“We will use it in the most effective way,” the Turkish defense minister said.
/u plans quoted by Bloomberg.
Turkey's Ministry of National Defense Research and Development Center presented Turkey's first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), “Yıldırımhan”.
The missile was presented on the first day of the SAHA 2026 international exhibition for the defense, aviation and space industry, which was held in Istanbul.
Yildirimhan, named after an Ottoman sultan, marks a step towards joining the space arms race. Turkey will use similar technology to launch satellites designed to boost the NATO member's independent operational capabilities, the sources said.
Collar: We will use it in the most effective way
“We think we will only use it as a deterrent, but if we ever have to use it, no one should have any doubt that we will do so without hesitation,” Defense Minister Yasar Guler said during his visit to the SAHA defense exhibition in Istanbul. “We figure we'll use it in the most efficient way possible.”
The war between the US and Israel in neighboring Iran has fueled Turkey's efforts to increase its deterrence. Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) are usually associated with nuclear weapons, which Turkey does not possess. But Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in February that the country could be drawn into a regional nuclear arms race because of concerns about Iran's nuclear ambitions.
What are the characteristics of the rocket?
Turkey's intercontinental ballistic missile has a range of 6,000 kilometers and the plan is to test it in Somalia as early as the end of this year, said the people, who declined to be identified.
The rocket, which has four engines, can reach speeds of up to Mach 25, which is 25 times the speed of sound, and uses liquid nitrogen tetroxide as fuel.
The development of the Turkish arsenal
Turkey has been busy building up its arsenal. It has begun ramping up production of Tayfun-1 ballistic missiles, which have a range of at least 560 kilometers. It plans to test an advanced model, the Tayfun-4, which has the ability to fly over 2,000 kilometers. It also developed a Cenk missile with a range of 3,000 kilometers.
Meanwhile, Turkey is deploying an anti-missile shield, dubbed the “Steel Dome.” The project gained urgent importance after the interception of four missiles fired from Iran towards Turkey since the start of the Iran-Iraq war.
“Regional missile threats and the desire for defense and industrial autonomy have led Ankara to build a broad portfolio of ballistic and cruise missiles,” defense analysts Sitki Engeli and Arda Mevlutoglu said in a research paper published last week by the International Institute for Strategic Studies. “Turkey's political leadership sees clear value in maintaining a reliable and increasingly long-range stockpile of cruise and ballistic deterrent systems”
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long supported Turkey's efforts to develop an independent defense industry capable of producing warplanes, tanks, high-altitude drones, frigates and now missiles for export as well as domestic use.
