Search, Detection, and Navigation Equipment Manufacture Industry Profile

The US search, detection, and navigation equipment manufacturing industry includes about 500 companies with combined annual revenue of about $50 billion. Major companies include FLIR, Furuno, Garmin, and Raymarine. Divisions of large integrated companies such as Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon also manufacture search, detection, and navigation equipment, primarily for national security and defense applications. The industry is highly concentrated: the largest eight companies account for about 75 percent of revenue; the largest 50 account for about 95 percent.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand depends on discretionary consumer income, general economic conditions, and federal budgets for defense and homeland security. Large companies have advantages in purchasing power, manufacturing volume, and distribution efficiencies. Small companies compete by offering specialized products and subcontract manufacturing to larger system integrators. The industry is capital-intensive: average annual revenue per worker is about $300,000.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Major products include radar (radio detection and ranging), sonar (sound navigation ranging), GPS instruments and systems, and thermographic technology. Manufacturers develop a wide array of products for commercial and military markets. Products for commercial markets include depth finders; fish finders; air traffic control systems; navigational aids for ships, planes, and land vehicles; and speed detection devices. Military applications include most of these products, along with radar defense systems.

Radar was discovered in the late 1800s. Many advancements have been made in the technology, but the underlying scientific principle remains: a radio (electromagnetic) signal traveling at the speed of ...