Amid ongoing debates regarding Europe’s security, the UAV agreement between Baykar and Leonardo has received extensive coverage in the European press.

A collaboration agreement was signed yesterday between Baykar, Turkey’s leading unmanned aerial vehicle manufacturer, and Italian Leonardo, one of Europe’s largest defense companies.

The agreement garnered wide coverage in the European press. La Repubblica, one of Italy’s high-circulation newspapers, reported with the headline “Leonardo and Baykar in a $100 billion hunt in the UAV market”, stating that Baykar and Leonardo are now officially allies and have initiated a hunt worth $100 billion in the UAV market over the next 10 years. It was mentioned that through this collaboration, Baykar and Leonardo aim to showcase their expertise and quickly obtain certifications from Italy for the UAVs they will jointly produce to enable sales to Europe and other countries. The report highlighted that Baykar’s UAVs have been sold to 36 countries, generating nearly $2 billion in annual revenue, and emphasized that the two major companies are aiming to introduce a prototype within a 12-18 month timeframe, starting their “joint journey” as of yesterday.

“PEACE IS NOT FREE” Corriere della Sera also announced the Baykar-Leonardo collaboration with the headline “Italian technology on UAVs, a growth plan from Leonardo”, mentioning that Leonardo’s CEO Roberto Cingolani stated “Peace is not free and it must be defended.” It was stated that in line with this, Leonardo, after recently entering into a collaboration on armored combat vehicles such as tanks with German Rheinmetall, is now partnering with leading Turkish Baykar group in the UAV sector. According to the news piece, Baykar and Leonardo are currently working on a business model and plan to bring together the necessary technologies to dominate a European market estimated to reach $100 billion within 10 years.

“CLAIMING AIR SUPREMACY” Il Messaggero reported on the alliance between Leonardo and Baykar with the headline “Leonardo-Baykar axis: Claiming air supremacy in UAVs”, stating that the first model to be produced within the Italian-Turkish axis is expected to be a large UAV launched next year. The news mentioned that Leonardo CEO Cingolani highlighted the challenges faced by the defense industry in terms of UAVs, artificial intelligence, 6th generation fighter jets, cyber security, and space, and advocated for urgent and necessary technological collaboration.

“EUROPE IS ARMING ITSELF” Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung used the headline “Europe is arming itself: Turkish unmanned aerial vehicle approaching” to report on the Turkish UAV manufacturer Baykar’s new agreement with Italian defense company Leonardo. Ntv’s German news channel website stated that the two companies signed an agreement in Rome to develop unmanned technologies after months of negotiations. Handelsblatt published a news piece titled “Leonardo and Baykar aim to produce drones together”, featuring Cingolani’s statements. Deutschlandfunk reported that the two companies signed an agreement in Rome to develop unmanned technologies, with Cingolani predicting that the European market will exceed €100 billion over the next 10 years. SLpress in Greece considered the agreement between Baykar and Leonardo as a significant step in UAV development. Naftemporiki highlighted the evolving role of Turkey in providing security for the EU, beyond being a mere intermediary, due to the agreement between Baykar and Leonardo. The news emphasized the importance of technological advancement in the production of UAVs in the arms industry, suggesting that Turks may benefit from Europe’s newly joined arms race.

“UNITING FOR EUROPE” Les Echos reported in its article titled “War drones: Italian Leonardo and Turkish Bayraktar are uniting to supply Europe”, that the two companies joined forces to establish a new joint company in Italy to produce UAVs for the European market expected to reach €100 billion by the end of the 2020s. Le Figaro announced the collaboration between Italian Leonardo and Turkish Bayraktar in UAVs, stating that the new partners aim to develop their first large UAV prototypes within 12-18 months. The news featured a statement by Leonardo CEO Cingolani, “These alliances combine the best technologies and existing production capacities, building Europe’s defense industry in the fastest and most effective way.”

– UK The Guardian reported that Italian defense group Leonardo partnered with Turkish UAV manufacturer Baykar to rapidly increase unmanned weapon production for Ukraine in Europe. The Times mentioned that Baykar, a Turkish UAV manufacturer selling drones to 36 countries, signed a new agreement with the Italian defense firm Leonardo to equip their UAVs with Italian radar and electronic systems. Leonardo was also reported to be a partner in the GCAP Fighter Jet Project developed jointly by the UK, Italy, and Japan, planned to fly in 2035. It was noted that with an annual revenue of approximately $2 billion, Baykar plays a significant role in the global UAV market, with its TB2 model having a crucial part in Ukraine’s early victories against Russian forces.

“UKRAINIANS COMPOSED A SONG” De Staandard reported on the importance of Bayraktars at the beginning of the war in Ukraine, even leading Ukrainians to compose a song about them, and mentioned Baykar’s construction of a facility in Kiev. The joint venture between Turkish Baykar and Italian Leonardo was seen as enabling the optimization of a Turkish UAV with Leonardo’s strong technology, based on Baykar’s 6-ton Akinci model capable of carrying various types of ammunition. The collaboration was described as a “smart move” in the news piece. De Volkskrant in the Netherlands reported that Italian and Turkish companies were joining forces to produce unmanned combat aircraft, aiming to dominate the European market through the joint venture and foreseeing this market to be worth $100 billion in the next 10 years. The newspaper relayed Leonardo CEO Cingolani’s emphasis on “Peace is not free” during the announcement in Rome, stating that the Italian defense giant and Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar will produce unmanned flight systems together, with the first deliveries planned within 1.5 years. The report highlighted Baykar’s recognition in the European defense market for supplying numerous drones to Ukraine and informed that the factory under construction in Kiev is expected to be completed in August.

“TOWARDS EUROPEAN DEFENSE” De NRC announced a new step towards European defense in its article titled “Italian and Turkish companies unite to produce high-tech drones”, discussing how Turkish Bayraktar drones gained significant importance in the war immediately following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, leading Ukrainians to compose the “Bayraktar” song, with various versions still available on Spotify. The paper mentioned Europe being in a tight spot and the urgent need for changes on the continent. Leonardo and Baykar’s joint actions to optimize a Turkish drone with Leonardo’s strong technologies such as electronics and artificial intelligence were seen as a step towards producing high-tech drones for Europe. The news predicted that the prototype of the new drone, expected to be ready within a year, would be produced in Italy, with both Italy and Turkey engaging in manufacturing, while Italy would oversee aviation certification for the EU, consequently easing Baykar’s drone sales after approval.