Rome, July 13, 2018. Visitors to Leonardo at the Farnborough International Airshow 2018 (16th to 22nd July, stand L1) will be able to learn about how the Company is planting the seeds for sustainable growth in its home markets, where defence budgets are increasing, and in its international markets, where there are a wealth of addressable export and partnership opportunities.
Exhibits at Leonardo’s stand will highlight how the company is currently meeting requirements in these markets by delivering innovative, high technology solutions to its customers and providing cost-effective full through-life support services in domains including airborne sensors, rotorcraft, fixed wing aircraft, unmanned air systems and cyber security. Guests will also be able to find out about the major programmes across Europe and around the World in which Leonardo is involved and see first-hand some of the products and technology areas where Leonardo holds leadership positions.
Several of these can be seen in Leonardo’s 7,000 sqm outdoor display area, which will include aircraft that are making their first appearance at Farnborough, such as the very latest variant of the AW101 helicopter for the Royal Norwegian Air Force and the P-72A maritime patrol aircraft of the Italian Air Force.
The outdoor area will cover key capabilities in strategic markets for Leonardo, including maritime security and rescue, Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance (ISR) and training & light attack. In maritime security, Leonardo’s search and rescue capabilities will be well represented, with the display including a Search and Rescue (SAR) variant of the AW101 with its integrated Leonardo Osprey AESA radar, an AW189 and a full scale cabin mock-up of the AW609, the world’s first tiltrotor set to achieve civil certification, in its SAR configuration. For emergency rescues, an AW169 in its utility/air ambulance configuration will also be on-show.
Representing Leonardo’s close relationship with its Armed Forces customers and how the Company’s leading capabilities in the maritime security domain are helping them meet their objectives, a Royal Navy AW159 Wildcat will be on display, while an upgraded Brazilian Navy Super Lynx Mk21A helicopter will highlight Leonardo’s MLU (Mid-Life Upgrade) capabilities for its range of proven military rotorcraft, as well as for naval and land platforms.
For customers with needs in the ISR domain, the P-72A multi-mission aircraft will be making its Farnborough debut. Ideal for maritime patrol, prevention of piracy, smuggling, drug trafficking and illegal immigration, the P-72A is equipped with Leonardo’s ATOS mission system and Seaspray E-scan surveillance radar. At the smaller end of the ISR scale, the AWHERO will be representing company’s expertise in Rotary-Winged Unmanned Aerial Systems (RUAS), being shown equipped with the Company’s Gabbiano TS Ultra-light radar.
Leonardo’s remotely-piloted Falco EVO, Leonardo’s tactical fixed-wing unmanned ISR platform that can fly for up to 20 hours, carrying a payload of up to 100 kg, will also be on show. The Falco EVO can be equipped with a number of the Company’s world-leading sensor systems, also on show at Farnborough, including the Osprey radar, a range of advanced Electronic Warfare products and avionics including the latest Mode 5 Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) systems.
Headlining Leonardo’s training and light attack offer, the M-346FA (Fighter Attack) will be present, a development of Leonardo’s proven M-346 trainer which will be shown equipped with the Company’s Grifo-346 radar. The T-100 with Large Area Display, that is competing for the US T-X tender, will also be on display. While at the static area, guests will also be able to see Leonardo’s new E-scan fire control radar, which is being launched at the show.
Inside Leonardo’s stand, a stunning exhibition area will be showcasing the Company’s new products and systems around the three core themes of ‘Combat’, ‘ISR’ and ‘Training & Support’, while a central focal-point will display key examples of Leonardo’s integrated capabilities. Guests will be able to learn about Leonardo’s extensive portfolio in intelligence, cyber, and Command & Control, where the company offers cohesive, digitised networks.
A focus on integrated technologies will show how Leonardo is the partner of choice for major programmes such as the UK’s Identification Friend/Foe (IFF) Mode 5 upgrade, which the Company is already delivering as part of team Skytale, and the UK MOD’s Air Support to Defence Operational Training (ASDOT) requirement, which the company has been down-selected to bid for as part of team Red Aces.
Looking forwards, Leonardo will demonstrate its readiness for future requirements in Combat Air and ISR, both manned and unmanned, and how it is working with partner industries to build future capabilities, highlighting examples such as OCEAN 2020, European MALE RPAS and Clean Sky 2. Products to look out for in the indoor exhibition area include new COMINT and sonics systems, which Leonardo will be launching at the show.
Training and support is one of the strategic drivers for Leonardo and will therefore be a particular focus at Farnborough. The dedicated section will allow visitors to find out more about Leonardo’s bespoke services that deliver the right training and maintenance capabilities, without the burden of capital expenditure.
Exhibits include the Company’s Mirach 40 (M-40) target drone which has now been approved for service for Italian Armed Forces training and the M-345 Simulator, part of the complete M345 training system, which delivers a superior cost/performance training envelope for military jet pilots. Visitors can also learn about the AW101 helicopter’s Technical Training Device (TTD) and the MORPHEUS system, a virtual trainer that can be customized for any system and gives a truly immersive real life operating environment.
Leonardo’s activities in Space will also be playing a role at Farnborough Airshow. Leonardo contributes to many of the most important international Space programmes both with its own technologies and products and through two joint ventures with Thales, which together form the “Space Alliance”: Telespazio (Leonardo 67% and Thales 33%) and Thales Alenia Space (Thales 67% and Leonardo 33%). Visitors to Leonardo’s stand will be able to learn more about the latest Space services and data management and see a scale model of a latest-generation satellite near to the combat area. Visitors should also look out for Leonardo’s new big data solution to deliver high value satellite-based intelligence for maritime protection, which will be launched during the show.
Partnerships will also be a major focus for Leonardo at Farnborough. As a major member of the Eurofighter Typhoon programme, Leonardo will be supporting Eurofighter’s presence at the show. Leonardo plays a key role in the provision of Typhoon’s airframe and provides over 60% of its avionics , including leading the consortia responsible for the aircraft’s radar, defensive aids suite and infrared search and track system, which raises Leonardo’s programme contribution to 36%. The company is leading the delivery of the entire Typhoon system for the Kuwait Air Force.
Leonardo also plays an important role in many of the highest-profile on-going international aerospace, defence, security and Space programmes. In a key example, the Company is leading OCEAN2020, the European Defence Fund’s strategic research programme for naval surveillance technology and maritime safety.
Leonardo is leading a team of 42 partners from 15 European countries to deliver this critical research into the maritime technologies of the future. In another, the European MALE RPAS programme will see Leonardo join Airbus and Dassault to foster the development of the latest unmanned technologies, contributing to the sustainment of key competencies and jobs within Europe as well as providing Armed Forces with a high-performance and sovereign operational system.