The Turkish Ministry of Defense unveiled its latest development, the Yildirimhan intercontinental hypersonic ballistic missile, for the first time at the SAHA 2026 international defense industry exhibition in Istanbul.

The missile's stated range is up to 6 kilometers, classifying it as an intercontinental ballistic missile. Its flight speed ranges from Mach 9 to Mach 25, depending on the trajectory and flight phase. The missile is propelled by four rocket engines.

Liquid dinitrogen tetroxide (nitrogen tetroxide) is used as fuel. The missile is capable of carrying a warhead weighing up to three tons of explosive.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Ministry of Defense's stand, Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler called the Yildirimhan "the first domestically produced liquid-fuel missile capable of hypersonic flight and the longest-range missile ever developed by our country." Güler also noted that Türkiye would not hesitate to use this weapon if necessary.

The development was carried out by the Turkish Ministry of National Defense's research and development center. Thanks to its hypersonic speed and maneuverability, the Yildirimhan, according to the Turkish military, can overcome existing air and missile defense systems. Test launches of the missile are expected to begin soon.

The rocket's body bears symbolic images: the signature of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, and the tughra of the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I (the Lightning) are inscribed in gold on a white background on the nose.