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2020-11-11

Leonardo Displays Excellence in Naval Systems

Leonardo, a leading supplier of products and services for naval defence and maritime and coastal surveillance, participated at the Euronaval virtual exhibition that was held between October 19 to 25. With decades of experience in the domain, the company demonstrated that it can meet naval requirements for vessels of any type, class and tonnage.

Over the last 50 years, more than 50 international navies have chosen Leonardo technologies to equip more than 140 naval units. The company’s portfolio includes complete integrated combat systems, combat management systems and communication systems as well as radar, fire control, electro-optical and navigation systems, remotely piloted airborne platforms and their payloads, ammunition, missiles, torpedoes, sonar and electronic warfare suites. Some of the technologies highlighted included:

Flexible Combat Management System (CMS)

Leonardo’s modular CMS features open architecture and is reconfigurable in order to fit any ship configuration. Its high level of flexibility means that customers can choose to have a wide range of systems integrated. The Italian Navy, as part of its modernisation programme, has adopted Leonardo’s CMS to equip its multi-role offshore patrol vessels (Pattugliatori Polivalenti d’Altura (PPA).

Communications Domain

At the event, Leonardo promoted its naval voice distribution system SENTINEL TVT (Tactical Voice Terminal). Due to their low power requirement, TVTs are “line powered” (PoE) and require no power sources beyond their Ethernet connection. This reduces installation and material costs. A network of TVTs can remain operational despite battle damage, loss of one, several or many units.

Combat Scenarios

The company highlighted its Black Scorpion light torpedo as well as the Vulcano 127mm ammunition and a new small-calibre system, alongside the ULISSES (Ultra Light SonicS Enhanced System) sensor, which is designed to maximise the effectiveness of Anti Submarine Warfare (ASW) operations. ULISSES implements multistatic capabilities as well as concurrent processing on a variety of sonobuoys, including the latest special purpose sonobuoys developed to detect low noise targets.

The Black Scorpion can be launched both from aircrafts and ships and submarines through buoys dispensers and launchers, which the units are already equipped with. It can operate in shallow water and, thanks to its characteristics it can be effectively employed in an anti-terrorist role within the asymmetric fight.

While the VULCANO 127mm ammunition is conceived to give the 127/54 C and the 127/64 LW naval guns the capability to meet any present and future requirement for precision naval fire support and long-range engagement of surface targets. VULCANO 127mm BER maintains the anti-air role as well. The rounds capitalise on new and emerging technology based upon a fin stabilised airframe with canard control for terminal guidance; mechanical interfaces are the same as standard 127mm ammunition.

Also highlighted was the Janus multi-sensor electro-optical system that offers medium and long-range visual surveillance capabilities in a single package.

Radar Realm

Leonardo put the spotlight on Osprey (E-scan) and Gabbiano (M-scan) multi-mode, multi-mission airborne radars, both of which can operate in all weather conditions over land, sea and coastal regions. Osprey provides a multi-domain capability, with high performance sea surveillance, notably against ‘difficult targets’, land surveillance with wide swath, high-resolution ground mapping, small and low speed ground target indication, high performance air-to-air surveillance, tracking and intercept.

While, the lightest variant of the Gabbiano family, the Gabbiano TS Ultra-Light, is the result of the company’s efforts to package all the technology and modes of its successful range of Gabbiano radars into an affordable product weighing less than 24kg. It has been integrated into the AWHERO remotely piloted helicopter, which has been successfully demonstrated in international projects such as OCEAN2020, the European sea surveillance research programme.

AWHERO integrates sensors made by Leonardo and is optimised to fly from naval units to perform multiple roles. It is controlled through a Ground Control Station (GCS), with protocols and communication NATO STANAG-4586 compliant, able to manage multiple missions during all stages of flight, with combined or independent assets.

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