Mariani said Michelangelo was conceived as an integrated air-defence system focused on a changing threat environment. Leonardo is expanding the programme to include missile and anti-missile capabilities available through MBDA.
The group also plans to connect Michelangelo with its Guardian satellite constellation. Guardian was initially developed for security applications, but Leonardo believes it can be extended to support defence missions within the wider architecture.
Mariani described the Ukraine demonstration as one vertical element of the broader Michelangelo programme. He said the company was accelerating work already under way, but provided no technical details about the planned trial or the equipment involved.
The full Michelangelo Dome concept is intended to defend a country or a large geographical area. Mariani said that would require two major layers: an MBDA missile component and a space component built around Leonardo’s satellite investments.
Leonardo is investing heavily in Guardian, which Mariani described as a useful foundation for Earth observation. He cautioned, however, that the final Michelangelo Dome would require satellite capabilities that differ significantly from the constellation’s current configuration.
The programme reflects lessons Leonardo has drawn from recent conflicts, where conventional operations now occur alongside cyber warfare, electronic warfare and new missile threats. Mariani cited hypersonic and glide missiles as examples of technologies creating demand for faster, more resilient and more integrated defence systems.
Command-and-control software and artificial intelligence are also expected to support the architecture. Mariani linked those requirements to Leonardo DRS’s planned acquisition of Raft, a US company working on AI applications and software for military command-and-control systems.
He said Raft’s technologies could be matched with Michelangelo’s requirements. The acquisition forms part of Leonardo’s wider effort to expand its presence in advanced defence technologies and multi-domain systems.
Mariani placed Michelangelo alongside GCAP among Leonardo’s main strategic technology programmes. His comments indicate that the group is developing the system in stages, beginning with individual operational capabilities while adding missile, satellite and command layers.
Leonardo did not provide a programme value, full development timetable or expected deployment date during the earnings call. Mariani’s remarks focused instead on accelerating the architecture and preparing the Ukraine demonstration before year-end.
