A Turning Point for the Italian Navy: TB3 Drones for the Aircraft Carrier Cavour

Italian naval aviation is preparing to make an epochal leap forward. The Italian Navy, as also reported by the authoritative NavalNews, is indeed set to become the first in Europe to acquire Bayraktar TB3 unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs), intended to operate directly from the deck of the aircraft carrier Cavour. The official confirmation came from the new Chief of the Italian Navy, Vice Admiral Giuseppe Berutti Bergotto, during his first hearing before the joint Foreign Affairs and Defense Committees on March 25 (you can find the video here).

Exclusive Video and Demonstration for Insiders

A highly significant detail that emerged during the hearing concerns the video material shown to present the system. The footage captured the takeoff and operations of a TB3 from the deck of the Turkish amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu. However, to a keen eye, the presence of Italian military personnel aboard the Turkish ship in the video did not go unnoticed.

This detail confirms that it wasn’t generic stock footage, but a dedicated technical demonstration specifically offered to insiders and Italian military leadership. Italian officers were able to test and evaluate firsthand, in a real maritime operational environment, the drone’s short takeoff and landing capabilities, proving that cooperation between Rome and Ankara on this front was already at a mature stage.

Industrial Synergy: The Role of LBA Systems

The acquisition of the Turkish system will not be a simple import, but an operation of strong industrial value for the country. Vice Admiral Berutti Bergotto specified that the program will go through Leonardo. At the foundation of this operation is LBA Systems, the joint venture established in June 2025 by Leonardo and the Turkish company Baykar. This collaboration will allow for the combination of the aerodynamic excellence of Baykar’s unmanned platforms with Leonardo’s advanced avionics, sensors, and mission systems, ensuring an integrated platform that meets Italian Defense and NATO standards.

Operational Use Aboard the Cavour: A Force Multiplier

The Bayraktar TB3 is not just an adapted drone; it was specifically designed for naval operations. It features folding wings to optimize space in hangars and on flight decks, as well as reinforced landing gear to withstand the stress of short flight decks without catapults.

The entry of the TB3s into the Cavour‘s air wing will revolutionize the Italian Navy’s operational tactics, introducing a “layered approach”:

• Continuous ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) Coverage: Thanks to their high flight endurance, the TB3s will be able to patrol vast areas of the sea for hours, providing the Carrier Strike Group with continuous situational awareness. They will act as “forward sentinels” to detect surface threats or monitor adversary coastlines.
• Targeted Strike Capability: Being a fully-fledged UCAV, the TB3 can carry and launch precision-guided munitions. It will prove crucial in neutralizing asymmetrical targets, fast boats, or coastal positions with zero human risk.
• Manned-Unmanned Synergy with F-35Bs: This is where the true strategic advantage materializes. By entrusting drones with routine missions, prolonged patrolling, and attacks in low-intensity contexts, the Navy will be able to preserve the precious flight hours and immense technological potential of the fifth-generation F-35B fighters. Manned fighters will be “saved” for high-end missions, such as engaging hostile aircraft, suppressing enemy air defenses, or highly contested scenarios.

Future Prospects

In an era where naval warfare increasingly demands the distribution of forces (also evidenced by the Navy’s interest in drone swarms and loitering munitions launched from other platforms), Italy secures a cutting-edge naval and aerial projection capability. The integration of the TB3 projects the Italian Navy into a very exclusive global club of armed forces capable of launching armed fixed-wing drones from the deck of an aircraft carrier.