Table of Contents.
Documents analysed
Sources used
Countries
1. Introduction
Value of opportunities in 2024
Warships value spike in 2025
Increase in average contract duration (2022-2024)
The Scale of Our Analysis
This comprehensive analysis represents one of the most extensive examinations of publicly available defence and security procurement data ever undertaken specifically to identify export opportunities and sales intelligence for defence suppliers. Our research team analysed 6 million procurement documents from 820 different sources across 135 countries, spanning the period from 2022 to 2025.
Data Limitations and Export Market Coverage
This analysis is based entirely on publicly available procurement data, which comes with significant limitations that export-focused readers must understand:
- Export opportunity visibility varies dramatically between countries and regions based on their legal requirements and cultural approaches to procurement disclosure
- Market access differs significantly – some countries with high procurement visibility may have restrictions on foreign suppliers, while others with limited transparency may be more open to exports
- Many export opportunities are never published publicly, particularly in regions with limited transparency requirements or concerning sensitive military capabilities
- Publication timing affects export pursuit strategies – some countries publish immediately, others with significant delays, affecting pursuit timelines
- Classification levels differ – export opportunities that appear as “defence services” in one country might be classified as “individual equipment” in another
- Award notices vs. opportunities – many countries publish opportunities but not award outcomes, limiting our ability to track export success rates
This report analyses defence and security tenders and contracts published by public sector organisations around the world. Using AI to enhance this data, we’ve been able to provide detailed insights into how the defence and security supply chain process is adapting their procurement strategies in response to market pressures and changing geopolitical demands.
The Policy Context: A Global Defence and Security Spending Surge
Understanding procurement patterns requires recognising the unprecedented policy-driven increase in defence spending occurring globally:
Europe’s Massive Mobilisation
The European Commission’s March 2025 “ReArm Europe Plan” represents the largest coordinated defence investment in European history, proposing a €150 billion loan facility and encouraging EU Member States to exceed standard budget limits using the National Escape Clause. Sixteen EU countries have already activated this clause, with plans to leverage up to €800 billion for defence over the next five years through 2029. This policy shift directly responds to escalating security threats and explains much of the procurement activity we observe in our data.
America’s Trillion-Dollar Commitment
President Trump’s budget blueprint seeks a 13% increase in US defence spending, raising it to $1 trillion. This represents not just increased funding but a clear signal that national defence remains the top spending priority, with lawmakers encouraged to approve increases for both immediate readiness and long-term modernisation. This policy direction provides context for the procurement patterns we see in North American data.
Asia-Pacific Strategic Pressure
US officials and alliances are calling for allies such as Japan to raise their defence spending to levels comparable with new NATO targets. This persistent policy pressure reflects a strategic consensus to allocate more funding for security amid growing regional threats.
MENA Region’s Unprecedented Growth
Defence expenditure in the Middle East and North Africa has surged to between $221-243 billion in 2024, representing roughly 9.5% of global military spending with an average annual growth rate of 15.6%—the fastest in the world. Saudi Arabia leads with $78 billion (21% of government expenditure), while Israel increased its budget by 65% to $46.5 billion.
2. Understanding categories
Every document in our database is categorised to a level 3 CPV (Common Procurement Vocabulary) code by our state-of-the-art classification algorithm. This sophisticated system processes procurement documents in multiple languages across our 135-country dataset, allowing us to conduct analysis and research that others cannot achieve.
What’s in each category?
Firearms
Firearms dominated the opportunity volume with 1,134 opportunities in 2024, making it the largest procurement category. Contract durations decreased from 28 months in 2022 to 22 months in 2024, showing a trend toward shorter procurement cycles.
- Small arms and rifles
- Military pistols and sidearms
- Machine guns and automatic weapons
- Sniper rifles and precision weapons
- Grenade launchers
- Military weapon systems
- Training weapons
- Weapon accessories and attachments
Rescue and Safety Equipment
Rescue and safety equipment was the second-largest category with 897 opportunities in 2024. Contract durations increased from 22 months in 2022 to 29 months in 2024, indicating a shift toward longer-term safety commitments.
- Personal protective equipment
- Fire suppression systems
- Emergency medical response equipment
- Safety monitoring devices
- Rescue equipment
- Hazardous material handling equipment
- Distress signalling devices
- Emergency evacuation systems
Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance
Intelligence systems showed high volatility with 589 opportunities in 2024, including a remarkable spike of 481 opportunities in Q4 2023. Contract durations remained relatively stable at 18-19 months.
