SAHA 2026 Hits Record US$8 Billion Deal Volume

The SAHA 2026 International Defence and Aerospace Exhibition reached a historic crescendo on 8 May 2026, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announcing that the event has generated a business volume of US$8 billion.

Speaking at the Istanbul Expo Centre, the President emphasized that US$6 billion of this total consists of direct export contracts, a testament to the surging global appetite for Turkish-engineered defense solutions. This landmark figure, finalized through 182 separate agreements over four days, shatters previous records and solidifies the exhibition’s status as a premier global platform for high-technology military and aerospace systems.

​Organized by SAHA Istanbul, the fifth edition of the biennial fair has hosted 1,763 companies, including 263 foreign participants from 120 nations. The sheer scale of the event—featuring 203 world premieres and over 30,000 scheduled business-to-business meetings—reflects Ankara’s strategic shift toward becoming a primary architect of global security architecture. Turkish officials noted that the "growing global trust" in domestic defense technologies, particularly in the realms of unmanned aerial vehicles, naval systems, and long-range precision weaponry, has transformed the Turkish industrial cluster into a preferred ecosystem for international partners.

The 2026 show has focused heavily on shifting from a standard buyer-seller relationship to deep industrial interdependence. The fifth day of the expo serves as a transition into public engagement, following four days of intensive high-level negotiations and signing ceremonies involving 140 foreign delegations. These visits have already translated into formal strategic partnerships, highlighting Türkiye's ability to offer a "third way" for nations seeking sophisticated technology without the heavy diplomatic conditions often associated with major global powers.

​Strategic Asia-Pacific Expansion

​From the perspective of the Asia-Pacific region, the exhibition’s most transformative development is the formalization of Indonesia as the first export customer for the Bayraktar KIZILELMA unmanned fighter. On 6 May 2026, Turkish manufacturer Baykar signed a historic contract with Indonesia's PT Republik Aero Dirgantara (Republikorp) for an initial batch of 12 aircraft, with options for up to 48 additional units. This agreement, valued as part of the broader US$8 billion pool, includes the establishment of local production and maintenance facilities in Indonesia, marking a significant leap in Turkish-Indonesian defense industrial cooperation.

​ASELSAN also secured two major contracts with Indonesian entities, focusing on advanced payloads for unmanned maritime systems and critical communication infrastructure for the Indonesian Armed Forces. These deals represent a broader Turkish pivot toward Southeast Asia, where nations like Vietnam and Malaysia are increasingly looking to Ankara for "game-changing" technologies. A high-level Vietnamese delegation led by Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang explored joint initiatives in electronic warfare and radar systems, further signaling the growing strategic alignment between Turkish innovators and ASEAN defense requirements.

​European and Central Asian Breakthroughs

​The exhibition’s reach extended deep into Europe with a major contract between ARCA Defence and the Estonian Ministry of Defence to build an ammunition production plant in Estonia. This "on-site production" model was mirrored in a memorandum of understanding between Turkish company MKE and Hungary’s HT Division to integrate the Tolga air defense system onto Hungarian unmanned ground vehicles. These agreements signify that Turkish defense exports are increasingly moving beyond hardware sales to include the transfer of sovereign industrial capacity to NATO and European Union partners.

​In Central Asia, the modernization of armored vehicles remains a top priority, evidenced by a new cooperation agreement between Azerbaijan’s MIRAS and Türkiye’s MKE. The partnership focuses on upgrading Soviet-era BMP-1 platforms with modern Turkish sensors and weaponry, continuing the trend of standardizing military hardware across the Turkic world. Azerbaijan's Minister of Defense Industry, Vugar Mustafayev, held several pivotal meetings to explore joint production of innovative technological products, further deepening the bilateral "one nation, two states" defense philosophy.

​Advanced Technological Debuts

​The technological landscape at SAHA 2026 was defined by the surprise unveiling of several high-stakes programs, including the YILDIRIMHAN and GÜÇHAN systems. The YILDIRIMHAN, a liquid-fuel rocket engine project, and GÜÇHAN, an advanced aircraft engine technology, represent Türkiye’s move into the most complex tiers of aerospace engineering. Minister of National Defence Yasar Guler confirmed that these projects had been developed under strict secrecy within the Ministry's R&D centers over several years to ensure national strategic autonomy in propulsion systems.

​Other notable product launches included the Mizrak smart loitering munition from Baykar, boasting a range of 1,000 kilometers, and the ALKA-KAPLAN Hybrid Directed Energy Weapon System designed to counter drone swarms. ROKETSAN and Koluman also finalized a deal for the development of high-mobility launch platforms for the Tayfun missile program. These innovations highlight a Turkish strategy to dominate the "next-generation" warfare space, providing portable, AI-integrated, and highly lethal solutions tailored for the varied geographical demands of the Asia-Pacific, Africa, and Eastern Europe.