Turkish drones to integrate advanced Italian technology

New details have emerged about the collaboration between Italian defence giant Leonardo and Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar, with Leonardo poised to provide Baykar with advanced technological systems.

According to Türkiye’s defence industry news platform SavunmaSanayiST, integration will include Britestorm electronic warfare systems, Gabbiano X-band radars, and Skyward infrared search and track systems, Caliber.Az reports.

🔴Baykar ve Leonardo’nun iş birliği detayları netleşiyor.

🔹 Leonardo, Baykar SİHA’larına ileri teknoloji sistemlerini sunacak.

🔹 Britestorm Elektronik Harp, Gabbiano X-Band Radar ve Skyward Kızılötesi Arama ve Takip sistemleri SİHA’lara entegre edilecek.

🔹 Leonardo, 2029’a… pic.twitter.com/lSTd0aXQOk

— SavunmaSanayiST.com (@SavunmaSanayiST) March 12, 2025

Leonardo anticipates generating €600 million in revenue from this partnership by 2029.

To recall, on March 6, Baykar Technologies and Leonardo have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on unmanned aerial technologies. The partnership will establish a Joint Venture in Italy, focusing on the design, production, and maintenance of advanced unmanned systems.

Baykar, known for its combat-proven UAVs, will contribute its expertise in unmanned platforms, while Leonardo will provide mission systems, payload design, and aerospace certification capabilities. The European unmanned systems market is expected to reach $100 billion over the next decade, covering unmanned fighters, surveillance drones, and deep-strike systems.

The collaboration aims to enhance interoperability across multi-domain operations, leveraging both companies’ strengths in UAVs, AI, and C4I systems. Leonardo CEO Roberto Cingolani highlighted the importance of international alliances in advancing defence technology, while Baykar Chairman Selçuk Bayraktar emphasised the partnership’s role in shaping the future of AI-driven unmanned aviation.

By Aghakazim Guliyev