Fact Sheet
U.S. aerospace: a large market challenging to enter
Swiss Business Hub USA
Jun 25, 2026
The United States has the world’s largest and most technologically advanced aerospace market, but it is also highly competitive. Demand remains high across both aviation and space, while supply chains are deep, layered, and highly specialized.
The U.S. aerospace sector shows need for high-quality components, precision, testing technology, software, and specialized engineering solutions in many areas.
However, the market is also heavily regulated and safety-critical, with well-established relationships between original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), Tier 1 suppliers, government agencies and specialized suppliers. Suppliers without a clearly defined niche and demonstrable added value are unlikely to gain traction. Relevant advantages may include shorter lead times, lower weight, higher reliability, full traceability, audit-ready documentation, or a measurable contribution to production scaling.
Main figures of the U.S. aerospace and defense market
328 328 bn USD
Civil sales of end-user products in the U.S.
438.7 438.7 bn USD
Total volume of A&D components in the U.S.
64.8 64.8 bn USD
A&D imports into the U.S. in 2024
Source: AIA 2025 Facts & Figures: American Aerospace & Defence
In space, the United States continues to widen its lead. Private companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin are transforming the industrial landscape, while government demand continues to be a key driver.
Global demand for aircraft and spare parts remains high in the aviation industry. However, US production cannot always keep pace with this due to bottlenecks in the supply of components, a shortage of skilled workers, and the high costs associated with quality and safety certification.
How the market is built
The U.S. aerospace market is large in scale, but highly differentiated in structure. In 2024, the U.S. aerospace and defense (A&D) industry generated around $995 billion in combined sales, including $556 billion from direct industry output and $439 billion from indirect supply-chain contributions.
Dynamics of A&D industry sales 2021-2024
Source: AIA 2025 Facts & Figures: American Aerospace & Defence
In aviation, supply chains are structured hierarchically. At the top are major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and system integrators such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, RTX, General Dynamics, L3Harris, and Airbus, all of which have manufacturing operations in the United States. Below them sit Tier 1 suppliers, followed by a broad base of specialized companies providing components, materials, processes, and technical services.
Space follows a similarly tiered structure, but with a more program-driven and state-linked logic. At the top are government contracting authorities and program sponsors - above all NASA, alongside national security and defense agencies - and a small number of prime contractors and system integrators. This upper tier includes traditional prime contractors as well as newer private space companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin. Private players are gaining importance across the sector, accelerating commercialization, expanding launch capacity, and shaping faster development cycles. Beneath them lies a network of specialized suppliers focused on subsystems, components, testing, measurement, qualification, and engineering services.
What is driving aviation demand
Aviation demand remains strong, but production capacity continues to face structural constraints. Boeing forecasts global demand for 43,600 new commercial aircraft between 2025 and 2044. At the same time, the U.S. market continues to face shortages of labor, materials, engines, semiconductors, aluminum, cockpit windows, small parts, and other critical inputs. This environment increases demand for suppliers that can improve delivery reliability, ease bottlenecks, stabilize quality, or support more efficient production.
As a result, demand is visible in areas such as precision components, measurement and testing technology, process automation, software for quality assurance and documentation, specialty materials, surface treatment, lightweight construction, and MRO-related processes.
At the same time, manufacturers are investing in more digital and automated production systems. Advanced manufacturing, digital transformation, and AI-supported workforce development have become important industry themes as companies seek to raise output, improve quality, and make production more resilient.
Beyond conventional aviation, drones and autonomous systems are also gaining relevance. Many manufacturers in this segment are younger, privately funded companies focused on smaller unmanned aerial vehicles, adding a more dynamic and less mature market segment to the broader aerospace landscape.
Why the space segment is gaining momentum
The United States is widening its lead in space, supported by a sharp rise in launch activity and a stronger role for private industry. Between 2015 and 2025, the number of U.S. rocket launches increased more than tenfold. By 2025, U.S. providers accounted for roughly 60% of all launches worldwide. This growth is being driven by private launch providers, government programs, satellite constellations, lunar ambitions, and national security applications.
The Artemis program remains a central reference point for the sector. The successful Artemis II mission in April 2026 marked an important milestone, while NASA continues to advance its lunar architecture together with multiple private partners. The agency has commissioned both SpaceX and Blue Origin to develop lunar landing systems in parallel.
