Dublin, Jan. 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The “Multirotor UAV Market – Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2021-2031” has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering.
The Global Multirotor UAV Market is projected to expand from USD 3.31 Billion in 2025 to USD 7.31 Billion by 2031, achieving a CAGR of 14.12%
The market’s growth is largely fueled by the rising need for tactical surveillance in defense and the increasing use of aerial monitoring in precision agriculture. This strong demand is supported by significant financial backing; for instance, the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International noted that in 2024, the U.S. Department of Defense sought approximately $10.95 billion for uncrewed vehicle development and acquisition. Together, these elements suggest a path of lasting industrial adoption based on practical utility rather than fleeting technological trends.
In contrast, the complex regulatory environment, particularly regarding strict limits on Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations, remains a major obstacle to market growth. This fragmented regulatory framework imposes heavy compliance responsibilities that hinder the certification and launch of advanced autonomous logistics networks, effectively retarding the commercial expansion of these technologies within civilian airspace.
Market Drivers
The rising need for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) within defense sectors stands as the primary driver for the industrial growth of multirotor technologies. Military entities are increasingly focusing on acquiring compact, agile multirotor systems that offer real-time situational awareness and target acquisition while reducing personnel risk.
This strategic pivot toward asymmetric warfare instruments demands faster procurement cycles and significant funding for autonomous systems. As reported by Defense News in May 2024 regarding the ‘Pentagon secures $500 million for Replicator’ initiative, U.S. lawmakers allocated $500 million in fiscal 2024 to speed up the deployment of thousands of all-domain autonomous systems. Such investments confirm the operational necessity of these airframes in modern combat, guaranteeing continued contracts for manufacturers of hardened, tactical-grade multirotors.
Concurrently, the growth of aerial logistics and last-mile delivery networks is transforming the market’s commercial sector. Major retailers and logistics firms are advancing from pilot programs to full-scale operations, employing multirotors to speed up the delivery of medical supplies and consumer products in crowded urban areas. In January 2024, Walmart Corporate announced via its ‘CES 2024’ press release the most significant drone delivery expansion by a U.S. retailer, adding coverage for 1.8 million households in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. This commercial expansion is backed by a necessary workforce of skilled operators; the Federal Aviation Administration reported that in 2024, the number of certified commercial remote pilots in the U.S. exceeded 370,000. These figures highlight how practical applications in logistics are fostering market adoption beyond hobbyist or photography uses.
Market Challenges
The complicated regulatory environment, particularly the rigid restrictions on Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flights, acts as the main constraint on the multirotor UAV sector’s scalability. Although the hardware is technically capable of autonomous long-distance flight, current regulations typically mandate that operators keep the aircraft within direct line of sight. This requirement enforces a high human-to-drone ratio, thereby negating the labor-saving and cost-efficiency benefits that constitute the core value of unmanned aerial logistics. As a result, companies cannot launch fully autonomous fleets for high-volume activities like pipeline inspection or last-mile delivery, leaving operations stuck in a labor-heavy, low-profit stage.
This gap between fleet capabilities and permitted usage leads to a significant accumulation of underused assets. According to 2024 data from the Federal Aviation Administration, registered commercial drones in the United States totaled 390,027. Despite this large volume of hardware, most units are legally restricted to short-range flights because of the sluggish processing of complex BVLOS waivers. This regulatory friction hinders the industry from utilizing its existing capacity, effectively halting the progression from experimental programs to profitable, industrial-scale networks.
Market Trends
The incorporation of Artificial Intelligence for Autonomous Flight and Decision-Making is radically transforming multirotor capabilities by allowing navigation in environments without GNSS signals. In contrast to standard automated systems that depend on external satellite positioning for pre-set routes, these advanced AI pilots employ onboard edge computing to perceive and respond to their environment dynamically, ensuring mission success even if communication links fail. This move toward resilient, software-based autonomy is drawing significant investment to boost the production of intelligent airframes suited for contested areas. For example, Shield AI announced in a March 2025 press release, ‘Shield AI raises $240M at $5.3B valuation,’ that it had secured $240 million in Series F-1 funding to broaden the use of its Hivemind autonomy software across diverse aircraft types.
At the same time, advancements in Hydrogen Fuel Cells and Hybrid Propulsion Systems are becoming a pivotal hardware trend, directly tackling the endurance constraints of standard lithium-ion batteries. By providing considerably higher energy density, hydrogen solutions enable multirotors to fly for hours instead of minutes, making long-range infrastructure inspection and heavy-lift tasks technically viable. This technological advancement is fueling significant valuation increases for manufacturers creating these extended-range power systems. As reported by Tech in Asia in November 2025 under ‘Israeli drone maker Heven reportedly valued at over $1b,’ hydrogen drone developer Heven AeroTech achieved a valuation surpassing $1 billion after a $100 million funding round aimed at integrating advanced sensors into their long-endurance platforms.
Key Players Profiled in the Multirotor UAV Market
- Aerovironment, Inc.
- Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)
- SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd.
- 3DR Inc.
- Coptercam
- Draganfly Innovations Inc.
- Skydio, Inc.
- Aero Systems West, Inc.
- Cyberhawk Innovations Limited
- Volatus Aerospace Corp.
Report Scope
In this report, the Global Multirotor UAV Market has been segmented into the following categories:
Multirotor UAV Market, by Application:
- Military
- Homeland Security
- Commercial
Multirotor UAV Market, by Rotors:
Multirotor UAV Market, by Payload:
- Cameras
- Electro-Optical Sensors
- GPS
- Lidar
- Laser Designator
- Others
Multirotor UAV Market, by Region:
- North America
- Europe
- Asia-Pacific
- South America
- Middle East & Africa
Key Attributes:
| Report Attribute | Details |
| No. of Pages | 181 |
| Forecast Period | 2025 – 2031 |
| Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2025 | $3.31 Billion |
| Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2031 | $7.31 Billion |
| Compound Annual Growth Rate | 14.1% |
| Regions Covered | Global |
For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/4fnerw
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