Turkey's Defence-Industrial Rise

At the EFES-2026 exercise, Aselsan showcased its KILIÇ family of kamikaze autonomous underwater vehicles to international delegations, highlighting ranges from 10 to 200 nautical miles, control via wire, RF or satellite, and swarm operations as a cost-effective alternative to coastal-defence cruise missiles. The drones can be launched from shore or mounted on unmanned surface vessels, and rely on Aselsan's in-house sensors and command-and-control. The KILIÇ is Aselsan's second ship-killing kamikaze system after the Albatros USV, used in a 2023 maritime strike drill.

Roketsan is integrating its upgraded Alka laser weapon — scaled from 2.5kW to over 10kW — into the Steel Dome multi-layer air-defence architecture as its directed-energy hard-kill component. The 10kW version is already operational, enabling soft-kill and hard-kill against evolving drone threats including wired, jam-resistant variants, with AI to cut detection and response times and advanced radar to prioritise faster targets. Director Koray Dayanç said Alka is designed to protect critical infrastructure, bases and moving units as the final hard-kill layer against swarm kamikaze drones that evade other assets.

Turkey's Defence Industry Executive Committee approved procurement of 100 expendable unmanned surface vessels (decided February 2026), with production split across three teams: Aselsan/Ares Shipyard (40 Tufan USVs), STM/Yonca Shipyard (32 Yaktu USVs) and Havelsan/Sefine Shipyard (32 units). The 8m Tufan carries an Mk 82-equivalent payload; both Tufan and Yaktu, unveiled at SAHA Expo 2026, feature low-profile hulls, line-of-sight and satellite comms, and swarm architecture for autonomous cooperative precision strikes against maritime and coastal targets.

Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) officially initiated development of a shipborne variant of the HÜRJET supersonic jet trainer and light-attack aircraft, adding strengthened landing gear, an arresting hook and corrosion protection for naval operations. The naval HÜRJET is intended to fly from Turkey's planned MUGEM indigenous aircraft carrier alongside the KIZILELMA and TB-3 unmanned aircraft. Spain recently selected HÜRJET for its advanced jet-trainer requirement, with deliveries from 2028.

At SAHA EXPO 2026 Aselsan unveiled autonomous naval-strike systems — the Tufan unmanned surface vehicle and the Kılıç family of unmanned underwater vehicles (Kılıç 10 and Kılıç 200), both described as kamikaze platforms for swarming operations. It also introduced upgraded electronic-warfare systems — the Koral AD long-range radar electronic-attack system and an upgraded Ilgar communications jammer — both integrated into the Steel Dome air-defence architecture. CEO Ahmet Akyol outlined a strategy of networked, mass-producible, commercial-component, cost-effective systems for attritional warfare, targeting 40% export revenue by 2030, with the new systems expected in inventory by 2027.

Gulf and Arab states facing ammunition shortages and Iranian drone threats are increasingly buying Turkish air-defence systems amid US delivery backlogs. Kuwait signed a procurement protocol with Turkish firms, while Saudi Arabia and Qatar showed interest in anti-drone systems such as the Korkut, and Iraq is finalising purchases. The shift positions Turkey as a backstop supplier precisely where the US industrial base cannot deliver on time.

After unveiling the Yıldırımhan long-range/intercontinental ballistic missile at SAHA 2026, Turkey's Ministry of National Defence announced a domestic propellant breakthrough — using locally produced unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine fuel and dinitrogen tetroxide oxidiser, transitioned from laboratory quantities to serial production. The missile can carry a 3-ton warhead and has completed laboratory testing, with field testing planned. Indigenising the propellant removes a key foreign-supply chokepoint for a strategic-range system.

Samsun Yurt Savunma (SYS) began exporting its CANiK M3 FALCON heavy machine gun — a 12.7x99mm weapon developed to neutralise drones and loitering munitions from helicopters — with first shipments to Pakistan and Azerbaijan, and over 40 units to be integrated onto more than 20 Azerbaijani helicopters. The system was showcased at SAHA 2026. SYS also signed a $50 million deal to equip 100 armoured vehicles in Kosovo with turrets and 30x113mm cannons, underscoring Turkey's role in cost-effective counter-drone solutions.

Turkish firm Meteksan introduced the National Synthetic Aperture Sonar (MILSAS) at SAHA EXPO 2026 in Istanbul, providing high-resolution underwater imaging for mine detection, seabed mapping and infrastructure inspection. The system is aimed at both military and civilian use, and Meteksan said it intends to expand exports through technology transfer and partnerships. It joins a wave of indigenous underwater-sensing programmes localising a capability previously bought from foreign suppliers.

SIPRI data put Turkey's 2025 military expenditure at $30 billion — exceeding the combined defence budgets of Greece, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Armenia, Georgia and Iran — a 7.2% real rise on 2024 and a 94% increase over the decade. Crucially, 22% of the budget was routed through the national defence-industry fund, hard-wiring domestic procurement and industrial development into the topline. Operational commitments in northern Iraq, Syria and Somalia continue to drive costs, while high inflation and currency volatility raise sustainability and contracting-transparency concerns.