A major step has been taken in the growing partnership between Turkey’s Baykar, the global leader in the UAV sector, and Italy’s Leonardo, one of the world’s largest defense companies. The strategic cooperation agreement, originally signed on March 6, 2025, was formally exchanged at a ceremony held at Villa Pamphili in Rome as part of the 4th Turkey–Italy Intergovernmental Summit. The event took place in the presence of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, underscoring the political significance and high-level support for the collaboration.

The documents were officially exchanged by Selçuk Bayraktar, Chairman and CTO of Baykar, and Roberto Cingolani, CEO and General Manager of Leonardo. The agreement seeks to merge Baykar’s battle-proven unmanned platforms, AI and autonomy expertise with Leonardo’s strengths in mission systems, payload design, and European aerospace certification.

At the heart of the partnership is the establishment of a joint venture targeting the European UAV market. The new entity will leverage both companies’ capabilities to meet Europe’s demand for advanced, interoperable, and locally developed unmanned aerial systems. The venture is planned to operate at Leonardo’s facilities in Ronchi dei Legionari, Turin, Rome Tiburtina, and Nerviano, providing a robust industrial footprint within the EU.

The collaboration goes well beyond UAV platforms. It covers a wide technological spectrum including electronic systems, mission payloads, C4I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence), artificial intelligence, and integrated mission systems. By focusing on multi-domain interoperability, the partnership aims to deliver solutions that combine air, land, and maritime operational capabilities within a unified networked defense ecosystem.

By combining Baykar’s globally recognized UAV success — led by platforms such as the Bayraktar TB2 and AKINCI — with Leonardo’s expertise in European defense certification and system integration, the joint initiative is set to offer battle-proven, high-technology UAV solutions developed within Europe. The move positions Turkey as a strategic defense partner in Europe’s evolving approach to joint development and co-production rather than off-the-shelf procurement.