Envanter Medya Global Defense Industry Report 2026
The Envanter Medya Global Defense Industry Report 2026 is the unified annual edition of our research series examining nine production sectors and the Turkish defense industry one by one. Across the series, more than forty global manufacturers were scored on output, revenue, exports, user-country counts and the nine-criterion EM-GDPI composite index. The year in one paragraph: the world’s defense industry is living through its largest expansion on record, with SIPRI-measured revenues at $679 billion; Europe and South Korea are growing at war-economy tempo; and category leadership changes hands from sector to sector. Turkey enters this picture with five SIPRI Top 100 firms, record exports of $10.5 billion — and a first place in the drone index. This page is the hub for the entire series; every section links to the sector study holding the detailed data.
Editorial note: This report and every ranking in it are editorial studies prepared by Envanter Medya from publicly available data; they are not official rankings. Each sector’s methodology, data labels (R/T/S/D) and reliability grades (A-D) are explained in its study.
The 2026 report at a glance
The year’s winners: sector index leaders
Each index is relative within its own sector group; cross-sector score comparisons are not an absolute power ranking. Turkish firms marked separately. The notable pattern: of nine leaders, two are Rheinmetall, two are RTX — and one is Turkish.
Section 1 — Drones: Turkey sets the standard
The series’ only Turkish first place: Baykar at 92.5, ahead of General Atomics (80.5), IAI (72) and Elbit (70.5), with TUSAŞ seventh at 60. On delivered platforms, export geography and production tempo, the reference points in this category are Turkish. China’s AVIC/CASC line is voluminous but opaque. Details: the world’s largest military drone manufacturers.
Section 2 — Armored vehicles: Rheinmetall on top, a crowded Turkish bench
Rheinmetall (85) leads on capacity and backlog; the file’s signature finding is the four Turkish firms in the top ten — Otokar 4th (73), Nurol Makina 7th, FNSS 9th, BMC 10th — and Romania’s 1,059-vehicle COBRA II award, one of the European events of the year. Details: the armored vehicle study and the Turkey special.
Section 3 — Tanks: three open producers in the West, closed boxes in the East
GD Land Systems (79.5), KNDS (77) and Hyundai Rotem (75) lead among producers with verifiable data; NORINCO and Uralvagonzavod went unscored for data opacity. ALTAY sits fifth at 41 points — serial production has only just begun, with capacity ramping to 96 a year; the study reports that transition as it is. Details: the tank study.
Section 4 — Ammunition: the engine of the war economy
The highest score in the series lives here: Rheinmetall at 93, the center of Europe’s 155 mm mobilization, followed by CSG (79), Hanwha (77.5) and Elbit (77). MKE (68.5) entered the SIPRI Top 100 for the first time; Repkon exported complete production lines to four countries. Details: the ammunition study.
Section 5 — Missiles: the American pair and a rising Roketsan
Lockheed Martin (91) and RTX (89.5) are clear of the field; MBDA (80) is Europe’s answer. Roketsan is fifth at 69.5 — exports above $750 million and the ATMACA-HİSAR-TAYFUN portfolio put it ahead of Kongsberg and IAI. Details: the missile study.
Section 6 — Air defense: the Patriot era, and a Steel Dome surprise
RTX (91) leads on the Patriot/NASAMS line while Lockheed (84) doubles PAC-3 output. The year’s riser is ASELSAN (79, third): a 47-system Steel Dome delivery and a full-layer portfolio. Details: the air defense study.
Section 7 — Radar and electronic warfare: the league that changes hands fastest
RTX (89), Thales (83) and Lockheed (79) hold the podium; Saab, L3Harris and Hensoldt are among the biggest winners of Europe’s rearmament. ASELSAN scores 73 for eighth on the breadth of a six-segment portfolio. Details: the radar-EW study.
Section 8 — Naval: after Fincantieri, the Turkish yards
Fincantieri (84) leads on scale and order book. The year’s finding is second place: Turkey’s yard ecosystem (78), building for five navies simultaneously, edged out HD Hyundai (76), TKMS (74) and HII (72.5). Details: the naval study.
Section 9 — Engines: the five-country club
GE (88), Pratt & Whitney (86), Rolls-Royce (79) and Safran (78) — large military turbofan production remains the near-monopoly of a handful of countries. TEI (53.5) stands at the club’s threshold with the TS1400 and TJ family in serial production and the TF line in development. Details: the engine study.
Section 10 — The Turkish defense industry: a three-band map
Turkey’s position across all fields is gathered in three synthesis studies: where Turkey leads (front rank in four fields), Turkey on the production map (the ten-field table) and the armored vehicle special. The Turkish numbers of the year: five firms and $10.1 billion on SIPRI’s table; 2025 exports of $10.5 billion (+48%); $17.8 billion in new contracts.