- Surveillance equipment
- Target acquisition systems
- Reconnaissance technology
- Intelligence gathering systems
- Monitoring devices
- Detection equipment
- Analysis systems
- Field intelligence tools
Armoured Military Vehicles
Armoured vehicles had 538 opportunities in 2024, with contract durations increasing from 22 months in 2022 to 26 months in 2024, representing an 18% increase.
- Main battle tanks
- Armoured personnel carriers
- Infantry fighting vehicles
- Reconnaissance vehicles
- Command vehicles
- Military engineering vehicles
- Armoured recovery vehicles
- Light armoured vehicles
Support Equipment
Support equipment represented 233 opportunities in 2024, with very short contract durations averaging 2-6 months, suggesting frequent, smaller-scale procurement cycles.
- General military support systems
- Maintenance equipment
- Logistics support tools
- Field support systems
- Operational support equipment
- Training support systems
- Communication support devices
- Technical support equipment
3. Demand Management in Defence and Security Procurement
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Introduction
Using our extensive database of public tenders and contracts, we have identified several changes in the defence procurement market between 2022 and 2024. The volume and value patterns show clear shifts in buying behaviour, with implications for suppliers in this market. This chapter examines these changes and offers context for companies selling to government defence agencies.
Volume Trends: Changing Patterns of Opportunity
Our data shows significant volatility in defence procurement opportunities across the top five categories. These categories generated 3,391 opportunities in 2024, with Firearms leading at 1,134 opportunities, followed by Rescue and Safety Equipment at 897 opportunities.
This pattern shows extreme quarterly volatility, with categories like Firearms jumping from 284 opportunities in Q3 2024 to 601 in Q4 2024.
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Category Analysis: Specific Growth Areas
Our analysis shows vast differences in growth rates across product categories. Some categories have seen remarkable increases in both opportunities and values, while others have declined substantially.
In terms of opportunity numbers, Armoured Military Vehicles showed the highest growth rate at 84.6% from 2022 to 2023 (from 468 to 864 opportunities), followed by Intelligence Systems at 64.4% growth (from 447 to 735 opportunities).
However, several categories experienced volatility, with Firearms declining 8.4% in 2023 before surging 31.6% in 2024.
This detailed category analysis reveals an important trend: the market is shifting from complete platform purchases to component-focused procurement. Companies positioned in these high-growth categories have significant opportunities ahead, while those focused solely on traditional platforms may need to reconsider their strategies.
The data identifies the five largest categories by opportunity volume:
- Firearms (1,134 opportunities in 2024)
- Rescue and Safety Equipment (897 opportunities in 2024)
- Intelligence Systems (589 opportunities in 2024)
- Armoured Military Vehicles (538 opportunities in 2024)
- Support Equipment (233 opportunities in 2024)
Strategic Implications for Suppliers
Based on our data analysis, we believe the defence procurement market will continue to grow substantially in value, with current projections suggesting a market of $31.73 billion in 2025. This growth appears to be concentrated in specific categories, particularly those related to parts, components, and system upgrades.
These trends suggest strategic consideration for defence suppliers – high-volume categories like Firearms and Rescue Equipment offer multiple opportunities throughout the year, while volatile categories like Intelligence Systems require flexible capacity planning.
Companies that align their offerings with these market trends – focusing on parts, components, and long-term support services – will be best positioned to capture their share of this growing market.
4. Opportunity Value and Government Defence Spending
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Introduction
In this chapter, we examine the estimated values of defence procurement opportunities from 2022 to early 2025. The financial data helps us understand how government spending in this sector is changing. Our analysis focuses on the monetary values attached to different types of defence products and services, as well as how these values vary by region and over time.
Overall Market Value Trends
From 2022 to 2025, the defence market has shown notable changes in total estimated value. In 2022, the market was worth approximately $3.25 billion. This dropped to $2.67 billion in 2023, representing a 17.8% decline. The market remained relatively stable in 2024 at $2.59 billion – a slight 3.1% decrease from 2023. Rises in estimated values could in part be due to longer contract durations, as discussed in detail in Chapter 5: Contract Duration of this report.
The most notable finding is the projected value for 2025, which stands at $451.6 million. This represents an 82.6% decline from 2024, though this likely reflects incomplete data for 2025 rather than an actual market contraction.
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Changes in Category Values
When looking at which defence products and services attract the most spending across 20 product categories, we see significant shifts between 2022 and 2024.
Current Value Leaders
In 2024, “Parts of firearms and ammunition” held the largest share of market value, approximately $828.8 million. This was followed by “Individual equipment” $599.1 million, and “Parts of military vehicles” $358.3 million.
The remaining top categories by market share included “Command and control systems” (11.8%, $305.2 million), “Parts for warships” (9.8%, $253.3 million), and “Warships” (9.1%, $236.3 million).
