Turkey to Establish Drone Production Facilities in All 81 Provinces Using SAHA Expo Funds

Organizers of Turkey's biennial SAHA defense expo plan to channel revenues from expected record attendance into establishing drone production facilities in each of the country's 81 provinces, officials announced ahead of the event's opening on May 5.

Haluk Bayraktar, chairman of the board of directors of SAHA and CEO of Baykar, stated that the largest drone production center will be in Istanbul. He added that these centers will be open to the public to encourage youths to participate in the drone sector, from training to testing.

2 billion. For this year's edition, he stated the target is $8 billion. More than 1,700 companies will participate in the 2026 SAHA expo, a significant increase from the 17 firms at the first edition in the early 2000s, according to SAHA organizers.

Roughly 260 of those companies will be from abroad. Ali Bakir, a defense analyst and professor at Qatar University, told Breaking Defense that SAHA 2026 is poised to be the most ambitious edition yet, with expectations for record-breaking numbers of exhibitors, visitors, and floor space.

He stated there will be a significant increase in international participation from the Gulf, Asia-Pacific, North Africa, and Europe.

Serhat Süha Çubukçuoğlu, an expert at TRENDS Research & Advisory in Abu Dhabi, told Breaking Defense that the drone production initiative could help decentralize drone production across Turkey. ' Çubukçuoğlu stated that the initiative aligns with Turkey’s broader strategy to decentralize industrial production by expanding it beyond Istanbul and the Marmara region to other parts of the country.

Çubukçuoğlu added that opening drone production centers in all provinces shifts Turkey’s drone production success from a company-oriented or platform-based achievement into a nationwide defense-industrial mobilization model.

Baykar announced it will debut its MIZRAK Intelligent Loitering Munition, with a range above 1,000 km and AI-assisted features, at the SAHA expo. Local media outlets reported that Havelsan will unveil a new vertical take-off and landing one-way attack drone at the expo.

Roketsan shared on its X handle an image of a smart micro munition called MAM, described as a new player with high-precision strike capability on pinpoint targets and minimum collateral damage performance.

MKE is expected to debut air defense artillery and naval systems, including its Enfal 17 laser counter-drone system, at the SAHA expo. STM will launch six new platforms at the expo, including a long-range loitering munition and a new version of its Alpagu fixed-wing one-way attack drone.

STM will also unveil two autonomous platforms in the maritime domain at the SAHA expo: a one-way Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) and an Extra Large Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (XLUUV).

Eurofighter’s Typhoon jet is expected to be in the static display at the SAHA expo. 66 billion, which the UK prime minister’s office described as the biggest fighter jet exports deal in a generation. President Erdoğan spoke at the Closing Ceremony of SAHA EXPO International Defense and Space Industry Fair on October 25, 2024, in Istanbul, Turkey.