- Italian and UK industries announce collaboration on Future Combat Air System program
Farnborough, UK. 18 July 2022. Italy and the UK have long been on a path to identify potential areas of industrial cooperation between leading national companies in the sector of Defense, with the ambition of initiating possible activities of mutual interest. In this context, also thanks to the relentless work of the General Secretariat of Defense and National Armaments Directorate and UK MoD, the two nations have 
reached a collaboration agreement within the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program.
In this regard, Leonardo and BAE Systems have agreed to collaborate on the FCAS program. The companies of the two countries will identify shared areas of collaboration performing joint analysis on activities of mutual interest. In the same context Leonardo’s Italian and UK electronic businesses and Elettronica SpA are developing demonstration activities on advanced sensors and systems
The FCAS program will develop technologically advanced multi-domains system of systems, hinged on highly innovative and disruptive technologies, with a 6th generation core platform, replacing the Eurofighter fleet starting from 2035. This ambitious project will maintain national sovereignty of the participating countries in the Combat Air sector, while redesigning future operational and industrial capabilities in the aerospace domain.
The collaboration between Leonardo and BAE Systems focuses on the application of Model Based System Engineering (MBSE) design methodologies and the joint development of enabling technologies for the national sovereignty of the future system.
These activities are the natural evolution of the innovation processes already initiated by the partner companies, and assume strategic importance as they challenge the technological frontier not yet mastered by the European industry.
Furthermore, in line with this strategy, Leonardo’s Italian and UK electronic businesses and Elettronica SpA reached an agreement to collaborate in the sensors and communications area to support the technological development of the FCAS project. This initiative will deepen the established collaboration of these companies at the international level through a demonstration activity.