Categories with Remarkable Growth
The most significant change we observed was in components and parts categories. Between 2022 and 2024:
“Parts of firearms and ammunition” grew from $31.5 million to $828.8 million, a 2,532% increase.
“Command, control, and communication systems” increased from $15.9 million to $305.2 million, growing by 1,815%.
“Support equipment” saw a 1,158% rise, though from a smaller base value.
“Parts of military vehicles” increased from $38.8 million to $358.3 million, a growth of 824%.
“Parts for warships” grew by 304%, reaching $253.3 million in 2024.
Categories in Decline
Not all categories saw growth between 2022 and 2024. Several traditional defence equipment categories experienced significant declines:
“Firefighting, rescue and safety equipment” dropped by 51.3%, falling from $1.84 billion to $895.7 million, despite remaining a significant category.
“Armoured military vehicles” dropped by 75.3%, falling from $121.4 million to just $30.0 million.
“Military spacecrafts” declined by 74.6%.
“Intelligence and surveillance systems” fell by 66.4%, from $113.9 million to $38.3 million.
“Ammunition” decreased by 40.5%, falling from $492.0 million to $292.7 million.
High-Value Growth Areas
For suppliers looking to target the most promising market segments, we identified seven categories that combine high current value (over $100 million) with strong growth (over 50%):
“Parts of firearms and ammunition” stands out with both the highest growth rate and substantial value ($828.8 million).
“Individual equipment” offers considerable value at $599.1 million with 125% growth.
“Parts of military vehicles” ($358.3 million), “Command and control systems” ($305.2 million), and “Parts for warships” ($253.3 million) all show both substantial value and triple-digit growth.
“Warships” ($236.3 million, 107% growth) and “Firearms” ($208.0 million, 87.5% growth) complete this group of high-potential categories.
Regional Value Distribution
Our data includes detailed value breakdowns for North America and Europe, which together account for most of the global defence market covered in our analysis. It’s important to note that publishing regimes may impact our research, as the EU and US are more likely to publish military tenders compared to other regions, which may affect the representativeness of our data.
Different Regional Priorities
What’s particularly interesting is how differently these regions allocate their defence spending:
In North America, “Parts of firearms and ammunition” dominates with an estimated $2.31 billion in value—more than ten times higher than the next category. Other priorities include “Warships” ($226.1 million), “Military aircraft” ($134.9 million), and “Firefighting equipment” ($125.9 million).
Europe shows a more balanced distribution. Its top category is “Firefighting, rescue and safety equipment” at $996.4 million, followed by “Ammunition” ($265.0 million), “Individual equipment” ($229.1 million), and “Armoured military vehicles” ($222.0 million).
These differences suggest that suppliers may need different strategies when approaching these markets.
What These Findings Mean for Suppliers
Shift Toward Maintenance and Upgrades
The extraordinary growth in parts and components categories suggests a major change in how defence organisations are spending their budgets. Rather than buying new complete systems, there appears to be a stronger focus on maintaining, upgrading, and extending the life of existing platforms.
The data shows that parts and components for existing systems are seeing much faster value growth than complete new systems. This may indicate that defence organisations are trying to maximise the value of their existing assets rather than making entirely new purchases.
Regional Specialisation
The data clearly shows that North America and Europe have different defence procurement priorities. North American spending is heavily concentrated on firearms components and naval assets, while European spending is more evenly distributed across various categories, with a stronger emphasis on safety equipment and ammunition.
Suppliers may wish to tailor their offerings accordingly, focusing on the highest-value categories in each region.
Market Evolution Indicators
The value shifts we’ve observed over this 2.5-year period provide indicators that could suggest a shift in defence procurement priorities. There appears to be less focus on traditional platforms like armoured vehicles and increased investment in parts, components, and specific capabilities that can enhance existing systems.
This suggests that the defence market may be moving away from large platform acquisitions toward more targeted, capability-focused investments.
Conclusion
The defence and security market showed volatility from 2022 to 2024, with values declining from $3.25 billion to $2.59 billion over this period. The most striking trend is the shift in spending from complete systems toward parts and components, suggesting a greater focus on maintaining and upgrading existing platforms.
For suppliers, the highest-potential opportunities appear to be in the rapidly growing parts categories, particularly for firearms, vehicles, and naval equipment. Regional differences between North America and Europe suggest that different approaches may be needed for these markets.
As the market continues to evolve, keeping track of these value trends will be essential for suppliers looking to align their offerings with changing defence procurement priorities.
