Leonardo, drone maker Baykar seek ‘synergies’ on battlefield sensors

ROME — Italy’s Leonardo and Turkish drone maker Baykar are discussing a team-up which could see Leonardo’s electronics and radar mounted on Baykar’s drones.

Leonardo CEO Roberto Cingolani visited Baykar’s Turkish facility this week to meet management and check out the firm’s line of drones including the Bayraktar TB2, which has influenced conflicts in Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh and Ukraine.

“There was a great interest in seeking synergies,” a Leonardo source told Defense News.

While Baykar has established a huge presence in the drone market, Leonardo has also sold over 50 of its Falco drone variants and is also a partner on the evolving Eurodrone program with Spain, France and Germany.

The firm also specializes in airborne electronics and sensors like the Gabbiano electronically scanned radar, which will be mounted on the Eurodrone, suggesting Leonardo could put its systems on Baykar drones.

“Cingolani’s logic is that there must be the possibility for synergy in terms of technology, and on the basis of that commercial synergy can be looked at, as was the case with Leonardo’s cooperation with Rheinmetall,” the source said.

In October, Leonardo and Rheinmetall teamed to build new fighting vehicles and tanks for the Italian army which will feature Leonardo electronics and turrets combined with Rheinmetall platforms.

Last month, Baykar purchased Italy’s Piaggio Aerospace, bringing the firm out of six years of receivership.