Baykar, Italian defense firm Leonardo launch joint venture

PARIS

An agreement for a joint venture called LBA Systems has been signed between Baykar, Türkiye's leading unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) manufacturer, and Italy’s Leonardo, one of Europe’s largest defense companies, during the 55th Paris Air Show.

Leonardo CEO Roberto Cingolani and Baykar Chairman Selçuk Bayraktar signed the landmark agreement.

Cingolani said Baykar and Leonardo had signed a joint venture for "next generation unmanned systems," whose production they plan to start in a short period of time.

The two companies have started working on the integration of payload systems, and they aim to realize a successful landing on an aircraft carrier in the Italian Navy by the end of the year, Cingolani added.

Noting that under the initiative, they will carry out production in four locations in Italy and that there will be a certification process for new machines, Cingolani said the planned date for the certificates is 2026.

Cingolani said that under the initiative, they aim to sell especially in the European market, which faces a significant shortage.

After the press conference, Bayraktar told state-run Anadolu Agency that firstly work will be carried out on the Bayraktar TB3 and Akinci platforms.

Bayraktar said negotiations between Leonardo and Baykar are also continuing in the field of space, adding that they continue to cooperate primarily on the platforms developed between the two companies.

Bayraktar said they are looking at whether there will be a more serious expansion in Western European markets and added: "We were already working with European and NATO countries. In addition to this, we believe that this alliance we will reach a much stronger capacity with the opportunities offered in an even larger portfolio, especially through payload systems.”