Turkiye unveils prototype intercontinental ballistic missile at Istanbul defence exhibition
Turkiye has unveiled a prototype intercontinental ballistic missile named Yildirimhan at a defence exhibition in Istanbul.
The missile was shown at the SAHA 2026 Defence and Aerospace Exhibition at the Istanbul Expo Centre on Tuesday.
The missile is described as having a range of 6,000km, a maximum speed of Mach 25 and a payload capacity of 3,000kg.
It was developed by the Defence Ministry's research and development centre, according to the supplied report.
Turkiye has not begun production of the missile yet.
Defence Minister Yasar Guler addressed the exhibition in Istanbul and said Turkiye offers allies not only weapon systems but also technology and a sustainable security economy.
The unveiling matters because a missile with this range would be classed as an ICBM and, if launched from Turkiye, could reach targets across Europe, Africa and Asia.
The development also points to Turkiye's wider push to become more self-reliant in defence.
The report says the missile has four rocket propulsion engines and is fuelled by liquid nitrogen tetroxide.
It also notes that the name Yildirimhan means "lightning" in Turkish.
The launch has been presented as significant not only for military capability but also for what it may signal about Turkiye's defence industry.
One analyst quoted in the supplied material said the capability to produce such a missile is more significant than the missile itself.
