Uncrewed systems, flying towards a new Defence concept

Uncrewed systems for air, land and maritime, civil and military applications, used in ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, Reconnaissance) and training missions for threat simulation. The ever-evolving world of Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) includes multiple solutions that integrate different platforms and sensors, mission systems and ground control stations. Technologies that make possible the safe management of drone air traffic (Uncrewed Traffic Management), the protection of airports and critical infrastructures from malicious or accidental incursions of remotely guided aircraft. In this context delineates Leonardo's contribution, both in the development of technological solutions and in the participation in international programmes and support to government missions.

AWHero, an ally for emergency management

More and more often, remotely piloted systems are taking on a decisive role for use in the civil sector. They are used, in addition to traditional rescue vehicles, to cope with frequent emergencies related to extreme phenomena such as floods, storms, hurricanes, heat waves, droughts and fires. The AWHero, the rotary-wing drone developed and designed at Leonardo's site in Pisa, operates in this scenario.

Its flexibility allows it to support government agencies and commercial organisations in public utility scenarios, providing assistance in natural disasters and firefighting operations, but also carrying out environmental, pipeline and power line monitoring. Or even carrying out security missions such as border control, surveillance and aerial monitoring of critical infrastructure.

The first and only RUAS (Rotary Uncrewed Aerial System) in its class to have obtained military certification, the AWHero saw a series of new developments in 2023 that reflected the transition from basic design to a configuration focused on operational concepts:

Optimised to support multiple assets involved in a range of different defence, naval and multi-domain operations - intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, reconnaissance, countering submarine threats, electronic warfare, communications, border protection and operational support to protect forces in the field - the AWHero can be integrated with the naval combat management system. It can provide operational superiority in the performance of complex roles and tasks, ensuring maximum mission readiness and operational effectiveness.

Eurodrone, a new European dimension

The strategic and operational support of UAVs represents an asset not only for individual states, but also internationally. As part of a European programme involving Italy, Germany, France and Spain, the Eurodrone, a medium-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted airborne system, has been developed for intelligence, surveillance and patrol missions, also for civil purposes. The joint programme launched by Airbus, Leonardo and Dassault Aviation will contribute to strengthening Europe's strategic autonomy by providing the Armed Forces with independent, ultra-high-performance operational systems and meeting future European requirements for an Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS).

The first uncrewed aerial system designed to fly in non-segregated airspace, Eurodrone will operate worldwide to support ISTAR wide-area missions and in operational theatres, ensuring the achievement of operational superiority through a broad modular capability. To do so, it will monitor from the air, collecting information of the same type as satellites, but from lower heights.

Equipped with innovative technologies and designed to become one of the main pillars of future air combat systems, it will play an indispensable role in facilitating international conflict prevention and crisis management.

The total value of the programme amounts to EUR 7 billion and is intended to generate 7,000 highly qualified jobs within the European Union, ensuring the development and maintenance of technological know-how on the continent. It will be based on almost 100% European technologies and will offer manufacturers numerous opportunities in development, production and operational management. In this context, Leonardo will play a key role thanks to its industrial workshare on the aerostructure component as well as on the on-board electronics component.
 

Astore and Proteus, managing complex scenarios

The evolution of Uncrewed Air Systems is a process that follows some common paradigms throughout the Aerospace, Defence and Security sector. Starting from an initial model, designed according to the technologies available and the operational characteristics required at the time of design, continuous improvements are achieved over time, resulting from new needs and the introduction of innovative technologies. An example of this is Leonardo's Falco family, whose development led to the birth of the Astore.
 

Uncrewed systems can operate in particularly complex situations where a crewed platform would face high risks. A persistence-oriented approach and the ability to operate in articulated contexts is at the heart of Proteus, the UK Ministry of Defence's (MOD) technology development programme on the future of military maritime vertical take-off and landing systems. Proteus is a multi-role air vehicle designed to reduce risk, with modularity and autonomy at its core. Within it, the entire decision-making process will take place at an unprecedented level, a decisive element for the success of future missions.

