Baykar Company Profile, Products, Employees and Revenue
Baykar is a privately held Turkish defence company based in Istanbul that builds the Bayraktar TB2, TB3 and Akıncı armed drones and the Kızılelma unmanned fighter, and it was the world’s largest exporter of combat drones in 2025. The company said it earned $2.5 billion in total revenue that year, of which $2.2 billion came from exports.
Founded in 1984 and led today by chairman Haluk Bayraktar and chief technology officer Selçuk Bayraktar, Baykar has export contracts with 37 countries, according to its own 2025 results. It owns the Italian aircraft maker Piaggio Aerospace and runs a 50:50 drone joint venture with Leonardo. Published headcount figures differ by source, and this profile shows the range instead of choosing one.
What Does Baykar Do?
Baykar designs and manufactures unmanned aircraft, from small tactical drones to jet-powered unmanned combat aircraft, together with missiles and other weapons for them. It is best known for the Bayraktar TB2, an armed drone used in conflicts including Ukraine, and for exporting the large majority of what it sells. Exports made up 88% of 2025 revenue and 90% in 2024, according to the company.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Istanbul, Turkey |
| Founded | 1984, by Özdemir Bayraktar |
| Ownership | Privately held; not listed on a stock exchange |
| Leadership | Haluk Bayraktar (CEO and chairman of the LBA Systems venture); Selçuk Bayraktar (CTO and chairman) |
| Employees | Over 8,000 (Wikipedia, undated); about 7,200 in March 2026 (Revelio Labs estimate) |
| Revenue | About $2.5 billion (2025, company) |
| Exports | $2.2 billion (2025, company) |
| Main products | Bayraktar TB2, TB3, Akıncı, Kızılelma, KALKAN, Bayraktar Mini |
| Subsidiary | Piaggio Aerospace, Villanova d’Albenga, Italy (acquired December 2024) |
How Many Employees Does Baykar Have?
Sources disagree. Wikipedia lists more than 8,000 employees without a clear date, while the workforce-analytics firm Revelio Labs estimates about 7,228 people in March 2026 and 6,734 in 2025, mostly in Turkey. Baykar’s own 2025 results release, which reports export and revenue figures, does not give a headcount. The Revelio numbers are a third-party estimate from public profiles, not a company statement, and may exclude Piaggio Aerospace staff or factory workers who are not on professional networks.
Baykar Revenue and Export Results by Year
Baykar’s export revenue has more than tripled since 2021. Total revenue was $2 billion in 2023 according to Wikipedia, and the company put it at $2.5 billion in 2025.
| Year | Exports | Total revenue |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $664 million | — |
| 2022 | $1.2 billion | — |
| 2023 | $1.8 billion | About $2 billion (Wikipedia) |
| 2024 | $1.8 billion (90% of revenue) | — |
| 2025 | $2.2 billion (88% of revenue) | $2.5 billion |
What Are Baykar’s Main Products?
The lineup runs from a hand-launched mini drone to a jet-powered unmanned fighter. Specifications below come from Wikipedia and vary by variant and source.
| Product | Role | Key figures |
|---|---|---|
| Bayraktar Mini | Small tactical UAV | First Baykar system in Turkish Armed Forces inventory, 2007 |
| Bayraktar TB2 | Medium-altitude armed drone | 12 m wingspan; 700 kg max takeoff weight; 150 kg payload; over 20 hours endurance |
| Bayraktar TB3 | Carrier-capable armed drone | 14 m wingspan; 1,450 kg max takeoff weight; 280 kg payload; first flight 27 October 2023 |
| Bayraktar Akıncı | High-altitude armed drone | 20 m wingspan; 6,000 kg max takeoff weight; 1,500 kg payload; 24+ hours endurance; first flight 6 December 2019 |
| Bayraktar Kızılelma | Jet-powered unmanned fighter | Five prototypes built by early 2026; entry into inventory planned for 2026 (Selçuk Bayraktar) |
The TB2 is covered in detail in our Bayraktar TB2 profile, and the newer aircraft in our pages on the TB3, Akıncı and Kızılelma.
Which Countries Buy From Baykar?
