Italy's Leonardo to test Michelangelo air defense system in Ukraine by year-end
Lorenzo Mariani (photo: Leonardo)
Italian defense company Leonardo aims to deepen cooperation with Ukraine's military technology sector through its newly established Kyiv-based unit, Bloomberg reports.
What Leonardo's CEO said about Ukraine's defense industry
According to Lorenzo Mariani, CEO of state-controlled Leonardo, Ukraine's sector of small and medium-sized companies and startups has been given an opportunity and has demonstrated ingenuity in creating particularly innovative and battle-tested solutions. Mariani noted that gathering these developments directly on the ground is the right way forward.
The subsidiary, which was publicly announced only last month, is also expected to be involved in the development of the Michelangelo air defense system, with the first test in Ukraine planned by the end of the year. Leonardo is already testing the system's counter-drone component in Italy and will initially deploy the artillery layer of defense in Ukraine.
How Leonardo is promoting Michelangelo in export markets
The Michelangelo system is already being offered to export customers that need protection against drones and ballistic threats, Mariani said. Leonardo is primarily targeting existing customers that already use its sensors, as it is easier for them to see the benefits of integrating these sensors into a broader architecture.
This approach is part of Mariani's strategy to build European defense capabilities through partnerships and industrial alliances amid a weakening transatlantic alliance.
Leonardo's chief noted that Europe is capable of creating systems comparable to American ones when countries pool resources and coordinate procurement, citing the latest SAMP/T, a missile defense system developed by the Eurosam joint venture (MBDA and Thales), as an example. Mariani described it as no less effective than the American Patriot.
Lorenzo Mariani, the former head of MBDA who took over Leonardo earlier this year, also outlined the timeline for the Bromo space project, which the company is developing jointly with Airbus and Thales.
According to him, the approval process is progressing well, and the company expects the structure to become fully operational from January 1, 2028. If procedural stages are completed quickly, work could begin as early as the middle of next year.
Bromo is also seen as a test of Europe's ability to create industrial champions by combining the capabilities of different countries. The project is intended to give Europe greater scale in the space industry and help narrow the technological gap with the United States in satellite communications amid SpaceX's growing dominance. The project is currently undergoing European regulatory review.
Leonardo has already applied a similar strategy in other areas, including partnerships with Germany's Rheinmetall in land systems and Türkiye's Baykar in drones. Mariani added that the company remains open to new alliances where they can accelerate investment or compensate for capabilities that European industry has not developed on its own.
Leonardo previously registered a subsidiary in Kyiv, Leonardo Ukraine, which will conduct scientific and engineering research and development in the defense sector. The company is fully controlled by Leonardo International, and its share capital exceeds €100,000.
