Emerging Laser Protection Technologies to Promote Laser Safety Eyewear in the Military Protection Glasses Market

Introduction

Military protection glasses play a vital role in battlefields by protecting military personnel from incoming threats. They are precisely engineered for high performance in hazardous situations such as surveillance, bomb disposal, mine detection, and others. The market is witnessing significant growth with military personnel increasingly facing challenging situations in internal political security and external threats. For instance, the ISIS conflict, Indo-Pak conflict over Kashmir, Syrian civil war, and conflicts between the U.S. and North Korea.

Warfare and associated protection can be made more effective with the application of superior strategies, coupled with ingenious tactics and modern technologies. Military operations of most countries significantly rely on advanced weaponry, making them essential elements of current and future military operational plans. Advancements in military protection equipment to improve combat effectiveness are bolstering market growth. Furthermore, research and development, backed by large investments from major companies globally, are also expected to provide impetus to market growth during the forecast period.

Segment Insights

The global military protection glasses market can be segmented by type, material, and platform.

On the basis of type, the military protection glasses market can be segmented into laser safety, bulletproof, fire resistant, ballistic protection, and others. The laser protective eyewear segment is witnessing strong growth, owing to rapid technological advancements in the military and defense industry,  increasing threats of extremist attacks and subsequent use of lethal weapons and high demand for eyewear with features such as clarity, comfort, durability, resistance and filtering capacity. Furthermore, increasing R&D activities have pave way for the introduction of laser defense eyewear in helmet and day-and-night use laser defense eyewear, which is anticipated to create substantial growth opportunities for the laser protection segment.

By material, the military protection glasses market can be segmented into glass fiber, sapphire, quartz, polycarbonate, and others. The polycarbonate segment is expected to witness substantial growth as polycarbonate is shatter-proof, heat and UV resistant, and a good insulator. Additionally, the increasing demand for protective glasses designed for dangerous situations such as bomb disposal, mine detection, and others are augmenting the growth of the polycarbonate segment.

In terms of platform, the military protection glasses market can be segmented into armored vehicles, tanks, soldier bases, aircraft, and others. The armored vehicle segment is expected to witness significant growth, owing to the rise in asymmetric warfare. Moreover, increasing occurrences of armed violence and terrorist attacks are fostering the demand for highly efficient and robust Armed Machines, vehicles and others demand for military protection glasses in the armored vehicle segment.

Regional Insights

Europe is expected to dominate the military protection glasses market during the forecast period, which can be attributed to the increasing terror attacks and political instability in the continent. According to the European Commission, European security has entered an intense fragile period, owing to the increasingly open area of free movement, which could result in unknown threats and attacks from terror groups globally. Additionally, technological advancements that majorly aim to enhance protection for military personnel are expected to augment demand in the coming years. For instance, the introduction of laser defense eyewear has revolutionized current defense warfare, owing to the increasing number of laser threats. This eyewear possessing properties of being highly focused, single-beams of light, and others have increased the efficiency of the military protection glasses.

Countries in Asia Pacific such as China and India have a sizable military base; thus, Asia Pacific is pegged to be a promising market for military protection glasses. Political differences among these countries constitute security threats such as terror attacks, unethical surveillance resulting in the need for precision in counter-attacks. For Instance, according to Vibrant Gujarat 2017 Global Summit (Government of India), the armored defense vehicle market was valued at around USD 1.5 billion in 2015 and is estimated to reach a value of USD 2.1 billion by 2025, exhibiting a CAGR of 3.4%.

The Middle East and Africa region is pegged to have growth potential in the military protection glasses market, owing to the region’s political instability and imbalanced economic growth, which fuel civilian attacks, strikes, and others. Syria's civil war is one such example, which is intensifying the demand for military protection equipment.

Competitive Players

1. 3M
2. BAE Systems
3. Corset Inc.
4. Honeywell
5. MKU Limited
6. Du Pont
7. Saint-Gobain Sully
8. Morgan Advanced Materials plc.
9. Teijin Limited
10. PPG Industries Inc.
11. Schott AG

Recent Developments

November 2023- The U.S. Air Force announced that they are enhancing the protective eyewear for aircrews due to over 9,000 reported incidences of laser pointers targeting aircraft in 2022

January 2024- Revision launched the newest SlingShot Ballistic Sunglasses eyewear designed for law enforcement and military personnel. A new design for the U.S. military provides users with ballistic and laser eye protection, offering a possible tactical edge.

 

Segmentation

1. By Type
   1. Laser safety
   2. Bulletproof
   3. Fire resistant
   4. Ballistic Protection
   5. Others
2. By Material
   1. Glass fiber
   2. Sapphire
   3. Quartz
   4. Polycarbonate
   5. Others
3. By Platform
   1. Armored Vehicles
   2. Tanks
   3. Soldier Base
   4. Aircraft
   5. Others