Leonardo at MSPO in Poland

Leonardo as a global player in the field of airspace, defence and security, providing advanced solutions for national defence sectors, is also a strategic partner of the Polish Ministry of Defence. Until today, within 30 years of its presence in Poland, the company has made significant investments in the Polish defence industry, mainly through Polish helicopter manufacturer PZL-Świdnik, and continues to do so through the recent establishment of Leonardo Poland and partnerships with local companies. Leonardo aims to strengthen his growing engagement in Poland, providing solutions for military, government and civil clients. The aim is to provide both state-of-the-art products and added value to the Polish economy, while meeting overriding defence requirements.

During four days MSPO, Leonardo presents product technologies and innovations related to the aviation sector: from Eurofighter Typhoon, the most effective swing-roll aircraft in Europe, i.e. with the possibility of changing the mission already during its course, and forming the backbone of NATO's European air defence, after M-346FA, an effective light combat aircraft; a new Polish multitasking helicopter; a special variant for the Polish Army based on the proven AW139 platform and a wide range of products and solutions for the Polish Navy, especially in the context of the programme "Miecznik" related to FREMM class frigates, which Poland wants to acquire in cooperation with international partners. Cybersecurity solutions will also be presented at Leonardo's stand, with particular emphasis on Cyber Range.

Visitors to the MSPO can see the HH-139 helicopter, which was brought to Poland not only for the MSPO trade fair, but also for the dedicated show tour in Poland. MSPO is another step in the promotional campaign of the helicopter on the Polish market. New Polish multipurpose helicopter AW139W, based on AW139 platform offered by Leonardo through PZL-Świdnik to the Polish Armed Forces, it can increase its capabilities effectively and quickly, while creating a completely new added value for the national economy in cooperation with the Polish industry.

Leonardo firmly believes that Fighter Attack variant M-346, can be an ideal solution for the Polish Air Force. This high-performance light combat aircraft provides huge operational benefits and offers many elements of common air force already using the M-346 training version. A large resemblance to M-346 Bielik will further reduce operating costs, both through economies of scale and shortening pilot training time. The M-346FA programme would be an innovative incentive, leading to the renewal of Polish capabilities of the aviation industry, providing them with an important role in the European industrial landscape. In terms of technological development of knowledge and experience of local companies, cooperation with Leonardo under the M-346FA programme would contribute to the development of the Polish defence industry, thanks to Leonardo's 80-year experience in the development of battle platforms and the extensive experience of Polish air companies in the production of jet fighters and training machines.

The Leonardo stand presents a wide range of state-of-the-art products of Electronics. These include guided ammunition, radar and FREMM combat management system to name only some of them. Leonardo can provide 100% combat management system (CMS) for all classes of ships. Leonardo also proposes the latest system for the Swordstick program ATHENA, called SADOC4 CMS. This is a complete solution for each type of ship. It is a solution for integrated presentation of information from sensors, tactical management of situational awareness, coordination of all resources, sensors and weapons of the combat system and full integration with platform systems.

The ATHENA system is characterized by a high level of integration and automation, which reduces the operator's workload under critical conditions, but also allows automatic response to emerging threats. ATHENA is integrated with multiple tactical data links and NATO command support systems to allow automatic coordination of weapon systems in the field of threat assessment, operation planning and arms control during combat

Other programmes worth mentioning in Poland will definitely include OCEAN2020 (Open Cooperation for European mAritimewarewareNess), the largest European-funded defence research project on maritime surveillance, in which Leonardo coordinates a team of 43 partners from 15 countries with a very significant participation of Poland.

During the MSPO, Leonardo draws the attention of Poles to the innovative programme Skydweller: developed by Skydweller Aero Inc., state-of-the-art aviation company, Skydweller will be a renewable-powered drone capable of carrying large and powerful loads, of unprecedented durability, for purposes such as land and sea surveillance, environmental and infrastructure monitoring, from industrial geoinformation services to telecommunications and precise navigation. Leonardo is a shareholder and technology investor in the company, and will participate in development and engineering activities through a dedicated team, and is the main contractor for relevant business opportunities in Italy, the UK, Poland and NATO.

Leonardo sees a place on the Polish market for his rCyber Range Connections, a targeted training program that thanks to advanced virtualization and complex cyber attacks scenarios helps to gain practical experience. Leonardo intends to increasingly support Polish national defence, police and critical infrastructure, offering comprehensive and integrated security and cyberspace solutions – from professional communication and advanced command and control centres to cyber defence capabilities and platforms, cyber training and testing the resilience of strategic platforms.

Cyber Range is an essential tool for training and simulation as well as a solution for testing the cyber resilience of strategic platforms. The system was selected, among other things, by the Qatar Computing Research Institute to train operators and evaluate cyberattack resilience. Leonardo, mainly known in Poland for the production of helicopters and aircraft structures at PZL-Świdnik, is one of the leaders of the cybersecurity industry.

Cyber Range has a special military use because practical experience is essential for operations launched in cyberspace against hostile targets. In addition, the project combines cyber strategy with classical military doctrine, and cooperation operates in the space sector. Poland has been using data from the COSMO-SkyMed Earth Observation Programme for several years – owned by the Italian Space Agency and the Italian Ministry of Defence, developed by Leonardo and his joint venture Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio. Equipped with state-of-the-art radar with synthetic aperture (SAR), the COSMO-SkyMed constellation is the nucleus of the Polish satellite recognition system. Thanks to the P-DUGS reception station (Polish – Defence User Ground Segment – Polish Ground Military Segment of the User) built in the Podwarszawskie Białobrzegi and cooperation with the Italian Ground Military Segment of the User, Poland can access the data of the first and second generation COSMO-SkyMed for defence and security purposes.

Leonardo and its joint ventures also operate in Poland in the field of military (SICRAL) and commercial satellite communications and television broadcasting services.

Poland is in the process of strategic redesigning its military assets, definitely leaving behind assets from the Warsaw Pact to achieve the highest NATO/EU standards. For Leonardo, one of the largest European defence players in Poland, the current scenario seems to be really beneficial for strengthening the Polish industrial base in the coming years if Poland is able to find appropriate fields of cooperation.

Leonardo understands perfectly the requirements of the Polish side in terms of offset offer, technology transfer and know-how. Therefore, in the programs of modernization of the Armed Forces of Poland, Leonardo offers a number of benefits and active cooperation with Polish industry and scientific institutions. A good example of this approach is the strong offer of the value of Leonardo, which assumes further investments in PZL-Świdnik, including the launch of even two production lines: new Polish multipurpose and combat helicopters.

PZL-Świdnik itself is an important centre of excellence in the production of aircraft structures for most Leonardo helicopters, which are delivered on many markets on all continents. Leonardo intends to further strengthen the role of PZL-Świdnik as a producer of original equipment on the domestic and global helicopter market. PZL-Świdnik has a rich 70-year tradition in the design, development and production of helicopters, making Poland one of the few countries in the world with full capabilities in the design, production and support of helicopters. This heritage obliges to form a strategic partnership with the Polish Ministry of Defence.

Source: Leonardo