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Defense and aerospace companies worldwide have seen sharp gains in stock markets over the past nine months, driven by rising defense budgets, ongoing projects, and international cooperation, while Türkiye’s Aselsan stood out with its strong financial performance and leadership in defense technology.
Following the Russia-Ukraine war, many European nations increased defense investments amid growing security threats. This surge, coupled with defense cooperation agreements, boosted shares of major global defense and aerospace firms.
Since U.S. President Trump took office, Europe has revised its defense and security policies. Trump’s administration also signed investment and arms agreements exceeding $3 trillion during visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, including a $142 billion deal with Saudi Arabia, the largest arms sale in history, which further lifted U.S.-based defense stocks.
NATO leaders agreed to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, reinforcing collective defense commitments and pushing defense shares higher across markets. Rising tensions between India and Pakistan and ongoing conflicts involving Ukraine also drove up stock values for Asian and Western defense firms.
Aselsan continues to play a pioneering role in advancing Türkiye’s defense technology, becoming the first company on Borsa Istanbul to exceed a market capitalization of ₺1 trillion. The company maintains an export-focused growth strategy, strengthened through its aselsaneXt program launched in 2024.
In the first nine months of 2025, South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace led global gains with a 239% rise, followed by Germany’s Rheinmetall with 221.9%, Türkiye’s Aselsan with 196.6%, Sweden’s Saab with 145.8%, the UK’s Rolls-Royce with 109.3%, Italy’s Leonardo with 108.3%, and BAE Systems with 79.3%.
Aselsan aims to rank among the world’s top 30 defense firms by 2030.
The company manufactures high-tech systems such as AESA radar, electro-optical devices, electronic warfare systems, and AI-supported technologies; areas where only a few companies globally have production capabilities.
Globally, investors are favoring technology-driven defense companies over traditional manufacturers. Aselsan exemplifies this shift in Türkiye, representing a new generation of firms combining innovation with strategic industry transformation.
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