Turkey shows off first intercontinental ballistic missile
Turkey just entered the ICBM club.
At the SAHA EXPO 2026 defense exhibition in Istanbul, Turkey unveiled YILDIRIMHAN (“Lightning”) its first domestically developed intercontinental ballistic missile.
Specs:
· Range: 6,000 km (3,278 miles)
· Speed: Mach 25 (30870 kilometres per hour)
· Payload: 3,000 kg (3 tonnes)
· Propulsion: 4 engines / liquid fuel
At 6,000 km, Yildirimhan can reach any target across Europe, Africa, and Asia from Turkish soil. Mach 25 means it can evade most existing missile defense systems.
Why it matters:
Turkey joins an exclusive club of nations with ICBM capability…Russia, US, China, France, UK, North Korea, and India.
Defense Minister Yasar Guler: “Turkey has entered the group of nations with intercontinental strike capability.”
The reveal comes amid rising regional tensions, including concerns over Iran’s nuclear program and Israel’s land grabbing ambitions. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan recently said Turkey “does not rule out joining a regional nuclear race” depending on how things escalate.
Also at SAHA 2026:
Turkey also showed off the Tayfun Block 4…a hypersonic ballistic missile (Mach 5–10) with an estimated range of 1,000–1,500 km.
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