Turkey Unveils Yıldırımhan Liquid-Fueled Missile With 6,000-Kilometer Range at SAHA Expo 2026

Türkiye unveiled details about the Yıldırımhan long-range ballistic missile during the SAHA Expo 2026 defense exhibition in Istanbul, with the Turkish Ministry of National Defense describing it as its first liquid-fueled rocket missile system.

“Turkiye has unveiled a prototype of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) as part of a push to become self-reliant and to gain a foothold as a key defence player in the Middle East and among its NATO allies”

Al Jazeera

Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler said, “Our Yıldırımhan Long-Range Missile represents a significant technological milestone as Turkey’s first liquid-fueled rocket missile system,” during a press conference on Thursday.

Al Jazeera

The Ministry of National Defense said the missile uses unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine as fuel and dinitrogen tetroxide as the oxidizer, and it is capable of carrying a 3-ton warhead to a range of 6,000 kilometers.

Defense News reported that the director-general of the Turkish Ministry of National Defence’s R&D Center, Nilüfer Kuzulu, said the ministry transitioned from producing small quantities of propellants in laboratory conditions to serial production and integrated the technology into the Yıldırımhan missile program.

The ministry stated that the Yıldırımhan missile system has successfully completed laboratory testing and will enter field or ground testing in the coming period.

Breaking Defense said the Turkish Ministry of Defense took the opportunity at the SAHA defense expo to reveal a new intercontinental missile, dubbed Yildirimhan, with a reported range of 6,000km and the ability to reach up to Mach 25 on four rocket engines.

Breaking Defense quoted analyst Ali Bakir saying he believed Turkey’s ICBM program “is in an advance stage,” and he described the missile as adding a “crucial layer of deterrence” to Turkey’s military arsenal.

Aviacionline

The Jerusalem Post reported that Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler was quoted by Hurriyet News saying, “These conflicts and wars have provided very critical data for security doctrine while also increasing our responsibilities,” at the unveiling.

The Jerusalem Post also said the missile was shown off for the first time at the SAHA Expo 2026 defense and aerospace exhibition in Istanbul on Tuesday, with a payload capacity of up to 3,000 kg.

Defense Express framed the announcement as a potential “first warning sign” and stated that the declared warhead mass is 3,000 kg, while noting Turkey does not currently possess nuclear weapons.

Multiple outlets tied the Yıldırımhan’s declared 6,000 km range to coverage that reaches across Europe, with the Jerusalem Post saying it puts “most of Europe, Africa, and much of Asia in its crosshairs.”

“- Turkey unveiled the Yildirimhan at SAHA 2026, its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), developed by MSB ARGE with an estimated range of 6,000 km”

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Defense News said the ministry stated that the Yıldırımhan missile system has successfully completed laboratory testing and will enter field or ground testing in the coming period, while work on the field-testing campaign is continuing according to the planned schedule.

The Jerusalem Post reported that the missile was developed by Turkey’s National Defense Ministry R&D Center and shown off for the first time at SAHA Expo 2026 in Istanbul on Tuesday, and it said Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler was at the unveiling.

Defense Express argued that the Yildirimhan could be armed with a conventional warhead and raised questions about whether it may be groundwork for a future nuclear program, while also stating that Turkey does not currently possess nuclear weapons.

In parallel, Defense News said the ministry framed the program as part of the National Technology Initiative, adding that it will continue to support the development of Turkey’s defense industry and enhance the country’s strategic deterrence capability.