UAV market worth billions

Defense industry consultants predict the market for unmanned aerial vehicles will reach the upper teens in billions of dollars worth of procurement through 2018, with related research and development possibly doubling that. Forecast International predicts the market for UAV procurement will be worth $18 billion or more worldwide over the next 10 years. (Source: Aviation Week, 10/14/09) Gulf Coast note: The Gulf Coast has several UAV-related activities, including a Northrop Grumman UAV plant in Moss Point, Miss., Mehlcorp, which designs payload operation modules at Stennis Space Center, Miss., and an AeroVironment operation in Navarre, Fla.