A major defense industry gathering, SAHA 2026 International Defense and Aerospace Exhibition, kicked off in Istanbul on Tuesday, bringing together hundreds of companies and numerous visitors and professionals.
Organized by SAHA Istanbul, Türkiye's and Europe’s largest defense, aerospace and space industry cluster, the fair will host visitors at the Istanbul Expo Center through May 9.
The event is expected to see the introduction of many Turkish high-tech products alongside international companies.
Held across a total indoor and outdoor area of 400,000 square meters (4.3 million square feet), SAHA 2026 has allocated some 20,000 square meters of outdoor exhibition space, making it one of the largest editions of the event to date.
More than 1,700 companies, including 263 international firms, and over 30,000 industry professionals from more than 120 countries are attending the fair.
A total of 203 new products will be introduced, and 164 signing ceremonies will be held during SAHA 2026. The event aims to raise the total value of export contracts from $6.2 billion recorded at SAHA 2024 to at least $8 billion this year.
Participation from Europe, the U.S., and Canada stands out, while many companies, company representatives, official delegations, trade delegations, and visitors from four continents are gathering at the event.
Several high-tech and game-changing products will meet the global ecosystem for the first time at SAHA 2026. Domestically developed unmanned naval vehicles are also being displayed at Ataköy Marina as part of the fair.
A wide range of technologies will be showcased for the first time at SAHA 2026.
Turkish drone giant Baykar will display Mızrak, a nationally and indigenously developed smart loitering munition that draws attention with its range of more than 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) and artificial intelligence-supported autonomous capabilities.
Baykar’s K2 Kamikaze UAV and Sivrisinek (Mosquito) loitering munition will also be exhibited for the first time at SAHA 2026.
Another Turkish defense giant, Aselsan, is also expected to present five new products and six upgraded versions of existing products, bringing future national technologies together with the global defense ecosystem.
The ALKA-KAPLAN HYBRID Directed Energy Weapon System Platform, developed through cooperation between Roketsan and FNSS and widely known as a "laser weapon," will also appear at SAHA 2026 with additional capabilities.
Turkish defense giant Roketsan’s newest and most advanced technology products will also be introduced at the fair, while STM will display air and naval systems developed for the needs of the modern battlefield for the first time.
The fair hosts more than 140 official delegations, over 800 official delegation members, and more than 200 trade procurement delegation representatives.
SAHA 2026 will be open to public visitors on May 9 as part of its public day.
