Maintenance of military fixed-wing aircraft fleets alone in APAC is expected to incur approximately $13bn in costs in 2025. Credit: Staff Sgt. Joshua Garcia, USAF/commons.wikimedia.org (Creative Commons).

Asia-Pacific’s military maintenance costs are set to reach around $44bn in 2025 as shifts in the region’s security landscape and perceived threats have led to a significant uptick for stringent maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) protocols, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. 

Effective MRO practices are seen as crucial for ensuring the operational availability of military platforms, including aircraft, naval vessels, and land vehicles.  

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GlobalData’s dashboard on Annual Maintenance Cost (part of the Fleet Size database) indicates that Asia-Pacific will account for 28% of the total addressable market for maintenance services in the coming decade. 

China, India, and Japan are identified as the leading nations in terms of maintenance costs due to their fleets of defence platforms as of this month. 

GlobalData Aerospace & Defense analyst Harsh Deshmukh said: “The governments in the Asia-Pacific region have the highest maintenance cost burden on the Military Land Vehicles segment, which is estimated to be about $15bn for 2025. This cost is further aggravated due to the large inventory of aging Soviet-origin main battle tanks, armoured personnel carriers, and tactical trucks.  

“Leading Asia-Pacific companies catering to this market segment include China North Industries Group Corp (Norinco), Dongfeng Motor Corporation, Poly Technologies, Armoured Vehicles Nigam, Tata Advanced Systems, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and LIG Nex1.” 

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The maintenance of military fixed-wing aircraft fleets alone in the region is expected to incur approximately $13bn in costs in 2025.  

The low availability rates of these aircraft fleets present opportunities for global defence contractors and subcontractors. 

Harsh Deshmukh noted that the increasing geopolitical tensions and territorial disputes in the Asia-Pacific, particularly in the South China Sea, are influencing countries not only to acquire new defence assets but also to focus on the upkeep of their current fleets.  

He added: “India, China, and Pakistan have seen several border skirmishes in recent years, which have necessitated the respective governments to increase their spending on maintenance activities. The efforts made towards the improvement of the defence readiness levels by these countries will continue to pave the way for maintenance contracts to both domestic and international companies with relevant product portfolios.”  

In October 2024, the foreign ministries of India and China confirmed an agreement on military patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).