Leonardo and EDGE Announce €4 Billion Joint Venture in Defence Markets
Strategic Partnership and Market Impact
Joint Venture Details and Objectives
June 17 (Reuters) - Italian defence and aerospace company Leonardo and Abu Dhabi's EDGE group have detailed plans for a joint venture targeting over 4 billion euros in orders over five years, the companies said on Wednesday at a Paris event.
The venture announced last November, which will be 51% owned by EDGE and 49% by Leonardo, is expected to begin operations with contracts already secured worth several hundred million euros.
Key Focus Areas of the Joint Venture
- The joint venture will focus on airborne radars for next-generation stealth platforms, the Kronos Grand Mobile High-Power radar, Combat Management Systems and Multi-Mission Aircraft Sensors
- It will also serve as a commercial platform to promote and sell the M-346 fighter/trainer aircraft across European and international markets
Leadership Statements
"Industrial collaboration and joint ventures are a model we are increasingly embracing, and we are confident that, together with EDGE, we will establish a winning benchmark," said Leonardo CEO Lorenzo Mariani
Background and Timeline
The two companies first outlined the partnership in a memorandum of understanding signed in 2025, and announced the joint venture at the Dubai Airshow in November 2025
(Reporting by Romolo Tosiani in Gdansk; Editing by Matt Scuffham)
