 2023.

Single source

16Electric propulsion R&D $1.9B A&D global 2023.

Verified

17Exoskeleton tech R&D $650M 2023.

Verified

18Swarm drone tech R&D $1.4B U.S. 2023.

Verified

19AR/VR training sims R&D $2.8B 2023.

Directional

20Materials science R&D for hypersonics $900M 2023.

Single source

R&D and Innovation Interpretation

The global aerospace defense industry's 2023 R&D ledger paints a picture of a sector sprinting on two tracks: one foot pushing for AI-swarmed, hypersonic, quantum, and space-fighting supremacy, while the other steps toward a future of sustainable, additive-manufactured, and digitally-twinned resilience, all on a budget that could make a small planet blush.