Leonardo is preparing the first component of the new Michelangelo air defense system for Ukraine, and combat testing of the complex in real conditions may take place as early as this year.
Leonardo is preparing the first component of the new Michelangelo air defense system for Ukraine, and combat testing of the complex in real conditions may take place as early as this year.
As «Military» writes with reference to Breaking Defense, Leonardo CEO Roberto Cingolani stated that the first element of the «dome» is already being built for Ukraine. This is where the company wants to conduct the first test of Michelangelo in a real environment, and the transfer of the system is tentatively expected by the end of 2026.
Michelangelo is designed as an open architecture that should combine various means into a single defense network. It is about linking artillery, radar, satellites and anti-drone systems to cover an area attacked by drones or other means of destruction. According to Cingolani, the basic configuration can cover an area of approximately 10-15 km, and then scale up depending on the number of platforms, electronics and software.
Leonardo also claims that Michelangelo should work against a wide range of threats: from drone swarms and low-altitude targets to ballistic and hypersonic missiles. The key element of the system is the MC5 module, which is responsible for multi-domain integration. The company has already announced interest from 20 countries and predicts €21 billion in new investments in this area by 2035.
After the Ukrainian phase, Leonardo wants to move on to NATO tests in 2027. These should include testing the system against ballistic missiles and testing integration into air defense and missile defense command and control circuits. The company plans full integration with NATO and European structures by the end of 2030.
At the end of January, Leonardo also showed the Hystrix concept, a ground-based anti-UAV system based on the 76/62 Super Rapid naval artillery mount. That is, Michelangelo is not a separate experiment for the company, but part of a wider line of solutions in the segment of modern air defense and anti-drone systems.
Previously, dev.ua wrote about how French Thales introduced the SkyDefender multi-level air defense and missile defense system, which includes solutions already tested during the war in Ukraine. The company positions it as an integrated «dome» for protection against drones, aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles.
