ANKARA
Turkish defense company Roketsan expects a sharp increase in production capacity in 2026 as long-term investments begin to yield results and key weapons programs move closer to mass production, the company’s chief executive said.
Murat Ikinci told Anadolu that Roketsan has been among the world’s fastest-growing defense firms in recent years and is now Türkiye’s second fastest-growing company in the sector. He said the missile-maker’s turnover jumped by more than 50% in 2025 to exceed $2 billion.
“Our growth continued as our exports rose,” Ikinci said, adding that the company closed last year with nearly $570 million in exports, up more than 50% from the previous year.
Roketsan carried out more than 200 trials, tests and new product operations at over 20 locations across Türkiye in 2025, with testing activities spanning about 800 days simultaneously at different facilities. Ikinci said the company conducted research and development work on more than 200 products last year.
He noted that new production facilities were also brought online in 2025 as part of the company’s global investment strategy.
“With significant investments from Azerbaijan and Indonesia, we can say there is a Roketsan that is growing globally and domestically,” Ikinci said. “We believe this growth will continue to rise rapidly in the coming period.”
Ikinci said Roketsan has focused on expanding its industrial ecosystem over the past two years, with more than 100 companies now participating in its business partners programs.
“Along with those firms, nearly 2,000 companies work with us as we continue our growth trend in exports and domestic sales,” he said. “While 2025 was a truly great year, we can see that 2026, 2027 and 2028 will be even better for Roketsan, as our 50% growth potential in exports and sales will continue in the coming period.”
He said the company is preparing to unveil a new leap in its product portfolio at this year’s SAHA Expo, an international defense and aerospace exhibition.
“We are preparing specifically for this event,” Ikinci said, noting that he also serves as vice chair of the board of SAHA Istanbul. “The event holds great significance for us. We are taking a very innovative approach and we will see many innovations, both from other participating firms and from Roketsan.”
Ikinci said the company is working on strategic systems as ballistic missiles, air defense systems and drones have emerged as dominant themes in the defense industry over the past year.
“We will see the fruits of our labor in these areas in 2026, when our efforts will turn into mass production,” he said, pointing to the Tayfun Blok-4 missile as the most anticipated product. He added that development work is also continuing on the Gokbora air-to-air missile and the 300 ER missile.
Roketsan is also expanding production and deployment of hypersonic and air defense systems such as Siper, Hisar and Sungur, Ikinci said, adding that the company will continue these efforts without slowing down.
“This year we will see many different innovations, ranging from cruise missiles to other mini munitions,” he said.
Ikinci said Roketsan is also investing in the space industry through two major projects, including the Simsek Project.
“Last year, we achieved some significant gains, and as we enter the 2026–2027 period, we will see the results of these efforts,” he said. “Globally, space technologies have become increasingly important, and Türkiye is observing these developments with great seriousness as a technology of the future.”
He said other Turkish defense firms, including Fergani and DeltaV, are also key players in the domestic space sector, while companies such as Aselsan and Turkish Aerospace Industries are working on satellite-related projects.
“I think Türkiye will make significant progress in its space ecosystem this year,” Ikinci said. “Space projects take a long time, and the main goal is to create a sustainable ecosystem. Roketsan is one of the cornerstones of this ecosystem, and we will strive to fulfill our responsibilities in this field.”