Page 18 - ADT NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2021 Online Magazine

and products for naval defence and maritime detect, track, identify and defeat simulated drone engagements,
and coastal surveillance, Leonardo is able to with RAF and USAF personnel impressed by the performance and
equip all classes of ship with the latest technol- utility of the joint system.
ogy. Over the last 60 years, more than 70 naval
forces around the world have chosen Leonardo Please elaborate on Leonardo’s radar solutions?
to equip more than 1.000 units, making the Di Bartolomeo: Leonardo has an extended offer of radar solutions,
company the market reference for the inte- for all domains and both for defence and civil environment, thanks to
gration of combat systems and the supply in-house laboratories devoted to specific areas of applied research,
of latest-generation equipment for modern which promote the effective integration of new, innovative compo- [ INTERVIEW LEONARDO ]
requirements. Leonardo’s portfolio includes nents within our existing radar portfolio and the new developments.
the production and integration of combat First, we should of course mention that our Seaspray e-scan
systems, naval combat management and com- (AESA) radar already equips the RoK Navy’s fleet of AW159 heli-
munications, fire control radars, electro-optical copters. Seaspray, which is optimised for maritime use, is providing
sensors, latest-generation navigation systems, a long-range, wide-area surveillance capability and we have heard
UAS, various caliber guns, missiles, torpedoes, many positive comments about the performance of the radar. This
sonars and electronic warfare sensors and technology is crucial in the detection of submarine periscopes and
suites. Leonardo ensures a worldwide and surface threats, using Leonardo’s patented small target detection
green logistic support through an extensive mode to detect even the smallest targets in high sea states, such
and well-established network. In line with our as submarine 'snort' masts or periscopes.
growing customer base and evolving mission
requirements, we are continuously expanding Following the success of Seaspray, Leonardo has continued to
and extending our capabilities and international invest in radar technology and produced Osprey, the first truly
network, and the spread presence of our mar- multi-domain AESA surveillance radar, which Leonardo is pro-
itime technological solutions worldwide is a moting to the Republic of Korea and other countries in the Asia
demonstration of our partners’ trust. Pacific region. Because of its multi-domain capabilities, Osprey is
being used by international operators for a range of missions from
What are the various types of defence, security and civil protection to environmental monitoring
defence mechanisms against drone and search and rescue.
and swarm drone attacks?
Leonardo offers a portfolio of counter-drone Leonardo is seeing a sustained level of interest in the region for
(C-UAS) capabilities that are suitable for a its Osprey AESA surveillance radar family, as decision makers in
range of regional customers and requirements. Coast Guards and other organisations evaluate the multi-domain
These readily exportable, scalable and modular radar for a number of requirements.
C-UAS systems can be tailored for both military
and civil customers. Twelve customers, including the U.S. Navy, have selected Osprey.
The U.S. Navy, which designates the radar AN/ZPY-8, is equipping
The company has already been contracted its MQ-8C Fire Scout RPAS with Osprey. Another key operator
for C-UAS equipment for the Italian Army and is the Royal Norwegian Air Force, which employ Osprey on its
Air Force and the UK Royal Air Force and is all-weather search and rescue helicopter, the Leonardo AW101.
in discussions with other potential customers Norwegian crews point to how the radar is playing a crucial role
worldwide. in operations, allowing them to search for and identify small tar-
This year, Leonardo finalized the delivery of gets over a very wide search area. In such operations, Osprey is
four complete baseline ORCUS counter-drone effectively providing two integrated pictures at the same time by
systems to the Royal Air Force for its Synergia operating two modes simultaneously. This means that the operators
research and development programme. This can maintain situational awareness while conducting surveillance.
system is also being used by the RAF as a For maritime missions, the company is also offering an enhanced
national standby capability to support emer- version of Seaspray, called Seaspray V2, which offers significant
gency services across the UK in crisis situations. range increases for certain critical modes, improved maritime
Most recently, as part of the UK and US detection and the ability to handle a high number of targets.
Armed Forces’ continued collaboration on
counter-drone research and development, What are the latest developments related to the
Leonardo has integrated the US Air Force’s AWHERO Rotary Unmanned Air System (RUAS)?
NINJA (Negation of Improvised Non-State We’re promoting the AWHero for a range of opportunities, particu-
Joint Aerial threats) technology into the RAF’s larly in Australia where we’ve teamed up with Northrop Grumman to
ORCUS counter-drone system. The complete meet the maritime surveillance requirement. The RUAS system has
system underwent evaluation in August 2021 demonstrated its outstanding capabilities in international demos
at the RAF Spadeadam electronic warfare tac- such as Ocean 2020 in the Mediterranean Sea and we expect the
tics facility. The trials saw ORCUS employed to military certification in Italy soon.

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