Leonardo's CEO, Roberto Cingolani, stated that there is a strong complementarity between their technologies and those developed by Baykar. Baykar, known worldwide for its unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), has recently attracted attention with its acquisition of Italy's renowned aerospace company Piaggio Aerospace by the end of 2024. The company is particularly closely followed in Italy.
Cingolani, who leads Leonardo, the 13th largest defense company globally and the second largest in Europe according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, made comments about his visit to Baykar in Istanbul earlier this week. He shared his views in a statement to AA at the company's headquarters in Rome.
Before acquiring Piaggio Aerospace, Leonardo had already been in talks with Baykar, Cingolani noted. "We've been talking with our colleagues at Baykar for several months, meaning these talks began before Piaggio. There have been previous visits. Last week's visit was extremely interesting because we toured the facilities in Istanbul. We had mostly technical discussions and are seriously and operationally exploring the possibility of developing products and technologies together," Cingolani said.
He emphasized, "There is a very strong complementarity between Leonardo's technologies and Baykar's technologies. If we work on some things together, we could really make a leap in unmanned systems and particularly open up new market areas, including in Europe. This is why this meeting was so important, and we have agreed to meet again in the coming days. We are continuing to work intensively."
When asked if the visit could be a sign of a new collaboration or partnership between Leonardo and Baykar, Cingolani confirmed, "I can confirm this, but I cannot say more for obvious reasons. However, what I can confirm is that we are having discussions to see whether industrial synergy is possible. Both sides are very interested, and we are pleased with the direction of the talks."
"WE ARE MOVING VERY QUICKLY"
Cingolani explained that the two companies are currently discussing which products or platforms they might collaborate on. "So, it's still early stages, but there is something very important: Leonardo's product portfolio, especially the 'payloads' we refer to—electronic systems and sensor systems on aircraft—can align very well with the UAVs Baykar produces. This potential synergy offers truly extraordinary complementarity," he said.
He added that Leonardo has some experience with unmanned systems and said, "Integrating Leonardo's UAV experience with Baykar's world-class unmanned platforms could really gain important momentum. Moreover, in the future, unmanned systems are being designed not just as drones for specific tasks, but as systems capable of cooperating with sixth-generation fighter aircraft. So, we are working within a very broad perspective."
Cingolani also stressed the need for both companies to be willing to meet, saying, "The next step will be to conduct technological analysis because we need to examine if the technological complementarity really exists.
Systems must be made compatible. Then, a market analysis should be done because after integrating the systems, they need to be ready for market release. Finally, we move to industrial production. We are very optimistic and working on this, but first, we need to ensure that the technology works properly. We are all very positive about this, but we are now working intensively on these issues."
"BAYKAR IS ABSOLUTELY AT AN EXTRAORDINARY LEVEL GLOBALLY"
When asked about his thoughts on Baykar's Özdemir Bayraktar National Technology Center in Istanbul, Cingolani responded, "We encountered a truly impressive company, and we were very impressed."
He continued, "Baykar is absolutely at an extraordinary level globally. The infrastructure is amazing, and there were many things that impressed us. First of all, it was truly impressive to see thousands of young people. As I understand, the average age is under 30. To actually see thousands of young people working inside was impressive, and there was a real dynamism.
The infrastructure is extraordinary, and great importance is given to the employees. We saw the R&D department, the buildings for employees, the quality of the campus, and even the daycare facilities, all of which were truly impressive. Their product portfolio is now among the best in the world, and we expected that, but seeing it in person was even more impressive."
Cingolani also shared his impressions of Baykar's leadership: "We were also very impressed by the senior management. Their passion, talent, and expertise are immediately apparent.
They showed us everything with great speed and expertise, which was truly exciting. The Chairman of the Board and the CEO, who are both brothers, possess extraordinary knowledge and management skills. They have created a world-class company, which is truly an exceptional example of high-tech entrepreneurship. We were definitely very, very impressed."
"NATO SHOULD NOT BE LIMITED TO ONLY THE AMERICAN COMPONENT"
Reflecting on his previous remarks about the need for collective defense technology rather than a European army for European defense, Cingolani noted, "Currently, we are facing technological challenges such as unmanned systems, artificial intelligence, sixth-generation fighter aircraft, next-generation electronics systems, cybersecurity, and space.
These are groundbreaking technological challenges. My first response to your question is: It's almost impossible to do these things alone. Alliances are necessary, primarily and essentially in the field of technology, because these challenges are very large and very urgent. You can try to do them alone, but it would take 50 years, whereas technological cooperation accelerates progress."
He also mentioned the political perspective of his answer: "Such alliances impact the global security of states and continents. Since we started at Leonardo, our primary goal has been to act as a catalyst for European defense efforts.
If industries provide examples of synergy and cooperation, this makes it easier for states and politicians to think about a common defense or security structure, because no single state can defend itself or develop the necessary technologies on its own. Therefore, alliances are always necessary."
Cingolani pointed out that Italy is not only a strong member of the EU but also of NATO, and continued: "In terms of alliances, I first have a European perspective, but I live in a country that is a strong member of NATO.
We need to be a stronger, more reliable partner within NATO. There is a lot of discussion about this right now, but I think NATO needs to be strengthened and should not be limited to just the American component. It makes sense to strengthen NATO with extra-European alliances as well.
For example, in the sixth-generation fighter aircraft 'Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP)' Project, we are working with Japanese Mitsubishi Air Industries and British BAE Systems. I hope we can develop an industrial synergy with Baykar in the UAV sector. This collaboration could contribute to a stronger NATO structure, especially in the eastern part, and help enhance NATO's protective umbrella."
"DECIDING WHETHER TO ADD ANOTHER PARTNER IS UP TO GOVERNMENTS"
Regarding whether the GCAP 6th Generation Aircraft Project, which they have started developing with partners from the UK and Japan, will be open to partners from Türkiye or other regions, Cingolani responded:
"The project started as a joint venture between Leonardo, BAE Systems, and Mitsubishi. Work is actively continuing now. This is important news because funding has been secured and teams have started working. There are also known projects for 6th-generation fighter aircraft in other continents and Europe.
It's difficult to predict whether these projects will merge or how they will evolve in the future, but what matters to me is that the GCAP Project has started, and Leonardo is strongly involved with the other two companies.
As of now, the decision to add another partner is up to the governments. These decisions are in the hands of governments, not companies, but from our side, as companies, we are open to including other partners if technological and industrial synergies can contribute to developing the project further."
He also emphasized, "As a company, we are trying to collaborate with anyone who can accelerate the development of 6th-generation fighter aircraft or other technologies. We are fully open and flexible in this regard."