Piaggio Aerospace has been put up for sale since December 2018, and its future remained uncertain. Meanwhile, the Turkish form of Baykar has had many sales successes including the export of unmanned vehicles to the mediate East, Africa and Europe. The acquisition of an Italian company is seen as gaining better access by the Turks to the European market, but besides – by having a large local company – to EU technologies and programmes. Possession of Piaggio is intended to someway make Baykar immune to possible political crises between Turkey and Europe. It is besides a kind of return of Turkey to the Joint Strike Fighter program. As part of this consortium, Piaggio Aerospace received the task of producing components of F135 jet engines to Lightning II.
