Italian company Leonardo continues work on its new project called Michelangelo Dome — this is integrated air and missile defense system, which should provide best possible protection from modern constantly changing threats.
Meaning this involves uniting range of sensors and engagement assets of various types into one system together with AI elements and cyber defense systems, which will detect threats and determine best countermeasure method.
Read more: Turkiye Sells Ukraine Its Entire Remaining M270 Launcher Stock Plus 70 ATACMS, 47,000 Cluster Shells, Deliveries Could Start This Year
It should combat wide threat spectrum, primarily aerial — from single to drone swarms, as well as cruise, ballistic and hypersonic missiles.
Back in March this year, Leonardo revealed testing range for their dome will become Ukraine, where first component of this system is being built — its testing is planned to be conducted by end of this year, however it still remains mysterious what exactly this will be. Obviously company most likely will not disclose details before testing start, and possibly some time after. And already after tests in Ukraine it is planned to scale to NATO member countries.
Also unknown whether testing will be limited to only one component (there is assumption this will be one of lower components focused on combating unmanned aerial vehicles). At same time, as Defence Industry Europe publication reports, Leonardo CEO Lorenzo Mariani emphasized they are accelerating development within Michelangelo Dome project.
Specifically on this aspect, as well as on demonstration of initial architecture capabilities in Ukraine, conversation following company financial year results was focused, while program cost, timelines and so on remain unknown.
Overall Michelangelo Dome conceptually should be sort of Lego constructor, to whose base architecture, at customer's wish, various capabilities can be integrated. Currently Leonardo works on integrating assets from MBDA and Guardian satellite constellation.
Moreover, despite this dome primarily combining air and missile defense capabilities, further expansion of system functionality for supporting other defense tasks is not excluded.
And Leonardo apparently makes serious bet on Michelangelo Dome project — company CEO calls it core strategic program on level with aviation GCAP, which provides for creating sixth-generation fighter. And apparently further dome success will depend on how it shows itself in Ukraine. And Leonardo will have excellent opportunity to refine it based on real combat use results.
Read more: Over 1,800 APCs, IFVs, Air Defense Systems, Howitzers and More: Details of the Largest-Ever GTK Boxer Order
