Sanaa: Italian aerospace company Leonardo and Turkish defense firm Baykar unveiled details of pioneering flight trials that successfully saw a crewed aircraft and an uncrewed fighter fly together in autonomous formation. Engineers and pilots presented the findings from the K-SWARM program at the Farnborough International Airshow in the UK. According to Anadolu Agency, the live flight tests occurred in May at Baykar's flight and test center in Corlu, Trkiye, aiming to test and validate Crewed/UnCrewed Teaming (CUC-T) capabilities for future air combat. During the trials, the Bayraktar KIZILELMA uncrewed fighter executed an autonomous taxi and take-off before synchronizing with a Leonardo M-346 fighter jet in the air. An Italian Air Force T-346A served as a chase plane. Once airborne, the M-346 took control of the KIZILELMA through a newly developed integrated avionics suite and computing system. Commands issued by pilots aboard the M-346 were autonomously executed by the KIZILELMA, demonstrating capabilities like position changes and separations. Data sharing between the aircraft was facilitated by a dedicated radio frequency system, protected by Leonardo's proprietary GCC Tactical Platform cyber defense system. The trials marked a significant transition from laboratory simulations to real-world flight operations. Development involved extensive joint preparation between teams in Italy and Trkiye. Algorithms developed at Leonardo's facilities were integrated with smart fleet autonomy software created at Baykar's Hardware-in-the-Loop Laboratory. According to Baykar, KIZILELMA's built-in autonomy simplified the integration process, enabling rapid deployment onto the live aircraft. During the trials, the KIZILELMA aircraft performed autonomously under commands from the M-346, effectively executing different flight formations. The partnership between Baykar and Leonardo, formalized by a memorandum of understanding and subsequent joint venture agreement for LBA Systems, combines complementary capabilities. Baykar pr ovides expertise in designing unmanned platforms, while Leonardo contributes electronic systems and mission payloads, focusing on developing manned-unmanned teaming and swarming capabilities. The collaborative efforts aim to shape the future of unmanned aviation, with further flight tests planned to enhance capabilities and operational complexity. Baykar also showcased the Bayraktar TB3 unmanned aerial vehicle at the airshow, highlighting the companies' cooperation beyond trials with advanced unmanned aerial systems.