A new market reserach report has been launched on ASDReports.com titled "The new Armoured Vehicles Market 2010-2020" providing an analysis of the global market for armoured vehicles.

It is calculated that in 2010 the global market for armoured vehicles will reach $10.3bn. This can partly be attributed to the current insurgent threat of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in operations in Afghanistan and Iraq which has driven the rise of new classes of armoured vehicles such as the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle.

However, armoured vehicles will continue to remain the mainstay of land forces and provide steady demand over the period 2010-2020 for the following categories of armoured vehicles:

+ Main Battle Tanks (MBT)

+ Medium Armoured Vehicles (MAV)

+ Medium Mine-Resistant Vehicles (MMRV)

+ Light Protected Vehicles (LPV).

The armoured vehicles market is being driven by major acquisition programmes being undertaken worldwide, in the US, in Europe led by the UK and Germany, along with key markets in the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific.

The US will remain the largest market in the next few years, as it addresses urgent requirements for mine-resistant vehicles. At the same time, the US also continues to pursue several other acquisition and upgrade programmes.

These include the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) programme, which is intended to replace the US military's vast fleet of high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles (HMMWVs). Other major projects include the US Army's Brigade Combat Team (BCT) Modernisation programme.

The US military also continues to upgrade its current fleet of Abrams main battle tanks and Bradley armoured fighting vehicles. Other major markets are the United Kingdom with the British Army's Future Rapid Effects Systems (FRES) programme and Germany is also undertaking a number of acquisition programmes that include the Puma Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) project and a range of other programmes.

The threat of IEDs has heightened the importance of mine resistance in the core design of armoured vehicles, leading to the incorporation of such aspects as a v-shaped hull into vehicles such as the US Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) and the UK's Light Protected Patrol Vehicle (LPPV). There is also a growing use of remote-controlled weapon stations (RCWS) in armoured vehicles.

The Armoured Vehicles Market 2010-2020 report reveals that several key markets are undertaking significant armoured vehicle acquisition programmes. This points to a robust market but with the caveat that costs must be kept in check otherwise these programmes may suffer cancellation or scaling down.