Five Turkish defense firms enter global top 100 list
ISTANBUL
Türkiye has strengthened its position in the global defense industry with five companies, Aselsan, TAI, Roketsan, Asfat and MKE, featured in the 2025 Defense News Top 100 list, which ranks the world’s largest defense contractors by annual defense revenue.
Leading the Turkish entries is Aselsan, ranked 43rd globally with $3.54 in defense revenue for 2024, a 22 percent increase from the previous year. The company’s total revenue was $3.66 billion.
Aselsan, known for its advanced communication systems, radar technologies, and electronic warfare solutions, continues to be the backbone of Türkiye’s defense sector.
Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) followed at 47th place, with $2.2 billion in defense revenue—an impressive 43 percent year-on-year growth. TAI’s expanding portfolio includes unmanned aerial vehicles, fighter jet development and satellite systems, positioning it as a key player in the country’s push for defense self-sufficiency. TAI’s total revenues amounted to $3.29 billion last year.
Roketsan, specializing in missile and rocket systems, ranked 71st with $1.55 billion. Despite an 11.9 percent decline in defense revenue compared to the previous year, the company retained its position in the latest ranking, identical to its placement in the 2024 list.
ASFAT rose from 94th to 78th place, driven by a dramatic increase in defense revenue from $637 million in 2023 to $1.28 billion in 2024, marking a growth of over 100 percent.
Makine ve Kimya Endüstrisi (MKE), the state-owned manufacturer of ammunition and heavy weapons, moved up from 84th to 80th place. Its defense revenue climbed from $878 million to $1.2 billion over the same period, representing a 37 percent increase.
Together, these five companies generated over $10.7 billion in defense revenue in 2024.
Türkiye's Defense Industries Secretary Haluk Görgün said the results point to the determination of Turkish engineers, the synergy of the country's defense industry and the trust of the nation.
"Our sustainable growth strategy is not only a guarantee of today's success but also of tomorrow's global leadership. The Turkish defense industry will continue to rise with its strong projection, innovative vision and goal of complete independence," Görgün wrote on Turkish social media platform NSosyal.
Meanwhile, the top 10 companies on the list included six from the U.S., two from China and one each from the U.K. and France.
Lockheed Martin maintained its top spot with $68.39 billion in revenue, followed by RTX ($43.5 billion) and China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation ($38.7 billion)
Northrop Grumman ranked fourth ($36.6 billion) and General Dynamics fifth ($36.5 billion), while BAE Systems ranked sixth ($36.3 billion).
Boeing ranked seventh ($31.75 billion), China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited eighth ($22.4 billion), L3Harris Technologies ninth ($16.98 billion) and Thales 10th ($15.9 billion).
Overall, the list had 48 companies from the U.S., six from the U.K., five each from Türkiye, France and China, four from Germany and three each from South Korea and Israel.
