Italy-UK PARTNERSHIP

IN FOCUS | 07 www.italchamind.eu Tempest is expected to sit at the very core of any future combat air capability, especially when we consider the threat and the challenges of the congested and contested information battlespace that our Armed Services will be operating in. It is important to note that we are not starting from scratch. Work we have already conducted under research and development programmes such as FOAS (Future Offensive Air System) and FCAS (Future Combat Air System) has significantly advanced our understanding of the complex electronics required for future air and information manoeuvre scenarios.  Our role in Tempest is a natural step for Leonardo based on our heritage in combat air. Leonardo is already heavily involved with many aspects of the Eurofighter Typhoon programme, including the enhancements to its existing capability, with Leonardo in the UK responsible for delivering some of the most high-tech elements such as the radar. We also have a significant role providing key sensors for the Swedish Gripen E aircraft. Looking ahead, we recognise that Typhoon is expected to go out of service with the UK RAF around 2040, with the result that a successor will be needed in order to match and outpace the ever- growing capabilities of our adversaries. This is where Tempest comes in.  I should add that Team Tempest is designed to be international and is expected to expand to include partners from among our allies. Leonardo endeavours to be at the heart of Europe’s major defence programmes and we see this flagship UK initiative, which has been created with future international collaboration in mind, potentially developing to include Italy and Leonardo’s international capabilities in the future. Leonardo has a successful history of delivering collaborative multi-national programmes and we maintain a high level of investment in new and emerging technologies. Together, this heritage and investment combine to make us a natural partner for any future aircraft programme, particularly one led from Europe. ICC: With a shortage of engineers in the UK, how is Leonardo adapting to meet challenges presented by Tempest and other major programmes? CB : Leonardo in the UK has invested heavily in improving its productivity, combining better technology, better processes and high-level skills to produce more and better goods and services. A hugely important factor here is the skill level of employees, which Leonardo aims to boost in a number of ways.  At a macro level, the UK as a whole is facing a shortage of engineers. Published figures confirm that the UK engineering industry will need to fill over 1.5 million vacancies between 2016 and 2021. With this in mind, Leonardo has developed a wide- ranging education outreach programme, from the primary sector to post-graduate, to encourage young people to take up STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and consider engineering as a future career. Notably, the company is taking action to attract young women to a career in engineering, to help rectify the gender imbalance in engineering and software development and to create a more diverse high-tech workforce in the UK.  To build skills more directly, Leonardo in the UK continues to invest in its highly-regarded apprenticeship and graduate schemes, with around 415 young people in training throughout the UK. We are also committed to the further development of our established work force, with senior employees encouraged to pursue further development. It is all part of ensuring that Leonardo in the UK is ready to meet the challenges of the evolving world in which we live. · Photography courtesy of Leonardo