The Defense Ministry’s (MSB) R&D Center made a major splash at the international defense, aerospace, and space industry expo SAHA 2026, in Istanbul on Sept. 5-9 by unveiling Yıldırımhan, an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with a range of 6,000 kilometers, and Güçhan, a turbofan engine producing 42,000 lbs of thrust for fighter jets.
The specifications announced both for the missile and the engine place them in the global top tier but far exceed anything developed by the Turkish defense industry to date. This discrepancy sparked a heated debate on social media: “Are these products imagination or reality?”
Regarding Yıldırımhan, “We intend to use it solely for deterrence purposes. However, should the need arise, let no one doubt that we will deploy it without hesitation and in the most effective manner,” Defense Minister Yaşar Güler said, attending the launch event, on May 5.
WHAT IS MSB R&D?
The MSB R&D Center has accelerated product development since the early 2020s and first showcased its work in public at the IDEF 2025 international defense fair last year. For its projects to come to fruition, a decision must first be made by the Defense Industry Executive Committee (SSİK), chaired by the president, followed by collaborative efforts with local or foreign manufacturers.
The technical inaccuracies on the MSB R&D information cards at the SAHA 2026 pavilion, particularly the accidental listing of Yıldırımhan’s rocket propulsion engine count under Güçhan’s technical specifications, drew criticism on social media. Ministry officials corrected the errors later in the day.
Named after the fourth Ottoman Sultan, Bayezid I, who earned the nickname Yıldırım (Thunderbolt) after a battle, the 18-meter-long Yıldırımhan is declared to have a range of 6,000 km and speeds between Mach 9 and 25. However, currently, the longest-range missile developed in Turkey is Roketsan’s Tayfun, which has reached 600 km in test launches. If Yıldırımhan achieves the advertised values, it will be a candidate for one of the longest-range and highest-speed missiles not just in Turkey, but in the world.
Although producer countries generally avoid providing clear information about maximum range in their official statements and often understate it, if the Yıldırımhan can achieve the 6,000 km target during test firings, Turkey may become the country with the longest-range ICBM, following Israel, North Korea, China, Russia, and the US.
GÜÇHAN ENGINE FOR FIGHTERS
The Defense Ministry also announced that the Güçhan turbofan engine would produce 42,000 lbf of thrust. In contrast, the Eskişehir-based TEI (TUSAŞ Engine Industries) has been working for years to produce a 6,000 lbf engine. Turkey is currently striving to procure 10,000 lbf engines from the US for the Hürjet trainer and 30,000 lbf engines for the Kaan fighter jet. For comparison, the F-135 engines of the F-35 produce 43,000 lbf, and the dual EJ200 engines of the Eurofighter Typhoon produce a combined 40,000 lbf.
“It is not yet clear when mass production of the Yıldırımhan and Güçhan will begin or when they will be added to the inventory of the Turkish Armed Forces,” a ministry official said to Turkey in Depth.
Even though the ministry announced at SAHA 2026 that Yıldırımhan and Güçhan have been produced, it appears both projects may still be in the conceptual design phase at MSB R&D and will require significant time before reaching mass production.
Similarly, at IDEF 2025, MSB R&D announced the development of 44 new products with superior specifications, such as the Gazap general-purpose thermobaric bomb with 10,000 fragments and the Hayalet 2,000 lb penetrating bomb. However, no subsequent announcements have been made regarding the start of mass production for those items.
OFFICIAL STATEMENT AFTER DEBATE
Following the debate on social media, the ministry felt it necessary to issue an official statement regarding the two projects at its weekly press conference on May 7.
“Laboratory testing of the Yıldırımhan missile system, which has a warhead payload capacity of 3 tons, has been successfully completed, and field testing is proceeding according to the planned schedule. The liquid propellants used in the missile system—unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) and a nitrogen tetroxide derivative—are produced domestically by our R&D center” the ministry said.
The ministry also announced that six Güçhan engines have been manufactured to date, and that qualification tests are scheduled to take place this year.
WEAPON SYSTEMS IN THE SHADOWS
Although 203 new products were launched at SAHA 2026, the highly ambitious debut of Yıldırımhan and Güçhan overshadowed critical projects that have actually reached the mass production stage:
Roketsan launched laser-guided mini smart munition Neşter, long-range anti-tank missile Cida, and the laser-guided Cirit Anti-UAV missile. MKE showcased the Uran 105 mm and Attila 155 mm vehicle-mounted howitzers, along with the Alpay-2 minefield clearing system. Aselsan introduced Kılıç, an autonomous kamikaze underwater vehicle, and Tufan, a kamikaze unmanned sea vehicle. Baykar exhibited its K2, Sivrisinek, and Mızrak kamikaze drone platforms with varying ranges for the first time, and signed an agreement with Indonesia PT Republikorp for the sales of 12 Kızılelma Unmanned Fighter Aircraft (UFA).
