Turkey Unveils Model of 6,000 km Range Yildirimhan ICBM

Turkey publicly displayed a full-size model of an intercontinental ballistic missile designated Yildirimhan at the SAHA 2026 International Defense, Aerospace, and Space Industry Fair in Istanbul. The model was shown on May 5, 2026, and presented by Turkish Minister of Defense Yasar Guler. The defense ministry stated the project has been under development for around a decade.

The Yildirimhan is a conventionally armed, road-mobile missile with a planned range of 6,000 kilometers, placing it in the ICBM category which begins at 5,500 kilometers. It features a single stage powered by four rocket engines using a liquid propellant combination of nitrogen tetroxide and hydrazine. The missile is designed to carry a warhead weighing 3,000 kilograms.

Because the Yildirimhan is liquid-fueled, it would require fueling before launch. This would result in longer preparation times compared with solid-fuel systems and increase vulnerability to preemptive strikes. The Turkish Ministry of Defense released an animation showing the missile in a mobile configuration.

“As Turkey, we are located in a geography of high strategic importance, located in the heart of three continents, where global arm wrestling is never lacking … the first condition for survival in such a geography is deterrence.”

Turkey has progressively extended the range of its ballistic missile systems in recent years. In 2025 it unveiled the Tayfun Block IV, considered likely to reach around 1,000 kilometers. A test firing of that system took place in the fourth quarter of 2025.