5. Contract Durations in Government Defence and Security Procurement 2022-2025
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The Evolving Landscape of Contract Timeframes
Our analysis of defence procurement contract duration data from 2022 to 2024 shows significant changes in how long government defence contracts run. The average contract duration has risen from 19.1 months in 2022 to 23.4 months in 2024, a 22.3% increase. Should current patterns continue, our projections indicate this could reach 38.1 months by 2025.
This trend has not been linear. We saw a 13.2% decline in average duration from 2022 to 2023 (from 19.1 to 16.6 months), followed by a substantial 40.6% increase from 2023 to 2024. This pattern suggests an initial shortening of contracts perhaps due to market uncertainty, followed by a strong shift toward longer-term commitments in the defence sector.
Wide Variations Across Defence Categories
The data we’ve gathered shows remarkable differences in how average contract durations are managed across different defence product and service categories. In 2024, the range spans from just 2.0 months for police signs to 81.8 months (nearly 7 years) for command, control, communication and computer systems.
The five defence categories with the longest contract durations in 2024 were:
- Command, control, communication and computer systems: 81.8 months
- Individual equipment: 34.3 months
- Parts of military vehicles: 31.0 months
- Rescue and safety equipment: 29.0 months
- Defence services: 27.5 months
In contrast, the five categories with the shortest durations were:
- Police signs: 2.0 months
- Parts of firearms and ammunition: 3.0 months
- Military aircrafts: 9.1 months
- Military spacecrafts: 11.0 months
- Parts for warships: 13.6 months
These variations demonstrate that defence procurement teams apply substantially different contract duration strategies depending on the nature of what they’re buying.
Significant Duration Changes by Defence Category
Between 2022 and 2024, contract durations changed dramatically in certain defence categories. Using our data, we’ve identified both substantial increases and decreases.
The most significant increases occurred in:
Command, control, communication and computer systems: +45.2 months (+123.4%) Individual equipment: +22.5 months (+189.3%) Parts of military vehicles: +17.8 months (+135.1%) Defence services: +10.5 months (+61.7%)
The most notable decreases were in:
Police signs: -24.0 months (-92.3%) Parts of firearms and ammunition: -18.3 months (-85.9%) Military aircrafts: -12.7 months (-58.4%) Military spacecrafts: -5.9 months (-34.9%)
These changes suggest a significant shift in defence procurement strategy, with certain categories seeing dramatically longer commitments while others move toward much shorter contracting periods.
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Technology vs Hardware: Divergent Duration Strategies
Our analysis reveals a clear divergence in how contract durations are handled for different types of defence procurement. Technology-intensive categories consistently show longer and increasing contract durations, while hardware components generally have shorter and often decreasing contract periods.
For example, command and control systems saw a 123.4% increase in contract duration, while parts of firearms and ammunition experienced an 85.9% reduction. This pattern appears consistently across various defence procurement categories, suggesting a deliberate strategy rather than coincidental changes.
The data shows that complex defence systems are increasingly being contracted for much longer periods, while simpler components and parts are moving toward shorter procurement cycles.
Distribution of Contract Durations
When we analysed the distribution of contract durations across all defence categories in 2024, we found:
| Duration Range | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Very Short (0-6 months) | 5.6% | 17.6% | 12.5% | 0.0% |
| Short (6-12 months) | 11.1% | 41.2% | 12.5% | 7.7% |
| Medium (1-2 years) | 66.7% | 35.3% | 37.5% | 30.8% |
| Long (2-5 years) | 16.7% | 0.0% | 31.3% | 46.2% |
| Very Long (5+ years) | 0.0% | 5.9% | 6.3% | 15.4% |
The year-over-year distribution data shows changes in how defence procurement contracts are structured across different timeframes. In 2022, most categories (66.7%) fell within the medium-term range of 1-2 years. However, 2023 saw 58.8% of categories move into short-term contracts of under 12 months. This shift toward shorter durations may reflect uncertainty in the procurement environment or a strategy to maintain flexibility during market changes.
The move toward longer-term contracting becomes clear from 2024 onwards, with long-term categories (2+ years) growing from 5.9% in 2023 to 37.6% in 2024, and projected to reach 61.6% by 2025. Very short contracts (0-6 months) are projected to disappear by 2025, while very long contracts (5+ years) are expected to grow from zero in 2022 to 15.4% in 2025.
This progression suggests that defence procurement is moving from short-term transactions toward longer partnerships. The data indicates that procurement teams are viewing certain categories as requiring longer-term commitment, particularly in technology areas where extended implementation and support periods justify multi-year contracts.
Implications for Defence Suppliers
For companies selling into government defence, these duration trends have several important implications for business strategy and operations.
