Turkiye’s Roketsan Expects Strong Investment Growth in 2026

Turkiye’s prominent missile producer, Roketsan, aims to see 2026 as the pivotal year when earlier efforts in different technological areas bear fruit, are converted into finished products, and serial production begins at scale, according to Chief Executive Murat Ikinci in remarks published on Monday. Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) to evaluate last year’s achievements and expectations for the current year, Ikinci identified ballistic missiles, air defense systems, and drone and swarm technologies as key focus areas throughout 2025. “2026 will be a year when the efforts we made in these areas bear fruit, are converted into products, and serial productions begin,” he stated. Among the most anticipated systems, Ikinci highlighted the Tayfun Block-4 ballistic missile, promising that “we will soon share good news about it.” He also confirmed that development work on the air-to-air missile Gökbora and the 300 ER extended-range missile continues at full speed, with new information expected shortly.

Exceptional Revenue Growth and Export Performance

Evaluating the company’s performance, Ikinci characterized Roketsan as among the fastest-growing defense companies globally and the second fastest-growing defense company in Türkiye, a position the firm has maintained for many consecutive years. The company increased its turnover in dollar terms by an impressive 50% to exceed $2 billion in 2025, reflecting robust domestic and international demand for Turkish missile systems. “Our increase and growth in exports continued in the same way. We closed 2025 with an export figure of close to $750 million.

This actually represents a growth of over 50% in terms of exports as well,” Ikinci explained. This export performance demonstrates growing international confidence in Turkish defense technology and Roketsan’s ability to compete successfully in global markets against established Western and Russian missile manufacturers. The company also experienced significant growth in personnel numbers and ecosystem development, expanding its engineering workforce to support accelerating product development timelines.

Year of Successful Trials and Product Maturation

Ikinci emphasized the extensive testing activities conducted throughout 2025, stating that “2025 is a year in which many successful projects went into mass production, many trials were completed and our products came forward.” The executive summarized 2025 as “the year of growth for Roketsan both globally and locally, and the year in which new products were introduced.” However, he cautioned that “growth alone does not mean much,” instead emphasizing the substantive activities underlying the expansion.

“Roketsan is part of an ecosystem where many teams conduct trials and product testing phases in the field almost every day,” Ikinci noted, highlighting the intensive development tempo maintained by engineering teams. This rigorous testing regime ensures that products entering serial production have been thoroughly validated under realistic operational conditions, reducing technical risk and ensuring customer satisfaction.

Strategic International Investments and Facility Expansion

Emphasizing that 2025 was also a significant investment year for the Ankara-based company, Ikinci stated that new facilities, particularly production facilities, were brought online while international investments were simultaneously pursued. Pointing to substantial investments in Azerbaijan and Indonesia, Ikinci indicated that Roketsan is growing both globally and locally, expressing confidence that this growth trend will continue accelerating rapidly. These international production facilities provide Roketsan with regional manufacturing capabilities that reduce logistics costs, improve delivery timelines, and potentially bypass export restrictions that might affect shipments from Türkiye.

The Azerbaijan facility serves markets in the Caucasus and Central Asia, while the Indonesian presence positions Roketsan to serve Southeast Asian customers seeking alternatives to Western or Chinese missile systems. Strategic geographic diversification of production capacity also enhances supply chain resilience and demonstrates commitment to long-term partnerships with key customer nations.

Ecosystem Development Through Business Partnership Program

“As Roketsan, our strategy is to grow together with the ecosystem. For this, we have implemented a very serious program. We have been continuing this for two-three years,” Ikinci explained. The number of companies participating in the Roketsan Business Partners Program has exceeded 100 firms, while nearly 2,000 companies work collaboratively with Roketsan, collectively driving substantial growth trends in both exports and domestic production.

This ecosystem approach distributes technological capabilities across multiple firms rather than concentrating everything within Roketsan, creating industrial resilience and fostering innovation through specialized suppliers. The partnership program also addresses Turkish defense industry policy objectives of developing comprehensive domestic capabilities across the entire supply chain, reducing dependence on foreign components that could be subject to export restrictions during political disagreements.

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Optimistic Multi-Year Growth Trajectory

Reiterating that 2025 “was a really good year” for Roketsan, Ikinci projected that “when looking ahead, we can assess that 2026, 2027 and 2028 will be even better.” This optimism stems from long-term investments finally becoming operational in 2026, with facilities that will significantly increase production capacity coming online. Ikinci identified the upcoming SAHA Expo fair as the most important event for Roketsan in 2026, stating the company is preparing specifically for this showcase.

“As Roketsan, we are preparing specifically for it. I am also the vice chairperson of the board of directors of SAHA Istanbul. Therefore, SAHA Expo has a very different meaning for us,” he noted. The executive expressed confidence that the exhibition will provide an excellent platform for showcasing products and projects to both domestic audiences and international business partners. “In the field of cruise missiles and other mini munitions, 2026 will be a year in which we will experience very different innovations, God willing,” Ikinci concluded, hinting at breakthrough developments in precision strike capabilities that will further expand Roketsan’s product portfolio and market competitiveness.

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