Italian-Turkish defense venture LBA Systems becomes operational

Italian defense conglomerate Leonardo and Türkiye's Baykar announced at the Farnborough International Airshow that LBA Systems has commenced operations following regulatory approvals and leadership appointments. The joint venture, headquartered in Italy and owned equally by both companies, merges Leonardo's electronics and certification capabilities with Baykar's experience in developing uncrewed aerial platforms. Lorenzo Mariani, CEO of Leonardo, said the company enters the sector with a "complete and competitive offer" leveraging proprietary payloads integrated into Baykar platforms.

CEO statements on strategic vision

"LBA Systems enters the rapidly growing uncrewed system sector with a complete and competitive offer. It leverages a comprehensive range of Leonardo proprietary payloads, which can be integrated into several different Baykar platforms to meet the demanding mission requirements dictated by today's operational challenges," Mariani said in a joint statement. He added: "The start of operations at LBA Systems also epitomizes drivers that are core to our strategy: execution and production acceleration, a stronger and larger industrial base, partnerships to deliver the critical mass required to respond to evolving demand in the European and global markets, growth, and value creation."

Haluk Bayraktar, CEO of Baykar, emphasized the technical integration. "LBA Systems is a significant initiative that combines Baykar's field-proven, high-tech autonomous architecture and manufacturing power with Leonardo's advanced payload and avionics capabilities," he said, noting that recent tests demonstrate NATO-standard maturity. "The success of KIZILELMA's recent CUC-T tests with the M-346 has demonstrated the global maturity our autonomy has achieved per NATO standards and has been a direct response to the demanding operational requirements of the battlefield. With LBA Systems, we will offer the global market ready and reliable solutions — from Astore Levante to KIZILELMA — beyond concepts on paper. This partnership is a strategic step that will strengthen the defense industrial base of both Europe and allied nations," he added.

Production pipeline and aircraft portfolio

The venture's initial portfolio comprises six systems spanning intelligence platforms to combat aircraft, including the lightweight KALKAN, the TB2 medium-altitude long-endurance drone in two configurations, the carrier-capable Astore Levante, the AKINCI high-altitude platform, and the KIZILELMA uncrewed combat fighter. Production of the Astore Levante and KIZILELMA will occur at Leonardo's facilities, with the first batch already underway and deliveries to an Italian customer expected later this year, while TB2 and AKINCI manufacturing will take place at Baykar's Italian plant. The KIZILELMA recently completed crewed-uncrewed teaming evaluations with Leonardo's M-346F light fighter aircraft, and the Astore Levante — combining Baykar's TB3 platform with Leonardo's sensors and ground control systems — is being displayed at Farnborough.