First, the data shows that defence technology systems, communications infrastructure, and command and control solutions are increasingly being procured on longer contracts. Suppliers in these areas need to prepare for extended commitment periods and the associated service delivery requirements.
The substantial increase in contract length for technology systems suggests a move from transactional purchases to long-term strategic partnerships. When defence buyers extend contracts to 5+ years for command and control systems, they’re not just buying technology but investing in a sustained relationship with the supplier.
Meanwhile, parts, basic equipment, and standardised products are typically being purchased on increasingly shorter contracts. This suggests defence buyers are maintaining flexibility for these categories to leverage price competition and adapt to changing needs.
Adapting to Changing Contract Timeframes
Based on our analysis of contract duration trends, suppliers to defence procurement should consider several adjustments to their business approaches.
For technology and solution providers facing longer contracts, the focus needs to shift toward comprehensive service offerings, lifecycle management, and long-term partnership development. With contracts now often extending beyond five years, the business model should accommodate extended support, maintenance, and evolution of solutions over time.
For suppliers of parts and standardised equipment facing shorter contracts, the emphasis needs to be on supply chain agility, competitive pricing strategies, and efficient bidding processes. The data suggests these suppliers will need to participate in procurement exercises more frequently as contract durations shorten.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Defence Contract Durations
Our data suggests that the trend toward longer average contract durations will continue through 2025, with technology categories likely to see the most significant increases. Projections indicate the overall average could reach 38.1 months, a further 63.2% increase from 2024 levels.
This continued extension of contract timeframes suggests that defence buyers are increasingly thinking long-term, particularly for complex systems and solutions that require significant implementation periods and ongoing development.
For defence suppliers, these changing duration patterns create both opportunities and risks that require immediate attention. Longer contracts mean fewer procurement opportunities will be available each year, making each tender more critical to win. With contracts extending to 5+ years for technology systems, missing a single procurement cycle could mean waiting significantly longer for the next opportunity.
Suppliers must demonstrate not just product capability but long-term stability, service delivery capacity, and the ability to evolve solutions over extended contract periods. The shift toward longer contracts also requires different financial planning, as revenue streams become more predictable but market entry becomes more challenging for new competitors.
6. Category Patterns in Government Defence and Security Procurement
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Introduction
By examining opportunity volumes, contract durations, and estimated values together, distinct procurement patterns emerge across defence categories. These patterns reveal how different markets have evolved over the period 2022-2025.
This analysis provides insights for business development teams to understand the fundamental characteristics of different defence procurement markets and adjust their strategies accordingly.
Command Systems: The Long-Term Partnership Shift
Command, Control, Communication and Computer Systems show the most significant change in procurement approach. Contract durations have jumped from 37 months in 2022 to 95 months in 2025, signalling a clear move towards long-term strategic partnerships rather than short-term component purchases.
This shift indicates buyers want comprehensive system integration rather than piecing together separate components. Suppliers need to think in terms of multi-year partnerships and total system solutions.
Warships: Stable Timelines, Volatile Values
Warships maintain consistent contract durations (18 months in 2022, 16 months in 2023, 19 months in 2024), but values show extraordinary fluctuations. Starting at $114 million in 2022, declining to $78 million in 2023, rising to $236 million in 2024, and then surging to an exceptional $29.6 billion in 2025 (first six months only).
This pattern suggests major naval programmes launching in 2025 whilst maintaining standard procurement timeframes. The 2025 figure represents one of the largest value increases across all defence categories.
Firearms: Steady Growth in a Stable Market
Firearms procurement shows healthy stability with consistent contract durations of 22-28 months (2025’s 120-month figure likely indicates a major framework agreement). Market values have grown steadily from $111 million in 2022 to $208 million in 2024.
This represents a reliable market for suppliers who can maintain competitive pricing and quality standards.
Individual Equipment: Market Growth
Individual Equipment shows a complex evolution. Values steadily increased from $266 million in 2022 to $599 million in 2024. Contract durations jumped significantly from 11-12 months in 2022 to 34 months in 2024.
This represents a growing market that may be moving towards bundled solutions.
Armoured Vehicles: Highly Volatile Project-Based Market
Armoured Military Vehicles exhibit extreme volatility across all metrics. Opportunities fluctuate between 3-10 annually, values swing dramatically from $121 million in 2022 to $23 million in 2023, $30 million in 2024, then surging to $917 million in 2025 (first six months). Contract durations vary substantially from 7 to 42 months.
This pattern suggests a project-driven market where individual major programmes create significant spikes in activity and value.
Suppliers should expect irregular but potentially very substantial opportunities requiring the ability to manage feast-or-famine revenue cycles typical of major defence platforms.
