Tag Archives: LeonardoHelicopters
Satellites, aircraft and helicopters at the forefront of fire safety
In full summer, the fire season is at its peak. The flames are also raging this year, in Italy and throughout the world, creating a real emergency adding to the global pandemic of Covid-19 which has gripped the world since the end of last year. Fires, natural or arson, in Italy alone tripled in 2019, as reported by the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) and the estimates for 2020 show a similar view.
In emergencies, as is happening with Covid-19, organisations such as Leonardo prove to be an increasingly important solution in support of institutions which are committed to ensuring the protection of the environment, communities, and resources that may be affected by disaster relief.
In fact, Leonardo has a spectrum of solutions available for fire-fighting which include aircraft and helicopters designed and specially configured for fire-fighting, communication systems for emergency management, sensors and space and satellite technologies for environmental monitoring.
An environment protected from space, the skies and on Earth Environment that is therefore monitored, warded and protected by space, the skies and the earth.
Space. From satellites within the Copernicus programme, coordinated by ESA and with the contribution of ASI aimed at environmental monitoring in its various forms, Leonardo is a leader in the emergency domain through e-GEOS (Telespazio / ASI), with its Earth observation technologies.
e-GEOS leads the Consortium which provides the EMS Rapid Mapping service. The service focuses on rapid response to events, and from 2020 the new Risk and Recovery Mapping service.
Among the various Copernicus sentries dedicated to Earth observation, Sentinel-3, which has on board innovative SLSTR radiometres built at Leonardo plants in Campi Bisenzio (FI), and ASI’s PRISMA (Hyperspectral Hyper-Spectral Predecessor of the Application Mission) satellite which looks at the Earth on a global scale with innovative electro-optical instrumentation.
Furthermore, COSMO-SkyMed, the Earth observation satellite programme of the Italian Space Agency and the Italian Ministry of Defence, with its satellites looks with “eyes” which are capable of scanning the Earth from space metre by metre, day and night, in all-weather conditions.
From space to the skies. Leonardo puts out fires and flys with the C-27J firefighting aircraft, it is suitable for the most extreme environmental conditions and the most challenging tactical scenarios; the aircraft is able to land and take-off from unprepared runways. To date this solution has been adopted by the Air Forces of Peru and Romania.
The Romanian Air Force was able to successfully intervene with its C-27Js against the fires that hit Greece in 2018, while the Peruvian FAP has recently acquired full operational capacity in the use of the Caylym “Guardian” system and is ready to intervene in case of emergency within its jurisdiction.
From the fixed-wing to the rotating wing. Out of a worldwide fleet of almost 600 fire and environmental protection helicopters there are almost 120 Leonardo helicopters, most of them new generation spread throughout the world 60% in Europe, more than 20% in Asia and more than 10% in Latin America.
From one continent to another they fly to intervene with key features that are essential in tackling the most challenging scenarios with flexibility and multi-role versatility and providing various configurable models for fire-fighting missions such as: the AW119, AW109 Trekker and the new generation AW169, AW139 and AW189 family of helicopters. In addition to these, the unmanned AWHero 200 kg class remote control helicopter can be used for environmental monitoring and damage assessment.
In addition to prevention, monitoring and intervention, the construction of the infrastructure of the radio communication networks currently in compliance with the DMR (Digital Mobile Radio) standard of Vigili del Fuoco that Leonardo has guaranteed since the early 1990 contribute to fire protection.
Leonardo AW159 Wildcat helicopter conducts first successful firings of Thales ‘Martlet’ Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM)
Leonardo and Thales are proud to announce the first successful firings of the Thales ‘Martlet’ Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM) from Leonardo’s AW159 Wildcat helicopter. The firings were conducted as part of the UK MoD’s Future Anti-Surface Guided Weapon (FASGW) programme and demonstrated the integration of the Martlet onto the AW159 platform. This represents a major milestone for the programme and will enable this high-end capability to enter service with the Royal Navy later this year.
The firing trials were conducted from 27th April to 21st May 2020 and despite the current COVID-19 situation, Leonardo and Thales were able to support the UK Ministry of Defence by completing this critical activity. All of the teams involved had to adopt strict distancing procedures, in some cases having to find new ways of working, in order to make sure that the trials could go ahead. It is a testimony to the professionalism of those involved that these trials were successfully completed under such challenging and novel circumstances.
“This major milestone demonstrates that the combination of the AW159 Wildcat and Martlet missile will be a flexible and effective tool for the Royal Navy. Next year the Wildcat fleet will embark on Carrier Strike Group missions with HMS Queen Elizabeth on its maiden operational deployment. As the only British company to design and manufacture helicopters on-shore, we’re extremely proud to be equipping the UK Armed Forces with world-beating sovereign capabilities.” said Nick Whitney, Managing Director of Leonardo Helicopters (UK).
“The successful live firings of the Thales LMM Martlet from the AW159 Wildcat is a key milestone in the programme, delivering a significant step-change in capability for the platform. LMM Martlet will ensure that the Wildcat has the best-in-class offensive capability to protect HMS Queen Elizabeth and her task group during her maiden operational deployment next year. With each platform capable of carrying up to 20 Martlet, the Wildcats deployed with the task group will be a significant deterrent to anyone wishing to interfere with UK interests.” said Philip McBride, General Manager, Integrated Airspace-protection Systems, Thales UK.
In July 2014, Leonardo signed a contract with the UK Ministry of Defence to integrate, test and install the MBDA Sea Venom (heavy) and Thales LMM (light) missile systems onto Royal Navy AW159 Wildcat helicopters, a programme called Future Anti Surface Guided Weapon (FASGW).
The FASGW (light) part of the programme has now seen the LMM, with its associated launcher and airborne laser guidance unit, successfully integrated into the Leonardo AW159 Wildcat sensor, displays and avionics systems. The LMM provides a step-change in capability for the Royal Navy which, in the maritime environment, faces a major challenge in engaging smaller, fast-moving, asymmetric threats, due to their high mobility, their small thermal and radar signatures and the severe background clutter encountered. The LMM is capable of surmounting these issues where traditional electro-optic and radar guidance systems do not provide the certainty of hit required.
On-board the AW159 Wildcat platform, the LMM Martlet could also allow operators to engage air targets such as UAVs and other maritime helicopters.
The launchers are mounted to the AW159 via the new Leonardo Weapon Wing, developed at the Company’s design and manufacturing facility in Yeovil and first trialled last year. Each weapon wing will be able to carry either ten Martlet or two Sea Venom missiles and generates additional lift for the helicopter in forward flight, reducing demands on the main rotor.
The twin-engine multi-role AW159 is able to conduct missions ranging from constabulary to high end warfighting where it has the capability to autonomously detect, identify and attack targets on land and at sea, including submarine threats. The high-performance platform has state-of-the-art systems, including a Leonardo Seaspray multi-mode electronically-scanning (E-scan) radar, and integrated electronic warfare Defensive Aids Suite (DAS).
Over 50,000 flight hours have been logged by the helicopter. The AW159 has also been chosen by the British Army, the Republic of Korea Navy and the Philippine Navy as a new maritime operator of the helicopter.