Leonardo-Baykar Venture Unveils First Product, the Astore Levante

LBA Systems, the equally owned Leonardo-Baykar joint venture, unveiled its first product — the Bayraktar TB3-based Astore Levante UAV — at the Farnborough Airshow, with the first batch entering production in Italy.

The development

Shortly after announcing it was fully operational, the Leonardo-Baykar joint venture LBA Systems displayed its first product, the Astore Levante, at the Farnborough Airshow. The platform is based on Baykar’s carrier-capable Bayraktar TB3 UAV and is fitted with Leonardo mission systems and payload options.

Leonardo said the first batch of Astore Levante systems is in production at its Ronchi dei Legionari plant in Italy and is expected to be delivered to an Italian end-user before the end of 2026.

LBA Systems and the venture

LBA Systems is a joint venture owned equally (50-50) by Leonardo and Baykar. It was created to design, develop, produce and maintain unmanned aerial systems, combining Leonardo’s electronics, payload integration and certification expertise with Baykar’s platform development and manufacturing experience.

Bringing the Bayraktar TB3 to the European naval UAV market through this venture shows Turkish unmanned technology taking an ever deeper place within NATO nations.

Significance for Türkiye

The Astore Levante is a concrete example of Baykar moving from exporter to equal partner with a major European prime. Producing a TB3-based platform in Italy for a European user is a strategic step in integrating Turkey’s defence industry into international supply chains.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

• Naval News — LBA Systems debuts Astore Levante at Farnborough ahead of Italian delivery, 24 July 2026
• Leonardo press release — LBA Systems JV achieves full operational readiness, 21 July 2026