Military Aircraft: Project-Based Volatility
Military Aircraft show extreme volatility across all metrics, too. Contract durations varied from 22 months in 2022 down to 9 months in 2024, then back up to 11 months in 2025. Values swung from $236 million in 2022, down to $107 million in 2023, back up to $259 million in 2024. Opportunities also fluctuated from 16-22 down to just 4 per year.
This reflects the unique, project-specific nature of aviation procurement, where individual programmes drive the entire market’s annual figures. Each opportunity tends to be substantial but highly irregular.
Intelligence Systems: Technology Commoditisation Pressure
Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance systems show increasing contract durations (18 to 36 months) but declining values (from $114 million to $38 million).
This pattern suggests either technology commoditisation or changing capability requirements, requiring suppliers to focus on innovation and cost efficiency.
Naval Parts: Increasingly Complex Maintenance
Parts for Warships show substantial value increases from $63 million in 2022 to $253 million in 2024, despite volatile contract durations.
This indicates increasingly complex and expensive naval systems requiring higher-value spare parts and maintenance solutions.
Vehicle Parts: Mature Maintenance Market
Parts of Military Vehicles maintain relatively stable patterns across all metrics, indicating a mature maintenance market with established procurement practices.
Suppliers can expect predictable, steady business in this segment.
Firefighting Equipment: Large but Declining Market
Firefighting, Rescue and Safety Equipment represents one of the largest markets by value but is declining from $1.84 billion in 2022 to $896 million in 2024. Contract durations vary between 12-32 months.
Despite the decline, this remains a substantial market.
Surveillance Systems: Stable Mature Market
Surveillance and Security Systems show stable contract durations (17-23 months) with values fluctuating between $340-500 million.
This indicates a mature market with regular procurement cycles and predictable opportunities.
Defence Services: Volatile and Unpredictable
Defence Services show highly variable patterns across all metrics. Opportunities fluctuate from 9 in 2022 to 17 in 2023, down to 10 in 2024. Values are equally volatile: $224 million in 2022, dropping to $56 million in 2023, recovering to $132 million in 2024, then surging to $234 million in 2025. Contract durations vary from 14-27 months.
This volatility reflects the broad nature of this category, encompassing everything from technical support to training and consultancy. Framework usage is minimal (2-20% of contracts), suggesting most services are procured individually.
Support Equipment: Irregular High-Value Spikes
Support Equipment demonstrates irregular patterns with minimal opportunities (0-1 annually) but dramatic value swings from $1 million in 2022 to $315 million in 2025. Contract durations range from very short (2 months) to moderate (6 months) where recorded.
This suggests project-driven procurement with occasional substantial requirements.
Police Signs: Small Stable Niche
Police Signs maintains modest activity with 1-2 opportunities annually and stable values around $50-59 million. Contract durations vary dramatically from 2-26 months, suggesting different procurement approaches.
Framework usage is minimal (0-13% of contracts), indicating mostly direct procurement.
Four Key Procurement Patterns for Suppliers
The analysis reveals distinct approaches suppliers should consider:
Strategic Partnerships (command systems, major platforms): Invest in long-term relationships, integration capabilities, and extended development cycles. Think in terms of multi-year commitments and total system solutions.
Volume Markets (firearms, ammunition): Focus on operational efficiency, competitive pricing, and regular market engagement. Success comes from consistent delivery and cost management.
Consolidating Markets (individual equipment, armoured vehicles): Prepare for larger contracts with higher capability requirements and longer sales cycles. Investment in comprehensive solutions pays off.
Specialist Projects (aircraft, intelligence systems): Maintain technical excellence and financial resilience for project-based revenue flows. Each opportunity is substantial but irregular.
7. A Geographic Analysis of Public Sector Defence Procurement
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Introduction
Defence procurement practices vary considerably across different regions of the world. This chapter examines the distinctive geographical patterns we’ve identified in our data, highlighting regional preferences, priorities, and approaches to defence purchasing. These insights can help suppliers tailor their business development strategies to specific regions’ unique characteristics.
Regional Category Specialisations
Our data reveals that different regions demonstrate clear preferences for specific types of defence equipment and services.
In Europe, we see a strong emphasis on firefighting, rescue and safety equipment, which accounts for 43.5% of all European defence opportunities. This is followed by surveillance and security systems (18.6%) and individual equipment (15.1%). The European market appears more focused on civil protection and security infrastructure rather than offensive military capabilities.
North America shows a different pattern. While firefighting and safety equipment also leads (43.0% of regional opportunities), there is a notably higher proportion of ammunition procurement (10.7%) and naval components, particularly parts for warships (10.0%). This suggests greater emphasis on combat-readiness and naval capabilities compared to other regions.
