Leonardo’s Michelangelo Dome did not wait long to show what it can do, clearing its first air defense test less than 10 days after debuting.
The qualification trial featured the company’s KRONOS Grand Mobile High Power radar and the Italian SAMP/T (Surface-to-Air Missile Platform/Terrain) system.
Using its active electronically scanned array architecture, KRONOS successfully detected an aerial threat and guided a missile towards it from a distance the SAMP/T “had never before achieved.”
This validated KRONOS as the “eye” of the Michelangelo Dome and a core piece of Italy’s next-generation integrated defense network.
Following the trial, Leonardo described the radar as “best-in-its-class,” outperforming other European radar sensors in air and missile defense.
A Networked Shield
The Michelangelo Dome is built as a multi-domain shield capable of tracking and countering modern threats across air, land, sea, and cyberspace.
It is envisioned to handle everything, from hypersonic missiles to drone swarms, fusing input from its sensors and predictive algorithms to recommend the best response.
Italy plans to position the dome in high-risk areas like military bases and dense urban regions to protect them from potential attacks.
Leonardo will roll out the system in phases ahead of full operational capability expected by 2028.
