Italy’s Leonardo pursues fighter contracts in Bangladesh, Philippines, Poland as Eurofighter campaigns intensify against American F-35, F-16 manufacturers.
Italian defense contractor Leonardo is aggressively pursuing fighter aircraft contracts in several key markets where U.S. manufacturers Lockheed Martin and Boeing compete for lucrative export deals, company officials said at the World Defense Show.
The Eurofighter partner company has active campaigns under way in Bangladesh, the Philippines, Poland and Egypt, with each opportunity representing hundreds of millions to billions of dollars in potential contracts. The push comes as the four-nation Eurofighter program experiences a production revival following orders from Germany, Italy, Spain and new customer Turkey.
“All the campaigns are a different stage, in terms of discussion,” said Tommaso Pani, Leonardo Aircraft senior vice-president for marketing and sales.
Bangladesh represents Leonardo’s most advanced campaign, having signed a letter of intent last December to acquire Typhoons for what officials believe will be a squadron-strength purchase of approximately 10 fighters. The South Asian nation is moving rapidly toward finalizing terms.
“Now we are in discussions as part of the negotiation, and are starting preparing the offer and defining the scope of supply,” Pani said. “Bangladesh is moving fast, and they really want to close the deal as soon as possible. Now it is a matter of defining whether or not the offer meets their budget.”
The Philippines presents a more competitive landscape where Leonardo faces off against multiple vendors, including U.S. defense contractors. Manila has issued requests for information to several companies as it seeks to modernize its air force.
“They want a huge number of aircraft, for deterrence,” Pani said, describing the competition as “really tough.” “We have an interesting proposal for them, in terms of industrial cooperation and financing packages.”
Poland’s procurement is currently at an earlier stage, with Warsaw seeking between 16 and 32 jets to fulfill air superiority requirements. The selected aircraft would operate alongside Poland’s incoming fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35As, creating a mixed Western fighter force under NATO standards.
Egypt is also evaluating combat aircraft options, holding discussions with companies in China and the United States while already operating Dassault Aviation Rafales in its current inventory. The Middle Eastern nation represents another strategic market where European and American manufacturers compete for influence.
Leonardo completed delivery of its final Typhoon to Kuwait in November 2025, fulfilling a 28-aircraft contract signed in 2016. The Gulf state agreed to a follow-on support deal with the Italian company late last year that extends through 2029.
The Eurofighter program’s recent momentum stems from follow-on orders placed this decade by consortium members Germany, Italy and Spain, along with Turkey’s entry as a new customer. Pani expressed confidence that Leonardo would add to these successes through new export contracts.
“I am confident,” he said.
Leonardo is also seeing renewed success with its M-346 advanced jet trainer and light-attack aircraft. Indonesia recently signed a letter of intent for the FA-model in the in-development Block 20 standard, following Austria’s formal contract late last year to become the Block 20 launch customer.
“We are doing well with the -346. In 2025 we got the launch customer [for the Block 20], and we are satisfying the promises we made at Farnborough,” Pani said, referring to the new model’s July 2024 launch.
Leonardo sees potential opportunities for the M-346 in Australia, Canada, Japan and the United Kingdom, along with possible sales to the U.S. Navy and buyers in the Middle East. However, the UK opportunity faces complications from a cooperation agreement between Eurofighter consortium partner BAE Systems and Boeing to offer the American company’s T-7A Red Hawk to the Royal Air Force.
Pani said the UK opportunity “it depends on the timing requirement of the RAF [Royal Air Force]” and that Leonardo is “in talks with other partners” regarding the campaign.
Key Takeaways
- Italian defense firm Leonardo is actively competing against U.S. manufacturers for fighter contracts in Bangladesh, the Philippines, Poland and Egypt, with Bangladesh representing the most advanced campaign following a December letter of intent for approximately 10 Typhoons.
- The Philippines seeks a large deterrence-focused fighter fleet with Leonardo facing tough competition from multiple vendors including American contractors, while Poland wants 16-32 aircraft to operate alongside incoming Lockheed Martin F-35As.
- Leonardo’s Eurofighter program is experiencing production revival from German, Italian, Spanish and Turkish orders, with Kuwait receiving final deliveries this year from a 28-aircraft contract.
- The company’s M-346 trainer and light-attack aircraft gained Austria as Block 20 launch customer and Indonesia’s letter of intent, with potential opportunities in Australia, Canada, Japan, the UK, U.S. Navy and Middle East markets.
