Growing a Stronger Presence in Australia Thanks to Advanced Multidomain Technologies

February 28, 2023

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Leonardo is attending the 2023 Avalon Air Show, (Chalet n.N17 and Static Area) showcasing a wide range of cutting-edge technologies with a strong focus on its solutions to Australia’s strategic requirements.

Leonardo develops its industrial path in Australia through Leonardo Australia. Established in 2019, Leonardo’s Australian branch has since developed its activity and assets while working with key players to enable opportunities for Australian suppliers to build in country capabilities, and delivering tailored offerings of its multidomain solutions. To enhance the responsiveness of Australian Defence Forces, the company offers a broad portfolio of products, services, and solutions to public and private Emergency Services, and the wider Australian Defence Industry.

Alberto Pietra, SVP International Marketing & Strategic Campaigns Asia, Far East & Oceania explains: “Leonardo is well-positioned in the Australian market and wider Oceania Region, but we are willing to grow significantly in this market where our key proprietary solutions have great potential to satisfy local Defence and Security requirements. Cooperation and development of industrial synergy with local partners is very deep in our DNA, so we are well available to cooperate with them, also to meet with AIC’s (Australian Industry Capability) guidelines”.

The Essendon Fields helicopters hangar and the Fishermans Bend facility supports a fleet of more than 160 helicopters deployed for civil, military and public utility applications, with maintenance, repair and overhaul services. This capability extends to avionics testing and maintenance, performed at the electronical testing facility of Partech Systems, wholly owned by Leonardo, in New South Wales.

More than 60 AW139 are operating today in Australia. AW139 is the leading model for Emergency Medical Service (EMS) nationwide, thanks to its high-level performance, capability, reliability, and safety. The AW139 has been chosen by several Australian operators to carry out a variety of missions, including law enforcement, patrol and surveillance, and maritime search and rescue operations.

The new AW609 represents a revolution in point-to-point transportation by air, combining the speed, range, and comfort of a fixed-wing aircraft with the convenience and flexibility of a helicopter. The AW-609 TiltRotor is suited for a range of customers, including Para public, Medical and Rescue Services, Energy Services, and VIP and Executive Transport. The AW-609 delivers an unprecedented level of performance, flying at almost twice the speed of a conventional helicopter. The platform could also play a very important role in improving rescue operations. In vast countries like Australia, rescue operations in remote areas currently require multiple forms of transportation (fixed-wing aircraft, helicopter, and ambulance). The AW-609 will add continuity and speed in such operations: a single vehicle will be able to travel quickly over large distances to reach and pick up patients and take them directly to the most appropriate hospital. This operational continuity also adds incredible potential for other purposes such as security patrolling.

Operating 10 C-27J Spartan, RAAF has in service one of the widest fleets worldwide. Leonardo is proud to see that RAAF’s C-27J Spartan is continuing to play a critical role with the Australian Defence Force (ADF), performing humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions and providing operational value thanks to its unique flexibility, robustness, reliability, and capability to land and take off on extreme airfield / airstrip conditions. The C-27J Spartan is a true “extreme conditions workhorse”, capable of working in remote regions across Australia and in the near South Pacific regions. The C-27J is widely recognized as the most effective multi-role military transport aircraft in its size class. The aircraft features new avionics and aerodynamic developments for greater efficiency and improved operating performance. The C-27J Spartan flexibility is enhanced by its multi-mission capabilities developed by Leonardo, such as Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR), Maritime Patrol (MPA), and Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), which complement its original role of Tactical Airlifter. Last October the Australian Government has signed an Avionics Upgrade Acquisition Contract for the C-27J Spartan fleet and many of its operators are upgrading their fleets to the latest standards.

Leonardo is a global leader in the military pilots training field. Leonardo  believes that the M-346 advanced jet trainer / LIFT aircraft and its latest generation training system is the best solution to train the RAAF’S future pilots. With over 100,000 Flight Hours achieved with some of the most demanding Air Forces, the M-346 platform is a fully integrated training system that was crafted using cutting-edge technologies. It includes a network of simulators and ground-based instructional devices, as well as a fully operational Live, Virtual, and Constructive (LVC) environment developed entirely by Leonardo, capable of exposing student pilots to the most complex and challenging operational scenarios. The M-346 training system continually demonstrates its effectiveness for advanced/lead-in fighter training phases that enables student pilots to develop the knowledge and skills that are critical for effective exploitation of modern combat aircraft such as the FA-18 Super Hornet and the F-35, representing an undisputed market benchmark.

The M-346 is also the backbone of the International Flight Training School (IFTS), a joint initiative between Italian Air Force and Leonardo, already chosen by Qatari, Japanese, German, and Singaporean Air Forces, among others, and selected as the flagship campus by the NATO Flying Training in Europe (NFTE) project. The presentation “Growing Tomorrow’s Fliying Aces” on the M-346 advanced jet trainer and the International Flight Training School will be delivered by the Leonardo team at Avalon Air Show, on Tuesday 28 February 14:00 – 15:00 (Room 4 at the Conference Centre).

In the Electronic domain, Leonardo will showcase cutting-edge technologies and solutions for land, sea, and air surveillance. In addition to the ATOS mission system, already in service in Australia as Surveillance Information Management (SIM) for coastal and land patrolling operations, the company offers technologies for 360° surveillance, such as the uncrewed Falco EVO and Falco Xplorer systems – the latter has recently reached an important milestone by successfully concluding the first phase of flight testing and certification. The versatility and high payload capacity of Falco systems allow the integration of a complete sensor suite for the collection, integration, correlation, and dissemination of tactical-strategic level information; the Gabbiano TS20-UL and Gabbiano TS80-UL multimodal patrol and surveillance radars will also be on display.

Leonardo offers a wide range of technologies and solutions for electronic warfare to protect crews, aircraft, and naval and land vehicles. The missile protection systems, such as the Miysis and MAIR systems, the BriteCloud jammer and the SAGE electronic intelligence system can be installed on board the Falco systems together with other COMINT (COMmunications INTelligence) technologies.

Source : Leonardo