Leonardo's M-40 UAS sees first action
Leonardo’s new M-40 target UAS recently flew its first missions during an Italian Navy exercise involving ITS Cavour aircraft carrier and ITS Francesco Mimbelli destroyer, the company announced on 18 February.
The exercise saw the aircraft carrier and its complement of AV8B+ fighter aircraft training alongside the destroyer against M-40 UAS which were simulating a range of incoming threats.
During the exercise, the M-40 played the part of a missile to simulate an attack against the Italian naval vessels and separately acted as a hostile enemy fighter in air-to-air combat scenarios. During these missions, the navy personnel were able to ‘shoot down’ the reusable M-40 in realistic scenarios, allowing them to train with weapon systems including Aspide missiles.
The exercise was the first set of missions to make use of the M-40, which is able to represent a full spectrum of radar, infrared and visual threats.
Leonardo operates the M-40 on behalf of the Italian armed forces under a managed service arrangement with the NATO Support and Procurement Agency.
Leonardo also offers the Mirach 100/5, which shares the same ground control station as the new M-40. During the Italian Navy exercise, the Mirach 100/5 was employed to simulate a missile attack against the naval vessels, allowing the crew to train with SM1 and Aster 15 missiles.
More from Uncrewed Vehicles
-
US Navy foresees an uncrewed future for its surface and underwater fleet
The service has been conducting various procurement and development efforts to integrate unmanned surface and underwater vehicles into its inventory.
-
Ready for the race: Air separation drone swarms vs. air defence systems
As the dynamics of aerial combat rapidly evolve, Chinese scientists have engineered a sophisticated air separation drone model that can fragment into up to six drones, each capable of executing distinct battlefield roles and challenging the efficacy of current anti-drone defences such as the UK’s Dragonfire laser system.
-
Israel’s MALE UAVs ‘must adapt’ to Iranian-made air defences
Advancements in air defence technologies have begun to reshape aerial combat dynamics in the Middle East, as illustrated by recent events involving the Israeli Air Force and Hezbollah.
-
Hundreds more UAS sent to Ukraine forces with thousands more on the way
Both sides of the Russia-Ukraine war have been using UAS for effective low-cost attacks, as well as impactful web and social media footage. Thousands more have now been committed to Ukrainian forces.
-
AI and software companies selected for US Army Robotic Combat Vehicle subsystems
The US Army has intentions to develop light, medium and heavy variants of the Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) as part of the branche’s Next Generation Combat Vehicle family.