At the 17th International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF 2025), sponsored by TRT, Turkey unveiled its first indigenous ramjet-powered air-to-air missile, GÖKHAN. Developed under the “National Ramjet-Powered Air-to-Air Missile (GÖKHAN) Development Project” launched in 2021, the missile was revealed during a ceremony attended by Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler, and Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat. During the event, a new contract amendment was signed between TÜBİTAK SAGE and the Ministry of National Defense to enhance the missile’s range and performance, along with a new agreement for the development of a long-range variant.

Minister Kacır emphasized that after BOZDOĞAN and GÖKDOĞAN, GÖKHAN represents a major leap forward — a missile capable of operating at higher speeds and longer ranges, competing with global equivalents. He announced that the first flight tests will take place this year and noted that Turkey now possesses both liquid- and solid-fueled ramjet technologies through TÜBİTAK SAGE’s GÖKHAN and ROKETSAN’s GÖKBORA projects. These advancements will significantly enhance the combat capabilities of Turkey’s next-generation air platforms such as KIZILELMA and KAAN, providing superior reach and engagement power.

Kacır also highlighted progress in Turkey’s broader missile and defense ecosystem. The unveiling of TAYFUN Block-4, the ongoing 2,000 km-range missile program, the indigenous jet engine powering the SOM cruise missile, and systems like ATMACA and ÇAKIR demonstrate Turkey’s strengthening deterrence across domains. In air defense, the SİPER system has entered operational service, while SİPER-2 continues development. Meanwhile, ASELSAN’s achievements in AESA radar technology, enabling simultaneous tracking of hundreds of targets and resilience against electronic warfare, have positioned Turkey among the few countries capable of developing such systems domestically.

Alongside GÖKHAN, multiple cooperation agreements were signed at IDEF 2025 — including TÜBİTAK–ASELSAN R&D collaboration, TÜBİTAK SAGE–ROKETSAN liquid-fueled ramjet propulsion development, TÜBİTAK MAM–MSB CBRN Institute establishment, TÜBİTAK UZAY–Sabancı University satellite structure production, TÜBİTAK UZAY–POLOPTECH navigation systems, and TÜBİTAK SAGE–MKE–ASFAT cooperation for GÖKHAN development and production. These wide-ranging agreements underline Turkey’s growing defense ecosystem, powered by a young workforce averaging 33–34 years of age, and its determination to lead in next-generation missile and aerospace technologies.