At the International Paris Airshow in Le Bourget, Leonardo and Baykar Technologies announced the formation of a new joint venture focused on the development of unmanned technologies. This follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Rome in March 2025. The new entity, LBA Systems, will be equally owned by both companies (50% each) and will be headquartered and operated from Italy. The partnership aims to combine industrial strengths in the design, development, production, and maintenance of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS).
Baykar will lead the design and development of advanced unmanned platforms, drawing on its extensive UAS portfolio, while Leonardo will contribute expertise in advanced electronics, mission payloads, Manned-Unmanned Teaming, swarming capabilities, as well as system qualification and certification.
Through LBA Systems, the two companies plan to jointly pursue market opportunities across Europe and globally. Additionally, they have agreed to explore broader collaborations, including commercial ventures integrating their respective platforms and potential joint projects in multi-domain digital ecosystems.