Source: SIPRI (December 2025). The global total reached $679 billion, driven by Europe’s rearmament and Korea’s export push.
Report index: every study in the series
| # | Study | Index leader | Best Turkish position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Military drone manufacturers | Baykar 🇹🇷 (92.5) | 1st — Baykar |
| 2 | Armored vehicle manufacturers | Rheinmetall (85) | 4th — Otokar (+3 firms in top 10) |
| 3 | Tank manufacturers | GD Land Systems (79.5) | 5th — BMC/ALTAY |
| 4 | Ammunition manufacturers | Rheinmetall (93) | 6th — MKE |
| 5 | Missile manufacturers | Lockheed Martin (91) | 5th — Roketsan |
| 6 | Air defense manufacturers | RTX (91) | 3rd — ASELSAN |
| 7 | Radar + EW manufacturers | RTX (89) | 8th — ASELSAN |
| 8 | Naval shipbuilders | Fincantieri (84) | 2nd — Turkish yards |
| 9 | Military engine manufacturers | GE Aerospace (88) | 7th — TEI |
| 10 | Why Turkey leads in armor • Where Turkey leads • The production map | Turkey synthesis studies | |
How this report was prepared
Scope and period: Nine sector studies and three Turkey syntheses, published in August 2026; the revenue anchor is the SIPRI Top 100 (December 2025, 2024 data), program data from official announcements January 2025 – August 2026. Index: EM-GDPI weights nine criteria (output 25, revenue 15, exports 15, users 10, diversity 10, capacity 10, backlog 5, technology 5, growth 5), scored relatively within each sector group. Data honesty: opaque producers (NORINCO, Uralvagonzavod, CSSC, Almaz-Antey, CASC/CASIC and others) were not scored; missing data were marked “unknown” rather than estimated. Updates: living content, refreshed in report seasons and after major contracts.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the world’s largest defense company?
It depends on the metric; US groups top the revenue tables while sector leaderships differ — Rheinmetall in ammunition, Lockheed Martin in missiles, RTX in air defense and radar, GE in engines, and Baykar first in the drone index.
What was the strongest industry trend of 2026?
Rearmament-driven capacity expansion in Europe: the SIPRI total reached $679 billion, Hanwha grew 42% and Rheinmetall 36%, and ammunition produced the highest index score of the series.
How does Turkey place in the report?
Front rank in four fields (drones 1st, naval 2nd, air defense 3rd, armored vehicles 4th), competitive in three, in development in three. Five firms in the SIPRI Top 100; record exports of $10.5 billion in 2025.
What is the EM-GDPI index?
The Envanter Medya Global Defense Production Index: an editorial composite weighting output, revenue, exports, users, diversity, capacity, backlog, technology and growth over 100 points. It is not an official ranking; its methodology is open in every study.
Why are some Chinese and Russian firms missing from the rankings?
Their production, export and delivery data cannot be independently verified, so they were left unscored — writing “unknown” beats inventing numbers.
What data was used?
Company annual reports and official statements, defense ministry and tender announcements, SIPRI, Turkey’s SSB and reliable defense press — the full hierarchy and links are in each study’s source list.
Which year do the figures cover?
Revenues are 2024 (SIPRI, December 2025 release); production and contract data run January 2025 – August 2026, with exceptions flagged in the tables.
When will the report be updated?
With SIPRI’s next fact sheet, the corporate reporting season and major contract announcements; the next full edition is planned for early 2027.
What was the most surprising finding of the series?
Turkey’s shipyard ecosystem placing second in the naval index, just behind Fincantieri, on the strength of simultaneous construction for five navies — a power invisible in revenue tables.
Does the report also cover Turkish weaknesses?
Yes — every study has a “where Turkey lags” section: tank serial output, large turbofans, tracked IFV exports and revenue scale are documented with data.
Where can I find company profiles?
Technical profiles of ranked manufacturers are in the Defense Atlas, with side-by-side system comparisons in the comparison tool.
How should this report be cited?
As “Envanter Medya Global Defense Industry Report 2026, envantermedya.com”, with a link to the page.
Sources and methodology notes
This is an editorial study prepared by Envanter Medya by cross-checking publicly available official company data, institutional reports, contract and delivery records, and industry sources. Full per-sector source lists are in the respective studies; the report’s principal anchors:
- SIPRI Top 100 Fact Sheet (December 2025) — 2024 revenues, the $679B total, growth rates
- SSB / Anadolu Agency (January 2026) — Turkey’s 2025 export and contract figures
- Official company reports and statements — Rheinmetall, RTX, Lockheed Martin, GE, Fincantieri, BAE, Otokar, FNSS, Nurol Makina, Baykar, ASELSAN, Roketsan and others (linked in the study source lists)
Last updated: August 16, 2026. This report is the hub page of the Envanter Medya Global Defense Industry Research series and is living content.
