Top Turkish Defense Companies’ Export Rankings 2025-2026
Five Turkish defence companies broke into the Defense News global top 100 in 2025 — ASELSAN, TUSAŞ, ROKETSAN, ASFAT and MKE — the most simultaneously placed Turkish firms in the ranking’s history. Here is the 2025–2026 ranking, what each company makes, and what their export portfolios look like.
Five Turkish Companies in the Defense News Top 100
Defense News’s annual top 100 ranking is the most widely cited list of the world’s biggest defence companies, ordered by defence-segment revenue. In 2025, five Turkish firms appeared simultaneously — a record for any non-Western country with that many entries. The rankings, year-on-year movements and headline portfolios are summarised below.
| Turkish Defense Top 100 Snapshot (2025) |
|---|
| ASELSAN: rank 43, defence revenue $3.54B TUSAŞ (TAI): rank 47 ROKETSAN: rank 71 ASFAT: rank 78 (climbed 16 places year-on-year) MKE: rank 80 (climbed 4 places) Outside the top 100 but rising fast: Baykar, BMC, FNSS, Havelsan |
The Top Five by Ranking and Revenue
ASELSAN remains by some distance the largest Turkish defence company and the highest Turkish entry in the global ranking. The Defense News methodology captures defence-segment revenue only, which understates several Turkish firms (notably Baykar, whose privately reported revenue would place it inside the top 100 in 2025–2026 but which does not publish defence-only figures in the format Defense News requires).
| Rank | Company | Defence revenue (2024) | Key portfolio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | ASELSAN | $3.54 billion | Radars, EW, sensors, naval, air defence, C4ISR |
| 47 | TUSAŞ (TAI) | Reported $2.0B+ | Aerostructures, KAAN, ANKA, AKINCI / TB platform integration |
| 71 | ROKETSAN | Reported $1.2B+ | Missiles, propellants, MAM family, ATMACA, SOM, air-defence interceptors |
| 78 | ASFAT | Reported $1.0B+ | Naval shipbuilding, MRO, export contracts |
| 80 | MKE | Reported $1.0B+ | Ammunition, small arms, artillery |
ASELSAN: The Defence Industry Anchor
ASELSAN is by far Türkiye’s most internationally significant defence company. The 43rd-place global ranking and US $3.54 billion defence revenue reflect a portfolio that spans radars, electronic warfare, naval sensors, C4ISR, air defence (Steel Dome integration), naval combat management and an expanding optronics / sensor business. ASELSAN is the prime contractor on Steel Dome integration and the SİPER, HİSAR-A, HİSAR-O and KORAL-2 programmes.
TUSAŞ (TAI): The Aerospace Backbone
TUSAŞ (Turkish Aerospace Industries) is the lead integrator for KAAN — Türkiye’s 5th-generation fighter — and the largest aerostructures supplier in Türkiye. The company also produces ANKA, HÜRJET, GÖKBEY and is a tier-one supplier to multiple Western aerospace primes. In 2025, TUSAŞ climbed three places in the global ranking, reflecting Indonesia’s 48-aircraft KAAN contract and accelerating production on multiple aircraft programmes.
ROKETSAN: Missiles and Propellants
ROKETSAN is Türkiye’s missile and propellant champion — the prime contractor for the MAM family of laser-guided munitions, the ATMACA cruise missile, the SOM stand-off missile, and the interceptor missiles of the HİSAR and SİPER families. The company also produces solid-propellant rocket motors used across the Turkish space and defence industry. Its 71st-place global ranking reflects a growing export book anchored by the Indonesia ATMACA contract and ongoing MAM munitions exports.
ASFAT: The Naval Shipbuilder
ASFAT (Askeri Fabrika ve Tersane İşletme — Military Factory and Shipyard Management) is Türkiye’s state-owned naval shipbuilding and military MRO holding. The company climbed 16 places in the 2025 ranking — the largest single-year jump among the five Turkish entries — reflecting export contracts including the four-ship MİLGEM (Ada-class) build for Pakistan and the construction of Ada-class corvettes for Ukraine. ASFAT operates Türkiye’s major naval yards including Pendik and Istanbul.
