Bayraktar TB3 for the 'Cavour': Italian Navy to acquire Turkish drone via Leonardo

Italy is apparently close to procuring the Turkish Bayraktar TB3, a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) drone, for its navy. It is intended specifically for the aircraft carrier 'Cavour' (C 550). The procurement will be handled through the Italian defence group Leonardo, as Vice Admiral Berutti Bergotto confirmed before an Italian Senate committee.

In March 2025, Leonardo and Turkish drone maker Baykar signed a partnership to develop unmanned technologies. The Bayraktar TB3 demonstrated its capabilities under difficult conditions in February 2026 during the 'Steadfast Dart 26' exercise in the Baltic Sea.

Bayraktar TB3 alongside F-35B, Harrier and AW101

The Italian Navy operates two aircraft carriers, one of which is the 'Cavour'. It can accommodate around 20 to 25 aircraft. These currently comprise a mixed squadron of Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II and Boeing AV-8B Harrier II combat aircraft and a squadron of AgustaWestland AW101 multi-role helicopters.

According to Bergotto, the TB3 on board the 'Cavour' are to be used for surveillance as well as armed missions. Their long endurance, which far exceeds that of the F-35B and the AW101, is seen as an advantage. This allows the TB3 to provide an almost continuous situational picture.