South America presents a distinctive pattern with firefighting and safety equipment dominating (55.5% of regional opportunities), suggesting a significant focus on civil defence. Individual equipment (11.7%) and ammunition (9.6%) follow as priorities, reflecting a balanced approach between personnel protection and combat capabilities.
Asian defence procurement follows a similar distribution to South America but with a greater emphasis on parts of military vehicles (11.8% of regional opportunities). This might indicate more investment in ground forces modernisation compared to other regions.
African markets, while smaller in volume, show a disproportionately high focus on surveillance and security systems (32.0% of regional opportunities). However, this pattern is more likely to reflect regional publishing practices and transparency regulations rather than indicating different procurement priorities.
Multi-Supplier Approaches by Region
Different regions show varying preferences for using framework agreements or multi-supplier contracts.
European procurement agencies appear more likely to use multi-supplier frameworks for complex systems like armoured vehicles (69.2% of contracts awarded to multiple suppliers) and surveillance systems (27.3%). This suggests a preference for maintaining competitive supply chains and technical diversity.
North American procurement, in contrast, shows a stronger tendency toward single-supplier contracts even for similar categories. Only 8.1% of ammunition contracts in North America involved multiple suppliers, compared to 23.5% in Europe.
These differences reflect contrasting procurement philosophies that suppliers should consider when bidding in different regions. European bids might benefit from partnership approaches, while North American opportunities might require more comprehensive single-supplier solutions.
Regional Participation in International Opportunities
Our data indicates significant regional differences in participation in multinational and worldwide opportunities.
European suppliers appear in 68.3% of multinational contracts, compared to 42.1% for North American companies. This suggests European defence companies may be better positioned or more experienced in navigating international procurement processes.
Asian suppliers demonstrate strong participation in specific niches, appearing in 27.6% of worldwide surveillance system opportunities, suggesting particular strengths in this technology area.
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Technology Adoption Patterns
Different regions show varying speeds of adoption for newer technologies in defence procurement.
European procurement shows increasing emphasis on digital and cyber capabilities, with command, control, communication and computer systems growing by 48.6% between 2022 and 2024. This suggests a shift toward network-centric warfare capabilities.
North American procurement reveals faster adoption of autonomous systems, with related categories showing significant growth while traditional platforms remain stable or decline.
Asian markets demonstrate particularly rapid growth in surveillance technologies (31.2% increase from 2022-2024), potentially reflecting regional security concerns and border monitoring priorities.
These technology adoption patterns may help suppliers anticipate where their innovations might find the most receptive markets.
Regionalisation of Global Categories
Some defence categories show interesting regional specialisation patterns despite their global nature.
While firefighting and safety equipment leads across most regions, there are notable differences in subcategories. European procurement emphasises hazardous materials handling equipment (22.7% of category spending), while North American procurement focuses more on fire suppression systems (31.3%).
Military aircraft procurement reveals different regional focuses, with European opportunities concentrating on helicopter systems (43.2% of aircraft procurement) while North American opportunities emphasise fixed-wing support aircraft (38.7%).
These specialisations suggest that even within global categories, regional preferences and operational needs create distinct procurement patterns that suppliers should consider
Conclusion
The defence procurement landscape shows distinct regional characteristics that go beyond simple differences in volume or value. From category preferences and multi-supplier approaches to technology adoption patterns and supply chain responses, each region demonstrates unique procurement behaviours.
Understanding these regional patterns allows for more targeted business development strategies and better alignment with the specific priorities and approaches of different defence markets.
8. Three-Year Outlook
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Category Volume Patterns
Defence procurement data from 2022 to 2024 shows distinct volume patterns across categories. Firefighting, rescue and safety equipment emerged as the dominant category with 3,799 opportunities in 2024, followed by parts for warships with 1,076 opportunities and ammunition with 1,038 opportunities. The data indicates a strong focus on naval equipment and safety systems, with these categories maintaining consistent high volumes.
When we examine the data across years, we notice that some categories show more stable patterns than others. Security and surveillance systems demonstrated relatively consistent volumes, while military aircraft opportunities showed more fluctuation. The trend suggests continued strength in safety equipment and naval components, which appear to be less affected by budgetary cycles than other categories.
Contract Structuring
The defence market shows a selective approach to framework agreements, with different patterns across categories. Command and control systems, individual equipment, and surveillance systems all saw increases in the percentage of contracts awarded to multiple suppliers between 2022 and 2024. In contrast, parts for firearms and ammunition, military aircraft, and warships showed decreases in framework usage.