MKE: Ammunition and Heavy Weapons
MKE (Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation) is Türkiye’s state-owned ammunition, small-arms and heavy-weapons manufacturer. The company climbed four places in the 2025 ranking, reflecting a broad uplift in ammunition demand across NATO and the wider Turkish defence supply chain. MKE produces the 120 mm main gun for the ALTAY tank, the full Turkish small-arms portfolio, and the bulk of the Turkish Armed Forces’ artillery and tank ammunition.
Outside the Top 100 — But Climbing Fast
Several Turkish defence companies are below the Defense News top 100 cutoff but on a steep upward trajectory.
Baykar — privately held, no public defence-only revenue disclosure, but with the largest single export contract in Turkish defence history (Indonesia KAAN-adjacent KIZILELMA / wider relationship) and the global TB2 / Akıncı export book, would almost certainly be a top-100 entry under a uniform methodology
BMC — ALTAY tank, Kirpi, wider land platforms; production ramp from 2025 onward
Havelsan — combat management software, simulators, training, C4ISR; growing software services export
FNSS — armoured fighting vehicles (PARS, Kaplan); export book to Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan
What the Rankings Say About 2026
The 2025 rankings capture a moment in time — the first year in which five Turkish companies appeared simultaneously, and the year in which several climbed multiple places. The 2026 update is likely to show further upward movement, driven by the Indonesia KAAN contract (TUSAŞ), the US $6.5 billion Steel Dome mega-contract (ASELSAN / Roketsan / Havelsan), Saudi Arabia’s 60-aircraft AKINCI deal (Baykar) and ongoing MİLGEM exports (ASFAT). The structural question is no longer whether Türkiye is a top-tier defence exporter — but how far up the ranking its biggest companies can climb within the decade.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Turkish defence companies are in the Defense News top 100?
In 2025, five companies: ASELSAN (rank 43), TUSAŞ (47), ROKETSAN (71), ASFAT (78) and MKE (80) — the most Turkish entries simultaneously in the ranking’s history.
Which is Türkiye’s largest defence company by revenue?
ASELSAN, with US $3.54 billion in defence revenue and rank 43 in the Defense News 2025 top 100.
Why isn’t Baykar in the Defense News top 100?
Baykar is privately held and does not publish defence-only segment revenue in the format Defense News requires. By independent estimates of revenue, Baykar would likely qualify for the top 100 under a uniform methodology.
Which Turkish defence company climbed the most in 2025?
ASFAT — Türkiye’s state-owned naval shipbuilder — climbed 16 places, the largest single-year jump among the five Turkish entries.
What does ASFAT do?
ASFAT is Türkiye’s state-owned military shipyard and factory holding, responsible for major naval shipbuilding contracts including the MİLGEM (Ada-class) corvette exports to Pakistan and Ukraine.
Conclusion
The Defense News 2025 ranking is the clearest single snapshot of how far Türkiye’s defence industry has come. Five companies in the global top 100, multiple climbing year-on-year, and a pipeline of mega-contracts that will further reshape the 2026 update — the trajectory is unambiguous. Türkiye is no longer trying to break into the global defence top tier. It is there.
Suggested Images (with alt text + sources)
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| # | Suggested Image | Alt Text / Caption | Source |
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| Image 2 | aselsan-tusas-roketsan-logos.png | Logos of ASELSAN, TUSAŞ, ROKETSAN — Türkiye’s top defence companies | Search WP Media first; fallback: official company press kits |
| Image 3 | saha-2026-exhibition.jpg | SAHA 2026 defence exhibition with Turkish defence company stands | Search WP Media first (‘SAHA 2026’); fallback: SAHA Expo press kit |
Sources
5 Turkish defense firms enter global top 100 list in 2025 — Anadolu Ajansı — https://www.aa.com.tr/en/economy/5-turkish-defense-firms-enter-global-top-100-list-in-2025/3675597
Five Turkish Defence firms secure spots in Top 100 — TURDEF — https://turdef.com/article/five-turkish-defence-firms-secure-spots-in-top-100
5 Turkish companies among world’s Top 100 defense firms — Hürriyet Daily News — https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/5-turkish-companies-among-worlds-top-100-defense-firms-216314
5 Turkish defense firms rank among global top 100 — Daily Sabah — https://www.dailysabah.com/business/defense/5-turkish-defense-firms-rank-among-global-top-100-in-2025
Defence top 100: ASELSAN, TUSAŞ and Roketsan — TURDEF — https://turdef.com/article/defence-top-100-list-aselsan-tusas-and-roketsan-on-the-list
