Michelangelo Dome is intended to safeguard critical infrastructure, urban centres, and key national and European assets. Credit: Leonardo via LinkedIn.

Leonardo has introduced a new integrated defence system, named Michelangelo Dome, at Officine Farneto in Rome.

The multi-layered air defence system is intended to address “emerging threats” amid an increasingly challenging global environment.

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According to Leonardo, Michelangelo Dome aims to safeguard critical infrastructure, sensitive urban areas, and assets and territories of national and European significance.

The system is built on a modular architecture that can be scaled and adapted for different operational needs and domains.

Rather than functioning as a standalone solution, Michelangelo Dome integrates a variety of technologies.

These include advanced sensors for land, sea, air, and space, cyber-defence platforms, command-and-control systems, AI and coordinated response mechanisms.

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This combination allows the system to detect, track, and counter threats such as hypersonic missiles, drone swarms, maritime attacks, and hostile ground troops.

Michelangelo Dome also leverages data fusion from various sensors and predictive algorithms. This enables the system to anticipate potential threats, streamline decision-making processes, and deploy the most effective defensive measures automatically.

Leonardo CEO and general manager Roberto Cingolani said: “With Michelangelo, Leonardo reaffirms its commitment to developing solutions that safeguard citizens, institutions, and infrastructure by combining advanced technology, a systemic vision, and strong industrial capabilities.”

The introduction of Michelangelo Dome is part of Leonardo’s broader strategy to strengthen its position within the European defence sector.

The initiative also supports ongoing efforts towards greater strategic autonomy and technological resilience across Europe and NATO.

Partial deployment of the Michelangelo Dome is already underway, with full operational capability expected by 2028, according to Reuters.

In October 2025, Leonardo, Airbus, and Thales announced plans to merge their respective space operations into a new entity.

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