ISTANBUL, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye on Wednesday unveiled its first intercontinental ballistic missile, Yildirimhan, at the SAHA EXPO 2026 defense exhibition in Istanbul, with officials highlighting its long-range and high-speed capabilities.

Yildirimhan is described as the country's longest-range missile to date, designed to strengthen long-range strike capacity.

Specifications released at the expo indicate the missile has a range of up to 6,000 km and can reach a speed of Mach 25 (25 times the speed of sound or approximately 30,850 km per hour), placing it in the hypersonic category. Developers said the high velocity is intended to improve its ability to evade modern, layered air defense systems.

Türkiye has previously demonstrated short- and medium-range ballistic missile capabilities with its Tayfun system. Defense Minister Yasar Guler said the Yildirimhan project marks the country's entry into a group of nations with intercontinental strike capability.

The five-day SAHA EXPO 2026, which opened Tuesday at the Istanbul Expo Center, has drawn more than 1,700 exhibitors from over 120 countries, organizers said, making it one of the region's largest defense and aerospace events. ■