Turkey recorded a major milestone in 2025 as its defense and aviation exports surpassed $10 billion, reflecting a sharp year-on-year growth of nearly 50 percent. The Presidency of Defense Industries confirmed that export performance accelerated significantly toward the end of the year, with December exports alone crossing $2.5 billion, signaling robust international demand for Turkish defense systems.
Defense goods formed the backbone of export revenues, totaling $9.8 billion, while defense-related services contributed an additional $184 million. Senior officials pointed to several strategic export agreements, including military ship contracts with Portugal, Offshore Patrol Vessels for Romania, Hürjet trainer aircraft sales to Spain, and the export-oriented development of the Kaan fifth-generation fighter platform for Indonesia.
More than half of Turkey’s defense exports—approximately $5.6 billion—were delivered to European countries, NATO allies, and the United States, reinforcing Ankara’s growing role within allied defense supply chains. At the same time, exports to Asia-Pacific, Middle Eastern, and African markets continued to expand, highlighting Turkey’s efforts to position itself as a globally competitive defense supplier.
Parallel to export growth, Turkey is accelerating investments in indigenous military capabilities. Recent initiatives include the unveiling of the BALKIN radar-decoy missile, designed to defeat radio-frequency homing threats, and the start of construction on Turkey’s first homegrown submarine at Gölcük. The country is also scaling up production of the Steel Dome air and missile defense system, launched in 2024 and supported by contracts worth around $6.5 billion, as Ankara strengthens its layered defense architecture using AI-enabled interception technologies.