This selective approach appears to reflect category-specific considerations rather than a market-wide trend. Categories with rapid technological change or complex integration requirements tend to maintain or increase framework usage, while more standardised categories move toward single-supplier arrangements. This nuanced approach suggests procurement strategies are becoming more tailored to category characteristics rather than following blanket policies.
Duration Trends
Contract durations in defence procurement show a clear upward trajectory. The average duration increased from 19.1 months in 2022 to 23.4 months in 2024—a 22% increase. This trend appears to be accelerating, with early 2025 data suggesting an average of 38.1 months.
Different categories show markedly different duration patterns. Command, control, communication and computer systems had the longest average contracts at 81.8 months in 2024, reflecting their complex nature and need for long-term support. Individual equipment contracts averaged 34.3 months, and parts for military vehicles 31 months. At the other end of the spectrum, police signs (2 months) and parts for firearms and ammunition (3 months) had the shortest durations.
The most dramatic changes occurred in individual equipment (189% increase in duration), parts of military vehicles (135% increase), and command and control systems (123% increase). Meanwhile, police signs saw a 92% decrease and parts for firearms and ammunition an 86% decrease in average duration.
These patterns suggest a strategic differentiation in contract approach based on category characteristics, with complex systems moving toward stability through longer contracts while standardised items maintain flexibility through shorter terms.
Geographic Patterns
North America and Europe dominate the defence procurement landscape, though with different category emphases. The United States publishes the most opportunities, reflecting both market size and transparency requirements. Within Europe, the United Kingdom, Germany, Czechia, Lithuania, and Spain show the strongest procurement activity.
The geographic distribution of value shows North America accounting for 58% ($3.21 billion) of the total analysed defence procurement value, with Europe representing 42% ($2.29 billion). This distribution reflects different defence priorities and spending levels across regions.
Interestingly, the category focus varies significantly by region. North American spending concentrates on parts for firearms and ammunition ($2.31 billion), warships ($226.1 million), and military aircraft ($134.9 million). European spending prioritises firefighting and safety equipment ($996.4 million), ammunition ($265 million), and individual equipment ($229.1 million).
These distinct regional preferences suggest different strategic priorities and existing industrial capabilities, with North America focusing more on naval and firearms capabilities while Europe emphasises safety equipment and ground forces.
Value Considerations
Category values show significant variation across the defence market. In North America, parts for firearms and ammunition represent the highest value category at $2.31 billion, followed by warships at $226.1 million. In Europe, firefighting and safety equipment leads at $996.4 million, followed by ammunition at $265 million.
Some categories show relatively stable value patterns across years, while others demonstrate more significant fluctuations. Command and control systems, for example, maintained relatively consistent values, while ammunition showed more variation between 2022 and 2024.
The relationship between value and contract duration reveals interesting patterns. Categories with the highest values don’t necessarily have the longest durations. While command and control systems have both high value and long duration (81.8 months), parts for firearms and ammunition have high value in North America but very short average durations (3 months).
This suggests that value and duration decisions are made based on different considerations, with duration more closely tied to complexity and integration requirements than to absolute value.
9. Conclusion: Evolution
The defence procurement landscape between 2022 and 2024 shows clear evolution in several dimensions. The most notable change is the increasing contract duration for complex systems, suggesting a move toward longer-term thinking in critical capability areas. Command and control systems, individual equipment, and parts for military vehicles all saw significant increases in average contract length, indicating a preference for stability in these categories.
At the same time, we see more selective use of framework agreements, with increases in some categories and decreases in others. This suggests a more sophisticated approach to procurement strategy, moving away from one-size-fits-all approaches toward category-specific structuring based on market characteristics.
Regional differences in category focus have remained consistent through this period, with North America maintaining its emphasis on naval and firearms capabilities while Europe continues to prioritise safety equipment and ground forces. These persistent differences reflect enduring strategic priorities rather than short-term fluctuations.
Value patterns show both stability and change across the period. Some categories maintain relatively consistent values, while others show more significant fluctuation. The relationship between value and duration appears increasingly strategic, with longer durations used for complex, integration-heavy categories regardless of absolute value.
Looking forward, these trends suggest continued evolution toward more nuanced procurement approaches in defence, with duration, supplier arrangements, and value considerations increasingly tailored to category-specific needs rather than following blanket approaches. For suppliers, this means understanding the specific characteristics of their categories will become increasingly important for successful market engagement.
The overall picture is one of a defence procurement landscape that is becoming more sophisticated in its approach, with buyers making increasingly differentiated decisions across categories based on strategic priorities, complexity considerations, and market conditions.