‘Integrating Leonardo's experience in UAVs with Baykar's world-class unmanned platforms can really give significant boost,' CEO of leading Italian aerospace and defense industry company tells Anadolu
There is a strong complementarity between the technologies developed by Italy's leading aerospace and defense industry company, Leonardo, and those of Turkish unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) manufacturer Baykar, Leonardo CEO Roberto Cingolani said.
Baykar, which has gained global recognition for its UAVs, recently drew attention with its acquisition of Italy's well-established aviation firm Piaggio Aerospace at the end of 2024. This move has placed the Turkish company firmly in the spotlight, particularly in Italy.
Leonardo ranks as the 13th-largest defense company in the world and the second-largest in Europe, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
Cingolani, who visited Baykar's Ozdemir Bayraktar National Technology Center in Istanbul this week, told Anadolu: “We have been meeting with our colleagues at Baykar for several months, so these talks started before Piaggio.
“There have been prior visits. Last week's visit was very interesting because we visited the facility in Istanbul. We engaged in more technical discussions and we are looking seriously and operationally into the possibility of developing products and technologies.”
He added: “With our colleagues at Baykar, we saw that if we do some things together, we can really make a leap forward in unmanned systems and open up new market areas, especially in Europe.
“Therefore, this meeting was very important and we agreed to meet again in the coming days. We continue to work very intensively.”
When asked whether this could be the first sign of a potential partnership between Leonardo and Baykar, Cingolani responded: “I confirm this, but I cannot say more, for obvious reasons.
"But I can confirm that we are in discussions to see if industrial synergies can start. Both sides are very interested and very satisfied with the way the talks are going.”
Baykar's acquisition of Piaggio Aerospace took place on Dec. 27 with the approval of Italian authorities, as the Turkish company outbid rivals from multiple countries in a competitive tender.
Piaggio Aerospace is the best known in the aviation industry for producing P.180 Avanti business jets, also known as Ferrari of the skies, and aircraft engines.
The company also plays a strategic role in Italy's defense industry ecosystem thanks to its maintenance, repair, and overhaul services, and is renowned for its contributions to Italy's technological infrastructure over its 140-year history.
- Extraordinarily complementary
Cingolani said Leonardo and Baykar are currently discussing specific products and platforms for potential collaboration.
“That is why we are at an early stage. But there is something very important: Leonardo's product portfolio, what we call ‘payload,' that is, the electronic systems and sensor systems on the aircraft, can be very well compatible with the UAVs produced by Baykar.
“This potential synergy provides a truly extraordinary complementarity,” he said.
Emphasizing Leonardo's experience in unmanned systems, he continued: “Integrating Leonardo's experience in UAVs with Baykar's world-class unmanned platforms can really give a significant boost.”
He noted that future UAV designs will not only focus on specific mission execution but also integrate with sixth-generation fighter jets, a vision that both parties are actively exploring.
Cingolani said in this kind of work, the two companies must be willing to communicate, and talks with Baykar are going well.
“Then technological analysis has to be done because you have to see if technological complementarity really exists — the systems have to be compatible with each other.
“Then there has to be a market analysis because once the systems are integrated, they have to be marketable."
And finally, the industrial production phase. "We are very optimistic and we are working in that direction, but first we need to make sure that the technology works properly. We are all very positive about it, but we are working intensively on these issues right now.”
- Baykar at exceptional level
Citing Baykar's Ozdemir Bayraktar National Technology Center in Istanbul, Cingolani said: “We came across a really impressive company, we were very impressed, the company is definitely at an exceptional level worldwide.
"The infrastructure is great and there were many things that impressed us. First of all, it was really impressive to see thousands of young people.
“The average age is under 30, when you walk in and you see young people working, it shows incredible dynamism,” he highlighted.
He said the infrastructure is outstanding, great attention has been paid to employees.
"We saw the R&D (Research and Development) department, the buildings for employees, the quality of the campus, the kindergarten, and these facilities were really impressive. The product portfolio is now among the best in the world, and we expected this, but seeing it on-site was even more impressive," he stressed.
Noting Baykar Chairman Selcuk Bayraktar and General Manager Haluk Bayraktar, Cingolani said, “We were also very impressed with the senior management; their passion, talent and expertise are immediately apparent. They showed us everything with great speed and expertise, which was really exciting.
"The chairman and the managing director, both brothers, have extraordinary knowledge and management skills. They have built a world-class company and it's really an extraordinary example of high-tech entrepreneurship. We were absolutely very, very impressed.”
- NATO 'should not be limited to the American component'
Cingolani was also asked about his previous remarks tha European defense requires common European defense technology rather than a European army, and if Türkiye, a NATO ally, could be included in the common understanding through cooperation in the defense industries of the blocs.
Cingolani said: “We are now facing technological challenges such as unmanned systems, artificial intelligence, sixth-generation fighter jets, last-generation electronic systems, cyber security and space."
He said these are technologically epoch-making challenges.
"Alliances are necessary first and foremost in the field of technology because these challenges are so big and so urgent. You can try to do it alone, but it will take 50 years. But technological cooperation accelerates progress,” he said.
"Such alliances have an impact on the global security of states and continents.
"Since taking office at Leonardo, our primary objective has been to be a catalyst for European defense efforts. If industry provides an example of synergy and cooperation, it makes it easier for states and politicians to think about a common defense or security structure."
He added that because a single state can neither defend itself nor develop necessary technologies on its own, alliances are always necessary.
Pointing out that Italy is a strong member not only of the EU but also of NATO, Cingolani said: “In terms of alliances, first of all, I have a European perspective, but I live in a country that is a strong member of NATO.
"We should be a stronger, more reliable partner in NATO. There is a lot of discussion about this at the moment, but I think NATO should be strengthened and not limited to the American component."
He said it makes sense to strengthen NATO with non-European alliances.
He noted: "For example, in the 'Global Combat Air Program (GCAP)' project for the sixth-generation fighter jet, we are working with Mitsubishi Air Industries of Japan and BAE Systems of the UK.
"I hope that it is possible to develop industrial synergies with Baykar on drones. This cooperation can contribute to a more solid structure on NATO's eastern flank and a stronger NATO protection umbrella.”
- 6th-generation fighter jet
In response to a question about the GCAP sixth-generation aircraft project open to partners from Türkiye or elsewhere, he said: “The project started as a joint venture between Leonardo, BAE Systems and Mitsubishi. At the moment, work is actively underway.
"This is important news because funding has been secured and the teams have started their work. It is known that there are projects for sixth-generation fighter jets on other continents and in Europe."
He said it is difficult to predict whether the projects will merge or develop in the future, but what is important is that the GCAP project has started and Leonardo is strongly involved in the program, together with two other companies.
For the moment, it is up to governments to decide whether another partner will join, he underlined.
He said those decisions are at the initiative of governments, not companies.
"But from our side, as companies, we have a clear position on the inclusion of other partners if technological and industrial synergies will contribute to the better development of the project.
"However, as a company, we try to cooperate with anyone who can accelerate the development of the sixth-generation fighter jet or other technologies. We are completely open and flexible in this regard,” he said.
