Leonardo To Lead European Unmanned Maritime Surveillance Project

The European Defence Agency (EDA) has chosen Leonardo to lead the OCEAN 2020 project to integrate unmanned platforms for maritime surveillance and interdiction. Leonardo will manage no fewer than 42 partners from 15 European countries, including aerospace/defense companies, research centers, and ministries of defense. The work will lead to an operational demonstration in the Mediterranean Sea in 2019 that will involve Leonardo’s Hero and Solo unmanned helicopters, and various naval vessels and systems.

According to Leonardo, OCEAN2020 is the first example of a cross-European military research program. The initiative “has a high level of strategic and technological-operational value” said Alessandro Profumo, Leonardo’s chief executive officer. In a reference to the huge number of illegal migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean, he noted that the project addressed a “very topical issue.”

“The Leonardo-led bid required a thorough analysis of operational requirements and a technologically innovative yet operationally realistic proposal,” the company added. The project will see unmanned platforms of different types (fixed-wing, rotary-wing, surface and underwater) integrated with naval units’ command and control centers, allowing for data exchange via satellite, with command and control centers on land. The joint and cooperative use of both manned and unmanned vehicles will also be demonstrated as part of the project.

A second demonstration will take place in 2020 in the Baltic Sea, and will be coordinated by Saab and the Swedish Navy. “Saab is contributing with a configuration of the 9LV naval Combat Management System, with interfaces to other participating parties and assets, including unmanned systems from Saab,” the Swedish company said.