BAE Systems and TAI Sign MoU on Next-Gen Unmanned Aircraft

BAE Systems and Turkish Aerospace Industries signed a Memorandum of Understanding on November 6, 2025, agreeing to work together on new-generation unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and related technologies in a move that both companies say marks the start of a strategic alliance. The agreement, announced four days after the signing, sets up joint teams to explore, design and market future uncrewed air platforms for global defense customers, with the aim of accelerating development and meeting rising demand for lower-cost, adaptable systems.

The deal brings together BAE Systems’ FalconWorks advanced research division and Turkish Aerospace’s seasoned unmanned programs at a time when militaries from Europe to Asia are expanding their use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for surveillance, strike and electronic warfare.

“We see this as the start of a deep and meaningful alliance between our two organisations, each bringing 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,” said Dave Holmes, managing director of BAE Systems’ FalconWorks division.

Mehmet Demiroğlu, chief executive of Turkish Aerospace Industries, said the companies intend to move quickly to identify joint projects, align engineering teams and present combined offerings to new markets.

“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,” said Demiroğlu.

Under the MoU, experts from Turkish Aerospace will work directly with BAE Systems’ combat air specialists to shortlist and pursue joint opportunities in uncrewed system technologies. The focus is on future uncrewed air systems—projects that sit beyond currently fielded drones and seek to add greater autonomy, survivability and teaming with crewed aircraft. Both companies say they will combine their existing product portfolios and engineering strengths to create scalable platforms and mission systems that can be adapted to different air forces’ needs.

The agreement was signed less than two weeks after Türkiye’s order for 20 Eurofighter Typhoon jets valued at £5.4 billion ($7.2 billion), with BAE Systems set to perform final assembly at its Warton site in Lancashire, a reminder of the deep industrial ties already linking British and Turkish defense programs. It also follows BAE Systems’ September 2025 strategic partnership with Lockheed Martin focused on new uncrewed autonomous air systems, signaling the UK defense giant’s intent to position itself at the core of a fast-growing market for advanced UAS and loyal wingman concepts. For the UK government’s overview of the Eurofighter program, see the Ministry of Defence collection on Eurofighter Typhoon.

For Ankara, the MoU lands amid a broader surge in domestic aerospace collaboration. Turkish Aerospace has inked agreements with European primes, and Turkish drone makers have expanded partnerships with European manufacturers. The company has built a reputation on successive homegrown programs, including the KAAN fighter, the Hurjet jet trainer, and indigenous helicopters that now serve Turkish forces. Its unmanned lineup spans the medium-altitude Aksungur and Anka platforms and the Anka III unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV), which underscore Türkiye’s push to produce systems at different size and endurance classes to serve both national and export markets.

BAE Systems brings a history of demonstrators and operational systems to the tie-up. The company has developed the T-Series range of all-electric unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for research and trials, the Koios tactical surveillance platform for intelligence and reconnaissance missions, and earlier demonstrators such as Herti, Mantis and Taranis. Those programs have fed technology into current work on autonomy, secure communications, sensor fusion and mission management—areas central to next-generation uncrewed systems that need to team with fighter jets, operate in contested airspace and react to electronic attack.

People involved in the talks say the new partnership is at an exploratory stage rather than a formal program launch. No specific aircraft models, timelines or contract values have been disclosed as of November 10, 2025. Instead, the MoU sets a framework for joint studies, target market analysis and early design work, with the goal of presenting co-developed solutions in the coming cycles of procurement. The companies emphasize that customers are demanding faster delivery and lower lifecycle costs, especially as air forces seek platforms they can field in numbers, upgrade often, and pair with crewed aircraft for missions too risky or routine for pilots.

BAE Systems and Turkish Aerospace officials point to the growing role of uncrewed systems in modern air defense and strike missions. Conflicts over the past decade have shown that smaller, cheaper and more adaptable unmanned aerial systems (UAS) can shape air campaigns, degrade enemy defenses and provide persistent surveillance at a fraction of the cost of deploying traditional fighters. That shift has spurred European and Middle Eastern militaries to add attritable drones—aircraft designed to be lower-cost and more easily replaced—to their fleets, alongside larger UCAVs capable of long-range strike and electronic warfare.

