Turkish defense and aerospace industry made its export success permanent

The share of the defense and aviation industry in total exports is increasing with the momentum gained in the export of domestic/national products and ammunition resulting from investments in air, land and sea platforms.

The defense and aerospace industry produces security solutions with its wide range of production capacity, from military ships to land systems, from manned/unmanned aerial vehicles of various sizes to missiles, rockets and ammunition.

Security-oriented problems experienced in various regions around the world, especially the Russia-Ukraine War, increase countries' need for various products, from large-scale land, sea and air platforms to FPV drones. Türkiye responds to these needs of friendly and allied countries with the capabilities it has.

According to the information compiled by the AA correspondent from the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM) data, defense and aerospace industry exports were recorded as 2 billion 279 million dollars in 2020, when the effects of the Covid-19 epidemic on global trade and production were felt.

As the effects of the epidemic decreased, exports increased to 3 billion 225 million dollars in 2021, while the increase in exports continued in the following years. The industry's foreign sales reached 4 billion 396 million dollars in 2022, 5 billion 546 million dollars in 2023, and 6 billion 735 million dollars in 2024. In 2025, exports increased to 10 billion 16 million dollars, exceeding the 10 billion dollar limit for the first time.

Thus, defense and aerospace industry exports increased uninterruptedly from 2020 to 2025. The sector's share in total exports, which increased its foreign sales by 4.4 times in 5 years, also increased. The share of the defense and aerospace industry in total exports was 1.5 percent in 2020 and 4.2 percent in 2025.

Exports of 2 billion 571 million dollars reached in December 2025 was the highest level reached by the sector on a monthly basis at all times.

Uninterrupted growth is expected to continue in 2026

According to TİM data, the defense and aerospace industry recorded an increase of 20.2 percent compared to the same period last year, with exports of 8 billion 50 million dollars in the January-October period of this year. Thus, the sector increased exports by approximately 1 billion 351 million dollars in the January-October period, surpassing the same periods of previous years.

The sector is expected to continue its uninterrupted growth in exports in 2026 with the performance it demonstrated this year.

Large-scale export contracts signed by defense and aerospace industry companies in 2026 and extending to the following years support the increase expectations for the following periods.