The joint company Leonardo-Baykar LBA Systems presented the Astore Levante aircraft at Farnborough.
LBA Systems, the joint venture between the Italian defense and aerospace group Leonardo and the Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar, has unveiled its first product – the launch-capable drone Astore Levante – at the Farnborough International Airshow 2026. According to Naval News, the drone is already in production at Leonardo’s Italian facilities, with expectations for its first delivery to the Italian Navy by the end of 2026.
The Astore Levante is built on Baykar’s Bayraktar TB3 platform, an unmanned platform designed for launch and recovery from short-deck ships. Leonardo has added its own mission systems and payload integration, making the drone suitable for European maritime operations. The program stands out as one of the few that combines Turkish platform engineering with Italian sensing and electronic warfare capabilities under a single joint project.
Designed for Short-Deck Ships
The main feature of the drone is its ability to operate from short-deck ships thanks to its foldable wings and reinforced landing gear. With autonomous takeoff and landing, the multi-role Astore Levante can conduct maritime surveillance, electronic warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and armed reconnaissance.
Payload options offered by Leonardo include the LEOSS-T electro-optical/infrared turret, Gabbiano T-80UL and Osprey 20/30 AESA radars, SAGE ESM/ELINT suite, Brite Storm jamming device, ULISSES acoustic system, IFF 428 identification system, and SDR SRT-800 radio. The sensing range is designed to allow reconfiguration of the aircraft structure for different roles rather than being tied to a single mission set.
Maritime Heritage of the TB3
The Bayraktar TB3, which supports Astore Levante, is already working with the Turkish Navy aboard the multi-purpose amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu. The TB3 is considered one of the first armed unmanned aerial vehicles capable of taking off and landing on a short-deck ship. These operational records indicate that Astore Levante is starting from a mature base for integration aboard ships.
The Italian Navy plans to deploy Astore Levante aboard the aircraft carrier Cavour. Naval News reports that Indonesia is also among the exporting customers, providing users in both NATO-affiliated navies and the Asia-Pacific market.
Why This Matters
This partnership demonstrates the increasing international cooperation of Baykar, extending into the realm of maritime platforms. The combination of an aircraft structure from a Turkish manufacturer and a sensor system from an established European group indicates that the Turkish defense industry is moving beyond exporting final products towards becoming a technological partner in joint production programs.
Sources
- Naval News – “LBA System Reveals Astore Levante at Farnborough Ahead of Italian Delivery” – July 24, 2026. Used for announcement, technical configuration, delivery schedule, and customers. Link
- Company Information Baykar / Leonardo – Used for the operational use of TB3 aboard TCG Anadolu and platform base.
