Leonardo standing for Kuwait Gulf Defense and Aerospace exhibition

Leonardo will participate in the fourth edition of Gulf Defense and Aerospace (GDA), the international tri-service exhibition and conference held in Mishref, Kuwait.
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Leonardo strengthened its ties with Kuwait following the agreement for the supply of 28 Eurofighter Typhoon multi-role fighter aircraft, which made Kuwait the aircraft’s eighth customer. Kuwait’s Eurofighter Typhoons, deliveries of which will start in 2020 and conclude in 2023, will be the most advanced model produced so far, with a package of capabilities on top of the previous enhancement programmes that will include the Leonardo-led E-Scan radar and a number of weapon system upgrades. Together, these will put the Kuwait Air Force at the forward-edge of fighter technology when the aircraft enter into service. The Eurofighter Typhoon, where Leonardo is responsible for more than 60% of the electronics, is a key programme of reference for Leonardo in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Oman.

Recently, some Kuwait’s pilots have earned their wings at the Italian Air Force International Training Academy, where the Italian Air Force operates the M-346 Integrated Training System (ITS) made by Leonardo, which offers unique Live, Virtual, Constructive (LVC) training capabilities. The Italian Air Force’s jet pilot training school will combine Leonardo’s M-346 lead-in-fighter trainer with the soon- to-be-introduced Leonardo M-345 basic/advanced trainer. This innovative training solution will be presented to delegations visiting Leonardo’s GDA stand alongside one of the company’s training and remote support tools for land and naval systems. This latter system is an augmented reality tool where visitors will be able to explore the latest generation of sensors and systems on the bridge of a multi-role naval vessel, including in a battlefield or air-defence scenario.

Visitors to Leonardo’s stand will be able also to find out about Leonardo’s extensive range of airborne ISTAR products and systems via an interactive digital display. Of particular interest in the region is Leonardo’s readily-exportable Directed InfraRed Countermeasure (DIRCM) system, called ‘Miysis’, which protects aircraft from the threat of man-portable heat-seeking missiles. The company will also be highlighting its Falco family of Remotely-Piloted Aerial Systems (RPAS), having announced the first delivery of its Falco EVO RPAS to a Middle Eastern customer earlier last month.