Italy’s defence and aerospace group Leonardo on Thursday presented plans for a new multilayered air defence system, as European countries step up military capabilities to bolster defences against Russia and other threats.
The “Michelangelo Dome” is an integrated defence system that uses artificial intelligence to neutralise a range of threats, from hypersonic weapons to drone swarms and naval attacks, in a bid to strengthen its role in European multi-domain security.
Named for the Renaissance artist, the system is intended to protect critical infrastructure and sensitive urban areas from threats that can include cyberattacks. It fuses data from an array of sensors and uses predictive AI to help position defensive assets and accelerate response times.
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The system is able to detect, track, intercept and neutralise incoming air threats before they can cause harm and will work similarly to Israel’s Iron Dome, which has been operational since 2011.
It aims to coordinate warfare platforms from below sea level to out in space across a single network, according to a presentation from the state-controlled Italian company.
“This is a model that is important for security in Italy, Europe, and Nato countries in the coming years,” Leonardo Chief Executive Roberto Cingolani said at the event in Rome.
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