Baykar said in early 2026 that it held export contracts with 36 countries for the TB2 and 16 for the Akıncı, 37 countries in total once overlaps are counted. Wikipedia describes at least 34 TB2 operators or customers as of late 2024, with Turkey the main user. Named Akıncı users on Wikipedia include Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Morocco, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, with Indonesia and Kyrgyzstan signed for future deliveries.
| Customer | Aircraft | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | TB3 | 60 units ordered, February 2025 (Wikipedia) |
| Indonesia | Kızılelma | 12 units from 2028, with an option to reach 48 (Janes, Quwa) |
| Ukraine | TB2 | Combat use from 2021; Baykar factory in Ukraine reported to offer 500 jobs (Ukrinform) |
| Italy, Spain | TB3 | Listed on Wikipedia as planned navy operators |
Recent reporting on TB2 use includes alleged strikes in the DR Congo.
Who Owns Baykar and What Is the Leonardo Joint Venture?
Baykar is privately held and run by members of the Bayraktar family, whose chief executive and chief technology officer lead it. On 27 December 2024 it completed the acquisition of Piaggio Aerospace, an Italian maker of the P.180 Avanti business jet that had been in extraordinary administration since 2018. The price was not disclosed in the source read.
In March 2025 Baykar and Leonardo signed a memorandum of understanding, and in June 2025 they formalised a 50:50 venture called LBA Systems with headquarters in Italy. Quwa reported that it reached full operational readiness on 21 July 2026 at the Farnborough Airshow. Its portfolio covers the KALKAN, two TB2 variants, the Astore Levante, the Akıncı and the Kızılelma, and the first two or three aircraft are reportedly under way.
Baykar History Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1984 | Özdemir Bayraktar founds the company |
| 2007 | Bayraktar Mini enters Turkish Armed Forces inventory |
| 6 Dec 2019 | Akıncı makes its first flight |
| 29 Aug 2021 | First three Akıncı enter Turkish service |
| 2022 | Exports reach $1.2 billion; Ukraine crowdfunding raises about 600 million hryvnias for TB2s |
| 27 Oct 2023 | TB3 first flight |
| 19 Nov 2024 | TB3 takes off and lands on TCG Anadolu |
| 27 Dec 2024 | Piaggio Aerospace acquisition completed |
| Mar 2025 | Memorandum of understanding with Leonardo |
| 29 Nov 2025 | Kızılelma completes beyond-visual-range shot with Aselsan radar and Gökdoğan missile |
| 3 Feb 2026 | Baykar reports $2.2 billion exports for 2025 |
| 21 Jul 2026 | LBA Systems declared fully operational |
Other recent Turkish and drone-sector coverage on our site includes the top combat drones of 2026 and the Azerbaijan-Turkey naval drone programme.
Baykar Company Profile FAQ
Is Baykar a Turkish or Israeli company?
Baykar is Turkish, headquartered in Istanbul. It has no connection to Israel.
Who owns Baykar?
It is privately held and led by the Bayraktar family, with Haluk Bayraktar as chief executive and Selçuk Bayraktar as chief technology officer.
What is Baykar best known for?
The Bayraktar TB2 armed drone, along with the TB3, Akıncı and Kızılelma.
How much revenue does Baykar make?
The company reported about $2.5 billion in 2025, including $2.2 billion of exports.
How many employees does Baykar have?
Wikipedia lists over 8,000; Revelio Labs estimates about 7,200 in March 2026. The company’s 2025 results release gives no figure.
What is Piaggio Aerospace’s link to Baykar?
Baykar acquired the Italian company on 27 December 2024, giving it an EU base for approval and certification, according to Quwa.
What is LBA Systems?
A 50:50 joint venture of Leonardo and Baykar for drones, based in Italy and declared fully operational on 21 July 2026.
How many countries buy Baykar drones?
Baykar reports export contracts with 37 countries as of its 2025 results.
- Baykar – “Baykar remains global UCAV export leader in 2025”: baykartech.com
- Türkiye Today – “Baykar sets $2.2B export record, Kızılelma to enter inventory in 2026” (3 February 2026): turkiyetoday.com
- Quwa – Leonardo-Baykar LBA Systems reaches full operational readiness: quwa.org
- The Aviationist – Baykar, Leonardo advance MoU with 50:50 joint venture (24 June 2025): theaviationist.com
- Revelio Labs – Baykar employee estimates: reveliolabs.com
- Wikipedia – Baykar; Bayraktar TB2; Bayraktar Akıncı; Piaggio Aerospace
[…] Other systems shown at IDEF 2025 included the Gökbora air-to-air missile, the Eren loitering munition and a submarine-launched Atmaca called Akata, according to Breaking Defense. Roketsan also produced the Teber-82 rockets that Baykar’s Kızılelma tested in July 2026, as covered in our Baykar company profile. […]