Head of the Defense Industries Presidency (SSB) Haluk Görgün refrained from announcing a total export target for the defense industry, instead outlining project-based goals for 2026.
The SSB’s goals for 2026 include signing of the deal for Kaan fighter’s serial production, delivery of more than nine Altay main battle tanks to the Army, delivery of the second İstif class frigate (TCG İzmit), first deliveries of Bayraktar TB3 UCAV to the Navy, and first deliveries for Kızılelma fighter UAV and Hürkuş training aircraft to the Air Force.
At the Global Strategies in Aerospace and Defense Industry Conference held in Antalya, Görgün said defense industry companies achieved exports worth $555.3 million in January 2026, marking a 44.2 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
The SSB had targeted $10 billion in goods exports for 2025 but fell slightly short of the target at $9.8 billion. Over the same period, exports of goods and services in total amounted to $10.054 billion. Görgün did not announce a new export target for 2026, only listing the targeted milestones.
KAAN'S NATIONAL ENGINE TARGET POSTPONED
On the other hand, uncertainty continues regarding when domestically produced engines will be integrated into Kaan, Turkey's first domestically produced fighter jet.
Kaan's engineering prototype P0 made its first flight in 2024. According to the current production schedule, the first prototype, coded P1, is expected to make its maiden flight by June 2026 at the latest. The second prototype is targeted to enter the testing phase before the end of 2026, and the third prototype is to start tests in the first quarter of 2027.
The first 40 aircraft equipped with U.S.-made F110 engines were scheduled to be added to the Air Force inventory starting in 2028, but the initial delivery schedule has already been pushed back to 2029.
The goal was for Kaan to conduct its first test flight with TF35000 engines developed in Turkey by TEI (TUSAŞ Engine Industries) in 2028, but this timeline has also been updated. Company officials said that the integration of domestic engines could be achieved by 2032.
The CAATSA sanctions imposed by the U.S. on Turkey pose a threat to the supply of F110 engines, but Tom Barrack, U.S. ambassador to Ankara, said last week at Milken Institute that he believes the issue of sanctions between the two countries could be resolved within four to six months.
Ten engines were delivered from the U.S. for use in five prototypes. An additional 80 engines need to be procured from the U.S. for the 40 aircraft to be produced in the first two blocks.
COUNT DOWN FOR EREN MUNITION AND KAMIKAZE DRONES
The countdown has begun for the delivery of FPV kamikaze drones and serial production of high-speed multi-purpose loitering munitions to the Turkish Armed Forces.
Both Skydagger’s kamikaze drones and Roketsan’s loitering munition Eren will be used on various platforms, primarily UAVs.
Skydagger is a sister company of Baykar, and owned by Haluk Bayraktar, the brother of Baykar CEO Selçuk Bayraktar. Its FPV kamikaze drones are being integrated into the fighter UAV Bayraktar Kızılelma and the Kalkan unmanned naval vehicle, with test firings continuing. Skydagger aims to integrate the kamikaze drones, whose delivery will begin this year, into the Bayraktar TB3 UCAVs. Thus, Bayraktar TB3 UAVs carrying kamikaze drones can be deployed on the TCG Anadolu amphibious assault ship, transforming it into a strategic force multiplier with a swarm attack capability.
In the context of drones, FPV refers to a system in which the operator controls the device using a visual feed from a camera on the drone.
The Eren munitions are capable of engaging targets from air-to-ground, ground-to-ground, and ground-to-air. Equipped with a turbojet engine, AI algorithms, and flight control sensors, Eren will be deployed on armored vehicles and bunker-like ground installations, as well as UAVs.
Roketsan aims to modify Eren to be integrated into autonomous ground vehicles, fighter jets, and close-range air defense systems. With qualification testing complete, serial production of Eren will begin before the end of this year.
BAYKAR KEEPS POSITION
Baykar Aviation has been the company with the highest UAV export revenue in the world for three years, and announced that it generated $2.5 billion in revenue in 2025, with $2.2 billion of that coming from exports.
The company has exported $1.8 billion in both 2023 and 2024, and signed export agreements with a total of 37 countries to date, including 36 for the Bayraktar TB2 UAV and 16 for the Bayraktar Akıncı UAV.
