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2021-02-07

IDEX and NAVDEX are the Opportunity to Look With Optimism into the New Year

With most Aerospace and Defence sector exhibitions being suspended in 2020, the last time Leonardo attended a significant physical event was one year ago when the company joined UMEX in Abu Dhabi. This year, Leonardo is closing an imaginary loop by returning to the city for IDEX 2021, ready to welcome our international partners again.

While this is the first major event we are attending for some time, it is important to note that Leonardo has remained engaged throughout 2020 with our partners in the UAE and other countries via our local offices, subsidiaries and suppliers. We have looked to support emergency counter-COVID-19 activities and have continued to deliver on key programmes for our customers.

While 2020 presented major challenges for us all, Leonardo has seen a number of important successes and milestones, first of all the development – in coordination with certification and healthcare authorities and operators – of specific equipment, guidelines and processes for a safe transport of COVID-19 patients via helicopter.

Our AW139 and AW169 were the world’s first civil-certified EMS helicopters to be able to load bio-hazard containment stretchers, while our C-27J airlifter was used extensively by operators around the world to transport medical supplies, landing everywhere from small regional Italian airports to the most remote villages of Latin America. The increased need for digital connections, as populations shifted suddenly and dramatically to large-scale home-working, saw us called upon to provide even more extensive protection in the cyber domain.

Looking at other major milestones, we were proud last year to deliver the first two M-345 trainer aircraft to the Italian Air Force and to begin – with them – the construction of the International Flight Training School. We saw the maiden flights of both our Falco Xplorer Remotely-Piloted Air System (RPAS) and the new Fighter Attack variant of our iconic M-346 advanced trainer.

We were contracted to complete development of the ECRS Mk2 radar for the Eurofighter Typhoon, which will be the most capable radar system ever produced for a fighter jet. The solar-powered drone Skydweller embarked on a flight campaign in support of the development a system capable of perpetual flight.

Leonardo also successfully demonstrated manned-unmanned teaming capabilities via our AW159 Wildcat helicopter, and we transported biological samples and biomedical products via a remotely piloted electric aircraft. In 2020, we also launched the AW169 LUH programme for the Italian Army, strengthening the market position of the AW169 for military applications.

Back to the present day, IDEX 2021 is an opportunity to look with optimism into the new year. Leonardo remains committed to serving and protecting communities around the world and contributing to their sustainable growth via our leadership in next generation technologies, in line with our “Be Tomorrow – Leonardo 2030” strategic plan, and stands close to UAE leadership, institutions and Armed Forces in supporting their operations as well as looking for new field of fruitful collaboration.

Leonardo is exhibiting at stand 06-A03

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