Defense analyst Arda Mevlütoğlu wrote about the technological transformation, production capacity and export vision of SAHA 2026 for AA Analytics. *** SAHA 2026 International Defense, Aerospace Industry Fair was held in Istanbul between 5-9 May. More than 1700 companies and more than 200 thousand visitors from approximately 120 countries attended the fair. The fair, organized by SAHA Istanbul Defense Aerospace Cluster and held every year, attracted attention this year especially with the expansion of the product and solution portfolio of the Turkish defense industry sector, its capacity to respond to rapidly changing needs and its export breakthrough.
From single products to integrated solutions A striking feature of the fair was the proliferation of integrated solutions consisting of a combination of more than one product and system. In addition to the SİPER air defense system, which is one of the main components of the National Combat Aircraft (MMU) KAAN and Çelik Kubbe, a new set of capabilities was exhibited with many platform-independent systems such as the ASELSAN FULMAR radar, Azak E5 developed in partnership with Baykar and Machinery and Chemical Industry (MKE), and Meteksan Defence’s National Synthetic Aperture Sonar (MİLSAS) system.
The sector positions air defense systems, electronic warfare solutions, radars, electro-optical systems, tactical data links and smart munitions as components of the joint operations architecture, rather than as independent products. This situation strengthens Turkey’s claim to be an actor in the defense industry that not only exports products but also offers operational concepts, architectural solutions and integrated capability packages.
Changing needs and adaptability The Russia-Ukraine War, which has been ongoing since 2022, and the conflicts in the Middle East since 2023, and most recently the US/Israel-Iran War, have triggered wide-ranging changes and transformations regarding the application and effects of advanced technologies, especially unmanned and autonomous systems and artificial intelligence, on the battlefield. In parallel with an intense debate in the literature on the changing nature of war, the needs of armies, security forces and intelligence services change on an almost daily basis, and project and procurement priorities are constantly updated.
The most concrete reflection of this fluidity is undoubtedly drones and anti-drone systems, especially the FPV (first person view) type. At SAHA 2026, it was possible to observe how advanced the Turkish defense industry’s efforts to develop innovative solutions and products for these areas are. In Turkey, the experience of end-user institutions in testing and providing feedback on the products and solutions offered by the sector in the field, under real operational conditions, had a positive impact on the product development processes of the sector.
War and conflicts in recent years have also revealed that the production performance of the defense industry and the resilience of the supply chain directly affect its ability to actually fight. It has been observed that products and weapons that cannot be produced and maintained in sufficient quantities, no matter how advanced technology they contain, have no effect. It is possible to claim that Turkey, which is rapidly developing its mass production capacity, especially ammunition and drones, can be an ideal partner for Europe, which is trying to quickly eliminate the capacity gap.
As a matter of fact, the figures announced by MKE, ASELSAN, ROKETSAN and Arca Defense with the contracts they signed at the fair were indicative of this potential. The third dimension of the export breakthrough SAHA 2026 was that it made visible the Turkish defense industry’s transition to an export-centered growth phase. The fact that Turkey’s defense and aerospace exports will exceed the 10 billion dollar threshold in 2025 and increase by approximately 48 percent shows that the sector has now gone beyond the growth model based on domestic demand.
Exports, which continued to accelerate in the first months of 2026, increased by 44.2 percent on an annual basis in January 2026, reaching 555.3 million dollars. The increasing interest of foreign companies and delegations in the fair was a confirmation of the visibility and reputation of the sector in the international market. In addition to the unmanned aerial vehicle and land vehicle sectors, where the sector is traditionally strong, the interest shown in precision guided munitions and electronic warfare systems, especially from European and Asian countries, was a signal that the global sphere of influence of the Turkish defense industry could expand to include different markets in the coming period.
In this regard, developing capacity and mechanisms for international cooperation, especially export financing and revising export control legislation, become imperative. Two important contracts: Two of the many contracts signed at SAHA 2026 deserve special mention due to their importance. The first of these was the mass production contract signed between the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) and TAI for MMU KAAN, and the other was the KIZILELMA unmanned warplane sales contract signed between Baykar and Indonesian PT Republik Aero Dirgantara.
With the contract signed between SSB and TAI, it is aimed to deliver 20 Block-10 KAAN aircraft to the Turkish Air Force, starting from 2028 and until the end of 2030. Thus, a critical turning point in the MMU project has been passed. With the introduction of the TF35000 turbo-fan engine, which is being developed in partnership with TUSAŞ Motor Sanayii AŞ (TEI) – TRMotor, KAAN will take office with a domestic and national power system, starting from the Blok-30 model.
As a matter of fact, subsystem supply contracts for the TF35000 project were signed at the fair. MMU KAAN, which is the only fifth-generation combat aircraft project that is still ongoing in the Western Hemisphere and has passed the first flight phase, has also entered Spain’s radar, according to the news reflected in open sources. The agreement signed with Indonesia for KIZILELMA for a total of 60 aircraft, 12 of which are firm and 48 of which are options, is important for the world unmanned aerial vehicle industry as it is the first export agreement in the field of unmanned combat aircraft.
The fact that KIZILELMA, whose test and verification and operation concept (CONOPS) development studies are continuing rapidly, received orders before it entered the service of the Turkish Armed Forces can be considered as a reflection of the trust in the product, its technology and the sector. As a result, SAHA 2026 was an event that clearly demonstrated the scale, diversity and maturity level reached by the Turkish defense industry.
The sector is no longer a structure that only meets domestic needs or develops single products, but has become an ecosystem that offers integrated capability packages, quickly adapts to the needs coming from the field, transforms production capacity into a strategic advantage and positions itself more assertively in the global market. However, turning this potential into sustainable success will depend not only on technology and product performance, but also on strengthening institutional capacity in complementary areas such as export finance, supply chain resilience, international partnership management, human resources and regulatory compliance.
The picture shown by SAHA 2026 shows that an important threshold has been crossed for Türkiye and that the next period will be the period of transforming this potential into scalable, sustainable and strategic impact. Source: AA
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