At the same time, the market is broadening beyond vehicles and hardware. Services related to data, communications, logistics, software, testing, and technical support are becoming more important, reflecting the wider commercialization of the space economy.
Where suppliers can gain traction in aviation
In aviation, supplier opportunities are concentrated in technically demanding niche segments. These include precision mechanics, specialty materials, lightweight construction, optical systems, sensor technology, highly reliable electronics, joining and surface-treatment processes, testing and measurement technology, inspection systems, automation, robotics, AI-supported inspection, and engineering software.
In commercial aircraft, market access often takes place through Tier 1 or Tier 2 suppliers rather than through direct supplier relationships with Boeing or Airbus. In business and general aviation, smaller production runs and customer-specific requirements can make supplier access more flexible than in large commercial programs. In the helicopter segment, relevant fields include mission-critical subsystems, vibration and safety solutions, sensor technology, avionics, and maintenance-related processes.
Access to the U.S. aviation supply chain typically requires considerable preparation. Approval cycles for safety-critical components are long, and supplier selection places strong emphasis on quality, traceability, certifications, auditability, references, and delivery reliability.
Florin Müller
Head of the Swiss Business Hub USAThe drone segment follows a different logic. It is more dynamic, but also more sensitive from a regulatory and security perspective. Relevant opportunities may arise in components and subsystems such as sensors, edge AI, secure communications, navigation, energy management, lightweight structures, test systems, and manufacturing scale-up. At the same time, questions around dual-use classification, compliance with U.S. government requirements, and the possible need for a U.S. partner or local manufacturing can shape market access conditions.
Where suppliers can gain traction in space
In the U.S. space sector, opportunities for foreign suppliers exist, but they are concentrated in specific niches. Although access is selective, Swiss suppliers are already present in selected NASA and SpaceX programs, showing that entry is possible in clearly defined niches. Relevant fields include innovative materials, AI applications, software, electrical engineering, optical devices, laboratory equipment, robotics, and test, measurement, and control technology. Demand may also arise in the ground segment and in adjacent activities such as data processing, simulation, testing, research, training, logistics, and technical services.
Particularly relevant are components and solutions that can be integrated into certification and testing processes.
Florin Müller
Head of the Swiss Business Hub USAAt the same time, access conditions are shaped by “Made in America” requirements in publicly funded programs. These tend to increase the importance of local value creation, U.S.-based partnerships, and integration into domestic supply chains. As a result, market access in these programs often depends on cooperation with U.S. companies, research and testing facilities, system integrators, or specialized tier suppliers.
In commercial space applications, entry barriers may be lower than in publicly funded programs, but references, qualifications, delivery capability, and the ability to keep pace with the development cycles remain important.
What this means for Swiss suppliers
For Swiss suppliers, the U.S. aerospace market combines scale and demand with high entry barriers. Opportunities exist in both aviation and space, but they are concentrated in specialized segments and shaped by demanding technical, regulatory, and procurement conditions.
S-GE can support Swiss companies with market orientation, the identification of relevant customer groups and partner structures, and initial clarification of regulatory and procurement-related conditions. Support may also include preparation for initial market discussions and access to relevant contacts, networks, and industry platforms in the United States.
Given the scale and complexity of the market, clear specialization and realistic positioning remain central to market access.
Sources
Aerospace Industries Association, 2025 Facts & Figures: American Aerospace & Defense Industry Continues Economic Dominance, 2025
Germany Trade & Invest, Raumfahrtindustrie in den USA baut Vorsprung aus, 2026
Boeing, Boeing Announces Fourth Quarter Deliveries / 2025 Deliveries, 2026
Airbus, Airbus reports 793 commercial aircraft deliveries in 2025, 2026
General Aviation Manufacturers Association, 2025 Aircraft Shipment and Billing Report, 2026
Federal Aviation Administration, FAA Aerospace Forecasts FY 2025-2045 / FY 2026-2046, 2025/2026
U.S. Government Accountability Office, Commercial Aviation Manufacturing: Supply Chain Challenges and Actions to Address Them, 2024
Center for Security and Emerging Technology, The U.S. Aerial Drone Market, 2025
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