From 12-16 November, Leonardo is participating in the Dubai Air Show, one of the world’s most important trade shows in the aerospace and defence sectors, as well as one of the leading industry events in the Gulf region.
For the first time in the United Arab Emirates, the Company is presenting a full scale mock-up of the cabin of the AW609 tiltrotor in its search and rescue configuration, and the M-346 Fighter Attack (FA), the latest evolution of an aircraft family capable of rapidly responding to the requirements of Air Forces worldwide. The M-346FA has all the features to be not only an excellent advanced trainer, but also an efficient tactical combat aircraft, capable of performing operational missions at far lower costs than fighter jets on the frontlines.
In addition, the Falco Evo UAV and the AWHERO Tactical Rotary Unmanned Air Vehicle, featuring the new on board Gabbiano TS Ultra-Light (UL) surveillance radar are on display. Lastly, Leonardo will showcase the AW169helicopter in its offshore/utility configuration, some of its most significant products in the sensors and avionics field and the M-345 basic trainer, which has been already ordered by the Italian Air Force. The M-345 aircraft has comparable costs to those of a turboprop aircraft, but is of a superior performance category.
Leonardo considers the Gulf region to be strategically important for its business, as these countries are focused on the development of technology and innovation that supports the expansion of the local economy through long-term partnerships. The Company boasts 30 years of collaboration with the Emirati Armed Forces, to which it has provided solutions over the years that contribute to the country’s security and protection.
Among the most notable examples are the United Arab Emirates’ national aerobatic team, Al Fursan, which uses the Aermacchi MB-339 aircraft. The Emirati pilots were trained in Italy and the UAE with the supervision of the “Frecce Tricolori” pilots using Italian aircraft and teaching systems.
Leonardo has also provided integrated naval systems for combat management, naval radars, fire control systems, missile electronics, and military radios for major naval programmes like the Ghannatha, Baynunah, Falaj 2 and Abu Dhabi-class corvettes.
In the rotary wing sector, there are more than 300 AgustaWestland helicopters operational in the Gulf region, of which about 140 are AW139s.
Source and photo credits: Leonardo