The Warton connection underscores the practical industrial benefits that can spill over from one program to another. Final assembly of Eurofighter Typhoons at BAE Systems’ Lancashire site supports a skilled workforce, tools and test infrastructure that can also be applied to advanced UAS development. In Türkiye, Turkish Aerospace’s facilities that produce the KAAN and Hurjet, along with its established drone production lines, provide immediate capacity for prototyping, integration and flight testing. Matching that industrial base with BAE Systems’ FalconWorks research capabilities could help push designs from lab to runway more quickly.

The companies also say they plan to align supply chains where possible, aiming to shorten development cycles by using common components, modular payload bays and open-architecture mission systems. This approach allows operators to plug in different sensors, communication suites or weapons, depending on mission requirements. For many customers, the appeal lies in fielding family-of-systems options—from small tactical devices for border patrol to larger unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for long-endurance surveillance—that share software, training pipelines and sustainment tools.

While neither side has discussed specific export targets, the combined reach spans NATO members and partners in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Turkish Aerospace has built a steady export record for its Anka series, and BAE Systems’ global footprint includes longstanding support relationships with air forces that could consider adding uncrewed platforms as part of future force mixes. The companies say joint marketing will be a priority, as they aim to present integrated solutions rather than a collection of separate products.

The timing also reflects a moment of closer defense engagement between Türkiye and the UK, and more broadly with European industry. Government-level visits in recent months have yielded new cooperation channels, and the Typhoon sale added momentum to industrial partnerships. For both sides, the rationale is straightforward: combine complementary strengths to compete in an increasingly crowded UAS market, where speed to fielding and cost control are now as important as raw performance.

Holmes’ FalconWorks unit, created to move quickly on emerging technologies and convert promising research into fieldable systems, is designed for the kind of cross-border collaboration outlined in the MoU. Demiroğlu’s team, coming off a string of high-profile unveilings and flight-test milestones in Türkiye’s indigenous programs, brings a track record of turning design studies into operational aircraft that have attracted buyers beyond Türkiye’s borders. The companies are betting that joint engineering teams can shorten the path to flight trials, a decisive factor for customers whose budget cycles are tightening.

What remains unclear is how far the partnership will go into sensitive areas like autonomy algorithms, secure datalinks and electronic warfare payloads, which involve export controls and government approvals. For now, the framework emphasizes shared opportunities and combined offers rather than the immediate co-development of a single flagship platform. That leaves room to start with modular mission systems or specific subsystems, then scale up to full airframes if both sides and their governments agree. In the interim, both companies see a near-term market for training, testing and evaluation services as air forces learn to integrate unmanned aerial systems (UAS) with existing fleets.

The announcement adds another marker to 2025’s busy calendar for aerospace tie-ups. BAE Systems’ pact with Lockheed Martin in September set out a path for new autonomous air systems aimed at teaming with fighters or operating independently in contested airspace. Turkish Aerospace’s recent understandings with Airbus and Baykar’s joint venture with Italy’s Leonardo suggest a broader effort in Türkiye to build bridges with European primes across both crewed and uncrewed programs. Such links signal a pragmatic shift: spread investment risks, share technological building blocks and meet customers’ demand for proven, interoperable equipment.

As militaries weigh how to split budgets between crewed jets and drones, companies that can offer both—and integrate them well—stand to gain. Uncrewed platforms capable of taking on high-risk missions, scouting ahead for crewed aircraft, or saturating defenses are central to that mix. The BAE Systems–Turkish Aerospace MoU is pitched squarely at that opportunity. It commits two established players with complementary backgrounds to a joint hunt for programs where uncrewed systems can be delivered faster, upgraded more often and bought in numbers large enough to change how airpower is used.

No announcements have been made on prototype rollouts, test schedules or contract competitions. But both sides argue the need is urgent and the market is moving. As Holmes put it,

“We see this as the start of a deep and meaningful alliance between our two organisations,”
framing a partnership that aims to translate experience from demonstrators like Taranis and Anka III into practical aircraft fleets. Demiroğlu’s message was similar:
“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.”
For customers watching budgets and timelines, the next test will be how quickly this partnership turns an MoU into metal in the air.