The US Missile Defense Agency is accelerating development of the Maverick air defense missile designed to counter hypersonic threats. The system will undergo testing in 2027 and serve as an interim solution until the Glide Phase Interceptor program becomes operational in 2030.

After years of political obstacles, France appears to have softened its stance on potential sales of the SAMP/T air defense system—jointly developed with Italy—to Turkey. Following discussions between Macron and Meloni, negotiations may advance to a more concrete phase.

Defense Minister Yaşar Güler announced that Turkey is evaluating the potential acquisition of Patriot air defense systems from the United States and Franco-Italian SAMP-T platforms to strengthen its air defense capabilities. Ankara emphasized its openness to cooperation involving technology transfer and joint production arrangements.

Under the memorandum of understanding signed within the scope of SAHA 2026, MKE's TOLGA Close-Range Air Defense System was successfully integrated into the 6×6 unmanned ground vehicle KATICA developed by Hungarian company HT Division.

ASELSAN, Turkey's leading defense contractor, will increase component deliveries for the country's integrated Steel Dome air defense system by 50 percent. The company aims to deliver more than 150 different components throughout 2026.

More than 30 systems developed by ASELSAN demonstrated operational effectiveness during the EFES-2026 Exercise held in Izmir. The ÇELİKKUBBE architecture operated in integrated form for the first time, while the KOCATEPE Battle Management System was deployed operationally for the first time.

ROKETSAN CEO Murat İkinci stated that Steel Dome is a strategic indigenous air defense infrastructure designed to meet Türkiye’s needs and evolve continuously against emerging threats.

According to a Financial Times claim, Volkswagen is considering allocating its Osnabrück plant to produce logistics and technical equipment for the Iron Dome system. The move is seen as a way to strengthen cooperation with Israel-based Rafael while also protecting jobs at the facility.