BAE Systems and Turkish Aerospace have formalized a new strategic partnership, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly pursue the collaborative development of advanced uncrewed air systems (UAS). This alliance brings together two of the world’s leading aerospace and defence entities, pooling their expertise to explore next-generation drone technologies.
The agreement establishes a framework for experts from Turkish Aerospace, Türkiye’s flagship aerospace company, to work closely with combat air specialists from BAE Systems’ innovation division, FalconWorks. The collaboration aims to identify and develop common opportunities within the rapidly evolving uncrewed systems sector, leveraging the distinct and complementary strengths of each organization.
Dave Holmes, Managing Director of BAE Systems FalconWorks, highlighted the partnership’s potential. “We see this as the start of a deep and meaningful alliance between our two organisations,” he said. “Each brings complementary skills and capabilities to the table and a strong portfolio of uncrewed assets which we can leverage and combine to create a range of compelling and cost-effective solutions.”
The MoU builds upon a foundation of existing cooperation between BAE Systems and Turkish Aerospace, signalling an intent to deepen ties and accelerate progress. The focus will be on enhancing already-proven capabilities and exploring new technological frontiers in UAS design and application.
Echoing this sentiment, Turkish Aerospace CEO, Dr. Mehmet Demiroglu, stated, “The agreement builds on the strong existing relationship between both companies and will allow us to bring our already proven uncrewed systems capabilities to new heights. We want to jointly explore how we can accelerate progress and new market opportunities in this field.”
This strategic alliance positions both companies to better address the growing global demand for sophisticated, reliable, and cost-effective uncrewed systems. By combining BAE Systems’ extensive experience in combat air systems with Turkish Aerospace’s proven track record in UAV development, the partnership is poised to develop innovative solutions for defence and security challenges, tapping into new international markets. The collaboration underscores a shared commitment to advancing aerospace technology through powerful industrial partnerships.
