WDS 2026: Türkiye MKE Positions Itself as a Multi-Domain Combat Supplier.

Türkiye’s state-owned defense manufacturer Makine ve Kimya Endüstrisi (MKE) used World Defense Show 2026 in Riyadh to spotlight counter-drone air defense, lightweight artillery, and unmanned naval strike systems aimed at Middle Eastern partners. The presentation reflects Ankara’s broader push to expand defense exports in the Gulf while positioning Turkish systems as cost-effective and combat-proven alternatives.

At World Defense Show 2026 in Riyadh, Makine ve Kimya Endüstrisi underscored the expanding footprint of Türkiye’s defense industry across the Middle East, emphasizing systems tailored to regional operational needs. Speaking with Army Recognition during the exhibition, Ali Hakan Safak, Director of International Marketing and Sales at MKE, said the company is prioritizing counter drone air defense, lightweight artillery solutions, and unmanned naval strike platforms as core export offerings for regional armed forces.
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Türkiye’s MKE highlights counter-drone defense, artillery, and unmanned naval strike systems at World Defense Show 2026 in Riyadh.  (Picture source: Army Recognition)

According to Safak, WDS 2026 serves as an important venue for direct engagement with armed forces and industrial stakeholders from the Gulf region and the wider Middle East, as operational requirements continue to evolve due to the increased use of drones, loitering munitions, and asymmetric maritime threats. Within this framework, MKE is presenting systems intended to deliver practical battlefield effects while remaining compatible with local industrial cooperation models.

One of the systems presented by MKE is the TOLGA short range air defense system, developed to counter low altitude threats such as mini and micro unmanned aerial vehicles, tactical drones, and loitering munitions. TOLGA is designed as a modular and layered solution that integrates sensors, command and control, and multiple effectors within a single architecture. The system combines radar and electro optical sensors to detect and track small, low speed targets that are increasingly difficult to engage using traditional air defense assets.

TOLGA employs a combination of soft kill and hard kill options, allowing the response to be adapted to the type of threat. Electronic warfare components are intended to disrupt command links and navigation systems of hostile drones at several kilometers, while kinetic effectors provide direct engagement capability when jamming is ineffective. Depending on configuration, TOLGA can be equipped with 35 mm, 20 mm, or 12.7 mm guns, providing engagement ranges from close protection out to several kilometers. This layered approach is intended to manage ammunition expenditure, control engagement costs, and maintain effectiveness against saturation attacks.

In the land fires domain, MKE is presenting the BORAN 105 mm lightweight towed howitzer, developed for rapid reaction forces, airborne units, and light infantry formations. Safak stated that BORAN was designed to meet requirements for rapid deployment, high tactical mobility, and accurate fire support in constrained environments. With a total weight of approximately 1,745 kg, the system can be air transported and deployed using light tactical vehicles, allowing artillery support to accompany maneuver units in difficult terrain.

BORAN is equipped with a 105 mm L30 barrel and a digital fire control system, enabling rapid target engagement and short reaction times. The system offers a maximum firing range of up to 17 kilometers using extended range ammunition, while maintaining a sustained rate of fire of up to six rounds per minute. Elevation angles reaching up to 70 degrees allow effective fire in mountainous or urban terrain, while rapid emplacement and displacement support shoot and scoot tactics against counter battery threats.

The third system highlighted by MKE at WDS 2026 is the PİRANA unmanned surface vehicle, developed to address emerging requirements in asymmetric naval warfare and port protection. PİRANA is designed as a high speed, remotely operated kamikaze platform intended to strike surface vessels and coastal infrastructure. The system reflects operational lessons from recent conflicts, where unmanned naval platforms have demonstrated their ability to impose operational costs on conventional fleets.

PİRANA features a compact hull with reduced radar signature and a waterjet propulsion system, enabling speeds exceeding 50 knots. Its operational range is reported to exceed 200 nautical miles, allowing launch from stand off distances. The vehicle carries a substantial explosive payload combining a main charge and a precursor charge to increase terminal effects upon impact. According to MKE, PİRANA can be employed individually or in coordinated groups, creating saturation effects that complicate interception by conventional naval defenses.

Beyond individual platforms, Safak emphasized that MKE’s approach in the Middle East extends beyond direct system sales. At WDS 2026, the company is engaged in discussions related to industrial partnerships, local assembly, and technology transfer, in line with regional objectives to develop domestic defense manufacturing capabilities. This approach follows cooperation frameworks previously established by MKE in other markets, particularly in the areas of munitions production and system integration.

Through the presentation of TOLGA, BORAN, and PİRANA, MKE positions itself as a supplier of adaptable systems intended for contemporary operational environments. As regional armed forces continue to reassess force structures in response to evolving threats, MKE’s presence at World Defense Show 2026 reflects its intent to engage in long term defense modernization efforts in the Middle East through both capability delivery and industrial cooperation.