As uncrewed systems are designed to provide more persistent operations, maintenance, repair and overhaul must be minimised. In the development of Proteus, sustainability – using recycled materials and attritable cells – and digitalisation play a key role. A full digital twin is used to simulate the design results and synthetic environments are used to represent the integration of airborne vehicle models. A dynamic integration facility is also employed to test the advanced autonomous systems on board the aircraft.

Proteus is a collaborative project in which Leonardo is working closely with the MOD's Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) Future Capability Group and the Royal Navy to focus on reducing the risk of emerging technologies and concepts. The system is an evolution of the MOD's Rotary Wing Uncrewed Air System (RWUAS) Concept Capability Demonstrator (CCD), in which Leonardo has participated since 2013. In July 2022, the company was awarded a four-year contract for the RWUAS CCD Phase 3 technology demonstration programme.

Counter-UAV, security solutions

The increasing use of Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles by hostile government and private actors poses a significant operational and technological challenge. This is why the development and innovation of Counter-UAV (C-UAV) solutions, aimed at countering unmanned aerial vehicles, is a decisive factor.

C-UAV operations are based on a complex process involving several steps. From detection to identification, from classification to threat assessment and the activation of appropriate countermeasures. This requires the use of different elements, capable of dialoguing with each other: a Command and Control (C2) system, advanced sensors and effectors, whose objective is to neutralise the drone or disrupt its communications and management.

The first phase, drone detection, is entrusted to radar and electro-optical sensors, often used in combination to ensure optimal coverage. The first ones, depending on their characteristics and capabilities, can enable long-range detection of threats by operating in fixed (KRONOS radar) or mobile (TMMR radar - Tactical Multi Mission Radar and RADA DRS) installations.

The action of radars is complemented by the electro-optical sensors, which contribute to the discovery and tracking functions by ensuring the identification of the previously detected target. One example is the NERIO-ULR, which can also be used at night thanks to an infrared (IR) sensor.

The real brain of Leonardo's C-UAV architecture is the Command and Control system. Using proprietary software, supported by artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms and the BRAIN (Augmented Reality and Neural Intelligence) suite, the system classifies the drone and performs the threat assessment, processing the data collected by the sensors, aggregating them and transforming them into information that can be directly used and operated by the operator (data fusion), extremely quickly.

This process allows the selection of the most effective countermeasure to neutralise the hostile element, while maintaining human control in the decision-making cycle. To facilitate the operator's work, the human-machine interface is intuitive and user-friendly and uses AI algorithms to prioritise and suggest the most suitable effector to neutralise the target.

Effectors are the systems used to neutralise hostile drones. Leonardo develops kinetic (hard kill) solutions - such as the HITFIST UL 30 turret, which can also use programmable ammunition, particularly suitable for engaging drones - and non-kinetic (soft kill) ones, such as jammers for vehicular use, which jam the drone's control and communication frequencies. Technologies based on directed energy systems, i.e. low-power or high-power lasers such as DragonFire, are available.

The choice of effector depends on the nature of the threat and the operating conditions, but the aim is always to ensure the correct balance between effectiveness and sustainability.

Two of the main characteristics of Leonardo's C-UAV solutions are modularity and flexibility, with ad hoc configurations for different applications - from vehicular and mobile to fixed or deployable - and the possibility of adaptation to a wide variety of operating environments. Added to this is the possibility of integrating third-party sensors and effectors with the C2 system.

In addition to the development of sensors (radar and electro-optics), Command and Control systems and effectors (hard and soft), the Group's contribution also takes the form of participation in international programmes. Among these is E-CUAS (European Counter Uncrewed Aerial Systems), financed under the European Defence Fund (EDF), which aims to develop a C-UAV system demonstrator on the move. The project, worth around 71 million euros, of which 43 million made available by the European Union, is led by Leonardo at the head of a team of 24 companies, institutions and research centres.