Summary
In the world of aerospace and defense, technological developments have always been a crucial aspect of staying ahead of rivals both for military and commercial players. Now though, perhaps more than ever, technology from other industries is starting to creep into the A&D world and could provide some highly useful new methods of production, learning and protection of assets. The major military players and significant defense companies are experimenting with the potential of many of these developing technologies and they could lead to some significant leaps in capability.
This new technology does come with problems however, and the changing nature of warfare between nations means that threats are increasingly coming from the internet and software rather than troops on the ground. This means players of all types need to be prepared for this technology whether they want to or not. These four technological areas include; 3D printing, blockchain, cybersecurity and big data all of which most A&D firms are now heavily involved in.
Key Highlights
The aerospace industry requires precision engineering to produce high specification parts. 3D printers have already proved their worth here: Airbus Group conducted a study to assess the effectiveness of 3D printing on a highly standardized part - an Airbus A320 nacelle hinge bracket. They compared EOS’s titanium printed bracket (using direct metal laser sintering) with a traditionally cast steel bracket. Airbus concluded that EOS’s 3D printed bracket was stronger, lighter and produced 40% less CO2 emissions during manufacture. Moreover, because the 3D printing process used only the material needed to make the part, it eliminated any waste from secondary machining, thereby reducing titanium consumption by 25%.
Blockchain technology, often referred to as “distributed ledger technology” (or DLT) is a means by which the participants in a distributed network can each maintain a copy of an immutable ledger of transactions, and where transactions can be executed without the need for a single, central, coordinating authority. This has a wide variety of applications and many companies are very excited by the possibilities that this offers.
Cybersecurity has been a concern for aerospace and defense companies for decades, due to their roles as operators of critical military infrastructure and providers of essential hardware. However, concern over cybersecurity continues to climb up the defense agenda, driven by the increasingly interconnected nature of infrastructure, hardware and systems, and the growing number of attacks targeting defense related and critical operational information. Military hardware is currently undergoing significant change. Services are becoming ever more integrated through information sharing.
Resultantly, companies working in aerospace and defense are racing to develop cybersecurity systems that can withstand complex and penetrative attacks from governments and independent actors. The transition has been rapid and will undergo further change as artificial intelligence and machine learning begins to play an ever-greater role in the modern battlefield. Given the potential for disruption - such as the grounding of aircraft fleets, collapse of communication systems or general confusion in the command chain - the need for cybersecurity that is reliable and able to withstand cutting-edge attacks will become elevated beyond current levels.
Scope
- Examine the major trends in aerospace and defense technology
- See how big data technology is becoming a big target for A&D firms
- Explore the benefits of 3D Printing technology to A&D companies and militaries
- Examine how cyber security has become such an important issue and how companies are trying to solve it
- See how block chain technology is being pursued by A&D companies
Reasons to buy
- What technology absorbing the attention of modern military planners?
- Where is the money going and is it being spent wisely?
- Are all of the new technologies emerging actually practical?
- What can we expect to see in future wars and does this make the world safer or less safe?
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary 2
3D printing has now evolved beyond prototypes 2
Blockchain in Aerospace and Defense is worth exploring cautiously 2
Cybersecurity in Aerospace & Defense is a vital industry outlay 2
Understanding and manipulating big data could lead to huge benefits 2
3D printing has now evolved beyond prototypes 7
Impact of 3D printing on A&D is growing and more parts can now be made with the technology 7
Aerospace weight reduction is one of the key applications 8
Printing on demand has been vastly improved 8
3D Printing is an ideal solution for spare parts 9
Applicable where necessary, but not the solution for everything 9
Transition from prototyping to actual parts 9
Regulatory approval is slow 10
For use in the field 10
Blockchain in Aerospace and Defense is worth exploring cautiously 11
Blockchain is a type of distributed ledger technology 11
Blockchain for tracking A&D company supply chain 12
Blockchain for state military applications is at an early stage of development 12
Blockchain to allow swarming of unmanned aerial vehicles 12
Cyber security and securing transactions between clients 13
Aerospace and defense companies involved with Blockchain technology 13
Key recommendations for aerospace & defense companies 14
AI and blockchain need to be watched simultaneously: 14
Treat blockchain as one tool in a well-stocked toolbox 14
Those not interested in blockchain, might need to focus on it regardless 14
Cybersecurity in Aerospace & Defense is a vital industry outlay 15
Cybersecurity is of vital importance in the A&D industry 15
Unique challenges facing aerospace and defense when implementing cybersecurity 16
Ransomware has affected all industries including A&D 17
Insider and privilege misuse is the main method of cyber attack 18
Denial of service (DoS) is getting more advanced with AI taking a key role 18
Key trends and threats in the cybersecurity industry 19
Expanding use of specialist civilian companies as threats mount up 19
AI and machine learning to lead development in military cybersecurity 19
Skills shortage threatens to make development harder 19
Ransomware is expanding as a threat with some notable recent attacks 19
Rising threat of cyber-warfare from secretly created virus weapons 19
Understanding and manipulating big data could lead to huge benefits 21
The Internet of Things, the cloud and AI are driving growth in Big Data technology 21
Big Data used for intelligence gathering 22
Big Data enables more integrated military operations 22
Drones and autonomous technology rising in prominence due to Big Data 23
Big Data is helping militaries to learn from business 23
Major trends and opportunities in A&D big data software 23
Edge Computing will be a highly useful tool but could be difficult thing to achieve 23
It is hoped that quantum computers will speed up big data processing 24
Cloud Computing is the crucial element that allows collection and analysis of big data 24
Impact of big data on A&D will be significant and is now an essential military function 24
Key recommendations for A&D companies involved in big data 25
Proving reliability in extreme environments is essential for Big Data 25
Scale is important; smaller players should examine merger and acquisition to play bigger role 25
Leading US tech companies need to publicly separate military and civilian business activities 26
Key Findings 27
Appendix 28
Further Reading 28
Ask the analyst 29
About MarketLine 29
Disclaimer 29
List of Figures
Figure 1: Global additive manufacturing market 2017-2025 8
Figure 2: The EOS titanium printed bracket (right) is stronger and lighter than conventional steel cast bracket (left) 9
Figure 3: How a blockchain transaction can work 12
Figure 4: 2016-2021 Cybersecurity products and services $bn 16
Figure 5: WannaCry attack 2017 18
Figure 6: Consumer and business data traffic by segment 2016-2021 22
Figure 7: Data traffic by type 2016-2021 23
