Baykar-Leonardo unveil Astore Levante UAV through LBA systems partnership

Baykar and Leonardo have officially introduced Astore Levante, a new unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed under their joint venture, LBA Systems, based on the Bayraktar TB3 platform.

The aircraft was unveiled at the Farnborough International Airshow, where the partners presented Astore Levante as the first product of LBA Systems. Under the partnership, industrial activities related to both Astore Levante and the KIZILELMA unmanned combat aircraft will be carried out at Leonardo’s production facilities.

Production of the first batch of Astore Levante UAVs has already begun, with deliveries to the first customer in Italy scheduled before the end of the year. Work on adapting the Bayraktar TB2 and Akıncı platforms for the Italian market will be conducted at Baykar’s facilities in Italy.

Baykar CEO Haluk Bayraktar described LBA Systems as a strategic initiative that combines Baykar’s combat-proven autonomous technologies and manufacturing expertise with Leonardo’s advanced payload and avionics capabilities.

He also highlighted the successful M-346 and KIZILELMA Crewed-Uncrewed Teaming (CUC-T) tests, stating that they demonstrated the maturity of the autonomous systems in line with NATO standards while addressing the operational needs of modern battlefields.

According to Bayraktar, LBA Systems aims to move beyond conceptual projects by delivering reliable, globally competitive unmanned solutions, ranging from Astore Levante to KIZILELMA.

Leonardo CEO Lorenzo Mariani said the partnership provides the company with a comprehensive and competitive portfolio, strengthening its position in the rapidly expanding unmanned systems market.