Türkiye Unveils SAHA 2026 Defense Expo in Istanbul

(MENAFN) Türkiye's most ambitious defense and aerospace showcase to date swung open its doors Tuesday at the Istanbul Expo Center, as SAHA 2026 drew 1,700 companies — 263 of them international — and more than 30,000 industry professionals converging from over 120 countries to witness the unveiling of cutting-edge military technologies on a global stage.

Organized by SAHA Istanbul — Türkiye's and Europe's largest defense, aerospace, and space industry cluster — the exhibition runs through May 9, with Anadolu serving as its global communication partner. The event spans a combined indoor and outdoor footprint of 400,000 square meters (4.3 million square feet), including 20,000 square meters (approximately 215,300 square feet) of dedicated outdoor exhibition space, cementing its status as one of the largest editions ever staged.

The scale of commercial ambition on display is equally striking. Organizers are targeting a minimum of $8 billion in export contracts — a significant leap from the $6.2 billion recorded at SAHA 2024. To that end, 203 new product launches and 164 signing ceremonies are scheduled over the course of the event. Delegations and trade representatives from four continents are in attendance, with particularly strong participation from Europe, the US, and Canada.

Turkish drone powerhouse Baykar is headlining the domestic showcase with the debut of MIZRAK, a nationally developed smart loitering munition boasting a range exceeding 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) and AI-driven autonomous targeting capabilities. Baykar is also introducing its K2 Kamikaze UAV and Sivrisinek loitering munition to the public for the first time at this year's fair.

Defense electronics leader Aselsan is presenting five entirely new products alongside six enhanced iterations of existing systems, bridging next-generation national technologies with the broader global defense ecosystem.

A collaborative breakthrough from Roketsan and FNSS — the ALKA-KAPLAN HYBRID Directed Energy Weapon System Platform, widely referred to as a "laser weapon" — will also appear at SAHA 2026, this time with expanded capabilities. Roketsan will additionally showcase its most advanced technology portfolio to date, while STM is debuting air and naval systems engineered specifically for the demands of modern warfare.

Beyond the exhibition halls, domestically developed unmanned naval vehicles are on display at Ataköy Marina as an extension of the fair's footprint.

The event is hosting more than 140 official delegations, upward of 800 official delegation members, and more than 200 trade procurement representatives. A dedicated public day on May 9 will open SAHA 2026 to general visitors before the exhibition draws to a close.

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