SAHA Expo 2026
SAHA Expo, the biannual defence exhibition taking place in Istanbul on even years opened its doors to visitors on May 5th to delegations and visitors, 1,478 exhibitors from over 120 countries being gathered at the Istanbul Expo Center. The event was inaugurated by the Minister of National Defence, Yaşar Güler, by the Minister of Industry and Technology, Mehmet Fatih Kacır, and by the President of Defence Industries, Haluk Görgün, who were welcomed on the premises by Haluk Bayraktar, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of SAHA Istanbul and Baykar. Official delegations from 74 countries and representatives from 36 foreign nations attended the ceremony.
Inauguration speeches focused on high-tech subjects, such as advancements in the Turkish National Space Programme, AI-powered drones, next-generation warfare, and unmanned systems. On Friday 8th the exhibition was visited Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
SAHA Expo was definitely showcased the advancements made by national defence industries, many of those companies taking the opportunity of the Istanbul exhibition to unveil new products, several of these being described in the articles ERD On-Line readers will find below.
Solid Aero introduces Basat Bi fixed wing interceptor drone
Turkey looks at hypersonic with Yıldırımhan long-range hypersonic ballistic missile and DeltaV propulsion systems
Tunga X, the interceptor drone from STM
Datum ÇAMD, the first Turkish indigenous multi-purpose mini-submarine, opens the way to manned and unmanned underwater boats
Adding smoke screening capacity with Özben Defence Modular 36-40 multi-barrel launch system
MKE unveils Alpay-II mine-clearing system
FNSS exhibits its Alka – Kaplan Hybrid – Autonomous fitted with a laser effector and optionally manned and autonomous capabilities
New indirect and direct fire solutions for land forces from MKE
Aselsan widens the Tolun precision guided munitions family and expands its reach with the Fulmar 500-A radar and ASELFLIR-600 gimbal
Otokar Tulpar tracked IFV first appearance with Aselsan Korhan 35 mm turret
Malaman naval bottom mine enters the Turkish Navy inventory
Skydagger unveils the Toyca05 loitering munition and the Hunter interceptor drone
Aselsan add new elements to its Steel Dome widening its C-UAS capabilities
New munitions for MKE’s 130 mm National Chaff Launcher system
Turkish Aerospace Industries unveils Gölge, a piston-engine “baby-Anka III”
Koluman presents Kisrak, a high-mobility ambulance for extreme environments
Aselsan kamikaze USV, the Tufan
Viettel’s “Drone Slayer” targets the UAV threat head-on
Survival of the fittest: ForaGRUP’s battlefield medical kits
MKE unveils Attila, a high mobility truck-mounted 155/52 mm howitzer
Proterm’s Pura 4×4, the cheeky new cavalry for tomorrow’s battlefields
BMC Pamir 4×4: Turkey rolls out a new tactical contender
Baykar, the leading Turkish UAV producer, first exhibits three products; the K2, the Mizrak and the Sivrisinek
STM unveils its Kuzgun long-range loitering munition
Roketsan debuts four new missiles, Neşter, Cida, Mini Cruise Missile and Cirit C-UAS
MKE unveils new sensors and effectors for its Tolga short-range air defence system
