Leonardo has unveiled plans to co-produce Baykar’s family of unmanned aircraft in Italy through the LBA Systems joint venture, establishing final assembly lines for the TB2, TB3, Akinci, and jet-powered Kizilelma. The initiative aims to build an EU-based supply chain that fuses European certification, weapon–sensor integration, and Baykar’s proven UAV platforms.
In its 3Q/9M 2025 Results Presentation, Leonardo highlighted the collaboration as a strategic evolution that transfers part of Baykar’s UAV manufacturing to Italy. The move elevates Italy from a customer and maintenance hub to a full co-producer across both tactical and combat UAV classes. It also strengthens Europe’s autonomous industrial base amid rising demand and tightening regulations on uncrewed systems.
Under the LBA Systems framework, Leonardo and Baykar will merge expertise in production, certification, and mission-system integration. As regulatory clearances advance, joint teams are already synchronizing payloads and platform configurations for surveillance, strike, and future loyal-wingman operations.
The collaboration spans five key areas: serial manufacturing and final assembly of UAV platforms, composite aerostructures, certification engineering, multi-domain command and control, and long-term sustainment. The overarching goal is to deliver standardized, certifiable, and export-ready systems adaptable to European and global markets.
