Safran Electronics & Defense and Baykar - a global leader in unmanned aerial vehicles - have sealed a strategic partnership to accelerate innovation in smart weapons and advanced navigation technologies. By joining forces, Safran leverages its renowned expertise in observation, navigation and timing, while Baykar brings its world-class experience in field-proven UAVs.

This agreement focuses on co-developing integrated solutions that combine optronic sensors, navigation systems, and guided weapon capabilities for both drone and air-to-ground missions. As a highlight, Baykar’s TB2 drones will be equipped with Safran’s cutting-edge Euroflir electro-optical system, dramatically strengthening their surveillance, targeting, and reconnaissance performance.

Both companies will actively promote these advanced solutions to their global customer base, reinforcing their collaboration across technology, operations, and commercial activities.

Alexandre Ziegler, Head of the Defense Business Unit at Safran Electronics & Defense, stated: “With the integration of our advanced Euroflir optronic systems and our world-class position, navigation, timing technologies into Baykar’s TB2 drones, we’re taking operational performance to the next level. Together with Baykar, we are proud to offer high levels of precision and intelligence for TB2 drones, helping to improve tactical UAV missions across the defense sector.”

Haluk Bayraktar, General Manager of Baykar, highlighted: “The Memorandum of Understanding signed with Safran Electronics & Defense represents a significant milestone in advancing our strategic cooperation. Through this partnership, we aim to deliver innovative solutions and create new opportunities in the market.”

This milestone partnership paves the way for new joint initiatives and a stronger international presence in the defense market.

Safran is an international high-technology group, operating in the aviation (propulsion, equipment and interiors), defense and space markets. Its core purpose is to contribute to a safer, more sustainable world, where air transport is more environmentally friendly, comfortable and accessible.

Safran has a global presence, with 100,000 employees and sales of 27.3 billion euros in 2024, and holds, alone or in partnership, world or regional leadership positions in its core markets. Safran is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange and is part of the CAC 40 and Euro Stoxx 50 indices.

Safran Electronics & Defense is a high-technology industrial company operating in the aerospace, defense, and space sectors. For over 100 years, the company has been designing, developing, and manufacturing equipment and services for both civil and military clients - on land, at sea, in the air and in space.

A leader in its markets, Safran Electronics & Defense offers cutting-edge solutions in avionics, critical electronics, optronics, inertial navigation, precise timing, guidance, actuation, flight controls, satellite engines, and artificial intelligence for industry and defense.

Baykar is a leading high-technology company advancing Türkiye’s full independence through original and indigenous innovation in defense and aviation. Driving the National Technology Initiative with a young and dynamic team, Baykar leads a paradigm shift in aviation and continues to shape the global unmanned aerial vehicle sector.

Having funded all its projects entirely from its own resources since inception, Baykar maintained its position in 2025 as the world’s largest exporter in the unmanned aerial vehicle segment. With a 60% share of the global UAV export market, an export volume of $2.2 billion in 2025, and around 90% of its revenues generated from exports in recent years, Baykar has become a locomotive of Türkiye’s high-technology exports.

Ranked among Türkiye’s top 10 exporters across all sectors in 2023 and 2024, Baykar also served as the defense and aerospace sector’s export leader in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. As the world’s largest unmanned aerial vehicle company, Baykar has signed export agreements with 39 countries, including 36 countries for the Bayraktar TB2 UCAV and 16 countries for the Bayraktar AKINCI UCAV.