The Turkish defense industry concluded 2025 as one of the most remarkable years in its history, marked by groundbreaking projects, operational milestones and record export figures. Throughout the year, Türkiye focused on meeting emerging battlefield requirements while simultaneously investing in future-oriented combat technologies across land, air, sea and space domains.

One of the most significant developments in land systems was the start of mass production and first deliveries of the ALTAY Main Battle Tank. With the official opening of BMC’s Kahramankazan production facility, ALTAY entered active service, symbolizing Türkiye’s maturity in heavy armored vehicle manufacturing and indigenous defense capabilities.

In the air domain, achievements by Baykar and TUSAŞ drew global attention. Bayraktar KIZILELMA made aviation history by becoming the world’s first unmanned combat aircraft to shoot down a jet-powered aerial target using a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile. Meanwhile, Bayraktar TB3 became the first UCAV capable of fully autonomous takeoff and landing from a short-runway naval platform, entering service after successful operations aboard TCG Anadolu. TUSAŞ’s HÜRJET supersonic trainer exceeded Mach 1, while AKSUNGUR reached 40,000 feet using a domestically produced engine.

Türkiye’s defense and aerospace exports reached a new record of 8.6 billion USD before the end of 2025, reinforcing the country’s growing influence in global defense markets. A landmark agreement was signed with Indonesia for the export of 48 KAAN National Combat Aircraft, while Baykar completed the acquisition of Italy’s historic aviation company Piaggio Aerospace. Strategic cooperation was further expanded through the establishment of LBA Systems in partnership with Leonardo.

Missile, rocket and air defense systems also saw major progress. Projects led by ROKETSAN, ASELSAN and TÜBİTAK SAGE achieved successful test firings throughout the year. The serial production of the TAYFUN missile system, successful tests of SİPER and HİSAR air defense systems, and multi-billion-dollar contracts under the ÇELİK KUBBE initiative significantly strengthened Türkiye’s layered air defense architecture.

The year culminated with IDEF 2025, where hypersonic missiles, laser weapon systems and next-generation platforms were unveiled. Hosting more than 120,000 visitors and generating contracts worth 9 billion USD, the exhibition highlighted Türkiye’s technological depth and innovation capacity. Collectively, these achievements demonstrated that Türkiye’s defense industry has evolved into a globally competitive force with strategic impact well beyond its region.