Rome: Trkiye's leading drone producer Baykar Technologies and Italian defense giant Leonardo have signed a partnership agreement focusing on advancements in unmanned technologies. The agreement was formalized at Leonardo's headquarters in Rome by Leonardo's CEO Roberto Cingolani, Baykar's Chairman Selcuk Bayraktar, and CEO Haluk Bayraktar.

According to Anadolu Agency, Selcuk Bayraktar stated that the companies have been engaged in intensive negotiations for months, already collaborating on integrating systems. He highlighted the development of a synergistic relationship between the companies, expressing optimism about their future collaborations. Bayraktar emphasized the potential to create superior systems together and expressed gratitude for the partnership, marking it as the beginning of an exciting journey.

Roberto Cingolani of Leonardo described the signing as a significant milestone, pointing out that the memorandum of understanding with Baykar marks progress in their intense collaboration over the past five months. He mentioned the importance of the agreement in navigating a complex period and highlighted that it is set for five years, with prospects for deeper cooperation.

Cingolani also expressed his admiration for Baykar's facilities in Istanbul, noting the broad range of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) they produce. He emphasized the existing technology gap in Europe and the importance of such partnerships in bolstering global security. The synergy between Baykar and Leonardo is expected to enhance the defense capabilities of Italy and Europe, with a focus on easier certification processes within the EU by producing in member states.

The agreement also aims to increase production volumes by utilizing manufacturing facilities in both Italy and Trkiye, providing additional opportunities for both companies.