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The prominent Turkish defense company Baykar achieved $2.2 billion in exports in 2025, setting a new company record while retaining its position as the world's largest armed drone exporter for the third consecutive year.
Chairman Selcuk Bayraktar announced on Monday that Kizilelma fighter UAV will enter military inventory and begin operations in 2026.
Baykar continued to dominate the global armed unmanned aerial vehicle export market, with $2.2 billion in exports in 2025 — a new company record, according to data released at the 5th Global Strategies Conference in Defense and Aviation Industry organized by the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB).
The company generated $2.5 billion in total revenue in 2025, with 88% coming from exports.
"Baykar in 2025 achieved $2.2 billion in exports, continuing to be the leader of the world's armed drone export market," Bayraktar said at the Baykar Ozdemir Bayraktar Awards Ceremony.
"For 3 consecutive years, it has continued to hold the title of the world's largest armed drone manufacturer," he added.
Baykar ranked second overall among Turkish defense industry export champions, but remained far ahead in the unmanned aerial vehicle segment specifically.
Bayraktar outlined ambitious plans for 2026, emphasizing production scale-up and artificial intelligence integration.
"2026's keyword for Baykar will be production. We will continue rapid production across all our platforms, rapidly advancing to AI-supported swarm technology. Kizilelma will enter inventory and begin operations, Allah willing," Bayraktar said.
"I wholeheartedly believe that in 2026, with the same determination and effort as in 2025, we will achieve successes that will leave their mark on the world," he added.
Bayraktar highlighted Kizilelma's historic achievements in 2025, stating, "On November 29, we opened the doors to a new era in world aviation combat with Kizilelma's beyond visual range shot. This shot was achieved with Aselsan's nationally designed AESA radars."
"At the same time, it was with our national missile, TUBITAK's Gokdogan missile, and it essentially carved the name of Turkish engineering into world aviation history," he added.
He noted that immediately after, Kizilelma's achieved another first: "Two unmanned combat aircraft, two Kizilelmas, performed a close formation flight, essentially completing the year at the peak."
Bayraktar later detailed other 2025 milestones by Baykar:
Baykar has signed export agreements with a total of 37 countries: 36 for the Bayraktar TB2 and 16 for the Bayraktar Akinci.
Since beginning UAV R&D in 2003, Baykar has derived 83% of all revenues from exports, funding all projects with its own resources.
In 2023 and 2024, Baykar ranked among Türkiye's top 10 exporters across all sectors, winning Export Champions Awards. In 2023, the company single-handedly accounted for one-third of sector exports; in 2024, it represented one-quarter of total defense and aviation exports.
Roketsan CEO Murat Ikinci announced that the EREN High-Speed Multi-Purpose Loitering Munition will enter serial production in 2026 after progressing from concept to field-ready striking power in less than one year.
"In less than 1 year, we brought EREN from the concept stage to the striking power stage in the field, thank Allah. From now on, EREN will add strength to the power of our Armed Forces first and foremost, as well as friendly and brotherly countries using our platforms. We are starting serial production this year," Ikinci told state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) on January 31, at the 5th Global Strategies Conference.
Ikinci described EREN as a cost-effective munition capable of engaging targets from air-to-ground, ground-to-ground, and ground-to-air configurations.
"EREN will make a very serious contribution to the striking power of our UAVs, and it will also be a cost-effective munition that can bring very serious engagement from the ground, from autonomous vehicles, armored vehicles, or shelters," he said.
"With the artificial intelligence algorithms on this munition, its sensors for flight control, and its turbojet engine, it opens a new segment for us. This means that from now on, integration work for EREN will continue on unmanned ground vehicles, armored vehicles, UAVs, perhaps aircraft, and some close air defense systems," he added.
Ikinci reported strong export growth for Roketsan in 2025, stating, "In 2025, we increased our exports by more than 50% and reached an export figure of over $750 million."
"Interest in Turkish defense industry abroad is increasing, and the chance to gain a share of this market is also rising," he noted.
He noted Roketsan teams spent over 850 days conducting tests in 2025, with multiple teams running different tests at different locations simultaneously, concluding by saying, "We are striving with all our might to make the cycle of R&D projects, production, serial production, and integration into platforms very fast. We never stop. We don't let our products stand still. We try to add even more features to our products."
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