Turkey Unveils Long-Range Missile

June 2026

Turkey unveiled a new missile that, once deployed, will give the country a long-range strike capability.

Turkey displayed its new long-range, domestically developed system for the first time May 5 at the SAHA 2026 International Defence and Aerospace Exhibition in Istanbul. The new missile, dubbed the Yildirimhan, can carry a 3,000-kilogram conventional warhead more than 6,000 kilometers, according to a May 7 post by an X account that monitors the Turkish defense industry. That range puts the missile over the 5,500-kilometer threshold for classification as an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

The missile will be conventionally armed and road-mobile, according to the Turkish Ministry of Defense. Unlike most ICBMs, which are powered by multiple stages, the Yildirimhan’s single stage is powered by four rocket motors.

Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler said in a May 5 press conference that the missile “represents a significant technological milestone as Turkey’s first liquid-fueled rocket missile system, capable of hypersonic-speed flight and possessing the country’s longest range.”

The missile has not yet been tested.

Turkey referenced a specific threat that drove the decision to develop an ICBM capability when Guler suggested that the new missile is necessary for Turkey’s security. He also said that it helps demonstrate that Turkey “offers its allies not only weapon systems but also technology” at sustainable costs.

In January 2025, TRT Haber reported that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey “decided to … accelerate our missile development program with a range of 2,000 kilometers and above” to counter regional threats.

Turkey has developed and deployed several short-range missile systems, which are defined as having a range of less than 1,000 kilometers. Its longest-range missile tested to date, the Tayfun Block 4, has an estimated range of 1,000 kilometers and was first tested in October 2025.—KELSEY DAVENPORT