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Turkish defense company Baykar and Italy's Leonardo will present the latest progress in their joint manned-unmanned aircraft teaming (MUM-T) program at the Farnborough Airshow in the United Kingdom, following the completion of the first live flight trials pairing Leonardo's M-346 jet with Baykar's Bayraktar Kizilelma unmanned fighter aircraft (UFA).
The two companies will hold a briefing at the Farnborough Airshow, which opens Monday, focused on the results of manned-unmanned teaming trials conducted in Türkiye using the M-346 and Bayraktar Kizilelma platforms.
Baykar and Leonardo will share critical results from the current testing phase and outline planned activities as the program moves to its next stage.
The Bayraktar TB3 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) will also be on display at the show. Known for its ability to take off and land on short runways, the TB3 is one of the flagship platforms for the European market push by LBA Systems, the joint venture between Baykar and Leonardo.
According to a joint statement from the companies, Leonardo's M-346 aircraft and Baykar's Bayraktar Kizilelma completed a series of joint autonomous formation flights in May as part of the K-SWARM program, marking the first phase of live trials under the companies' crewed/uncrewed teaming (CUC-T) initiative.
The program is aimed at designing and developing interoperability between crewed and uncrewed aircraft. The companies described the trials as "a pivotal step in transitioning from simulation to live operation through a digital engineering approach."
The testing was conducted at one of Baykar's flight and test centers in Corlu, Türkiye.
The flight campaign involved two Leonardo M-346 aircraft, a Leonardo-owned M-346 Fighter Attack variant, with an Italian Air Force T-346A serving as a chase aircraft, alongside the Bayraktar Kizilelma.
The partnership between Baykar and Leonardo began with a memorandum of understanding signed in Rome in March 2025, followed by a formal joint venture agreement signed at the Paris Airshow in June 2025.
The resulting joint venture, LBA Systems, is focused on the design, development, production, and support of unmanned aerial systems, operates as an equal partnership headquartered in Italy, and is intended to lead advances that shape the future of unmanned aviation.
Within the partnership, Baykar focuses on the design and development of advanced unmanned platforms, while Leonardo contributes state-of-the-art electronic systems and payloads, implements manned-unmanned teaming and swarm capabilities, and participates in qualification and certification activities.
Company officials described the two firms' decision to showcase this progress at one of the world's most prominent aviation and defense trade shows as carrying a strategic message for the global defense industry and NATO allies, framing the partnership as a key part of broader European efforts to rapidly advance capabilities in unmanned aerial systems and manned-unmanned teaming.
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