SAHA 2026 International Defence, Aerospace and Space Industry Fair, organized by SAHA Istanbul, Türkiye's and Europe's largest defence, aerospace and space industry cluster, has opened its doors at the Istanbul Expo Center. Having established itself since 2018 as one of the most important gathering points in the defence, aerospace and space sectors, SAHA is once again hosting thousands of participants from May 5 to 9.
SAHA 2026 serves as a showcase for the level the Turkish defence industry has reached, and ROKETSAN seized the opportunity to unveil four new systems for the very first time at the fair. NEŞTER, CİDA (Anti-Tank Missile), Mini Cruise Missile and CİRİT Anti-UAS, all making their public debut, drew intense interest from attendees.
Highlighting ROKETSAN's strong presence at the event, CEO Murat İkinci stated: "At SAHA 2026, we are taking our place with approximately 40 products, from the air defence systems that form the unshakeable strength of our Steel Dome, to our range-record-breaking missiles and our combat-proven UCAV munitions. SAHA is also one of the most important platforms enabling us to launch our new systems. The overwhelming interest shown in NEŞTER, CİDA, Mini Cruise Missile and CİRİT Anti-UAS systems we are sharing with the public for the first time at this fair clearly demonstrates this. We developed these systems entirely with indigenous and national capabilities, specifically to address needs that have emerged on the battlefield. As we have always done, we will continue to develop new systems with the strength we draw from our nation, to contribute to our country's defence, and to build our fully independent defence industry step by step."
The systems unveiled by ROKETSAN for the first time at SAHA 2026 stand out for their game-changing battlefield roles and superior technological capabilities.
CİRİT Anti-UAS is a new variant of the combat-proven CİRİT Laser-Guided Missile and presents a powerful alternative to the high-cost air defence missiles currently used against UAVs. With a range of 8 kilometers, CİRİT Anti-UAS enables the effective neutralization of targets within the appropriate engagement envelope before resorting to more expensive platforms and munitions, representing a significant capability enhancement. This variant also features a proximity sensor and a dedicated Anti-UAS warhead.
Mini Cruise Missile is a next-generation solution that combines a low-cost structure with high operational impact. Thanks to its extended range, heavier warhead and multi-platform carriage capability compared to its counterparts, the system is expected to serve as a significant force multiplier on the battlefield, particularly against air defence systems. Armed with a 30 kg High-Explosive Blast Fragmentation Warhead, the Mini Cruise Missile features a Day TV Camera, INS Anti-Jam GPS, and Barometric Altimeter for guidance and target tracking. Having a range of 250 kilometers, the Mini Cruise Missile’s ability to gather visual intelligence over the target area also provides users with operational versatility. During the launch ceremony, CEO İkinci emphasized that the Mini Cruise Missile was introduced as a cost-effective and rapidly producible asset with the potential to become a key force multiplier for the Turkish Armed Forces.
CİDA Long-Range Anti-Tank Missile was another product unveiled during the launch ceremony that drew considerable attention. As the newest member of the anti-tank missiles family, it stands out as an advanced-technology solution that directly addresses battlefield requirements by offering beyond-line-of-sight capability, long range, rapid strike capability and pinpoint precision through its hybrid seeker configuration (TV + IIR & RF Datalink). At the ceremony, CEO İkinci highlighted that CİDA has a range of 35 kilometers when launched from ground vehicles, but can engage targets at a range of 55 kilometers when launched from a helicopter in the air-to-ground role, a capability far exceeds that of competing systems, positioning it as a product capable of making a real difference on the battlefield. Weighing 65 kg, CİDA can be integrated onto various platforms operating on land, at sea and in the air, the system is set to deliver a true force multiplication effect.
NEŞTER, developed as a variant of the MAM-L munition, is designed to deliver high-precision strikes with minimum collateral damage. Unlike conventional solutions, it incorporates a proximity sensor and a unique warhead that activates before impact and contains sharp blades. Thanks to its non-explosive design, it is capable of delivering high-precision pinpoint strikes against specific targets rather than causing widespread destruction.