Italian aerospace group Leonardo unveils ‘Michelangelo Dome’ air defense system

ROME — Italy’s defense and aerospace group Leonardo presented plans on Thursday for a new multi-layered air defense system, as European countries continue to step up military capabilities to bolster defenses against Russia and other threats.

The “Michelangelo Dome” is designed to protect critical infrastructure and key areas of national or international interest from threats by connecting different platforms and equipment in space, air, on land or at sea.

The system is able to detect, track, intercept and neutralize incoming air threats like rockets, missiles, and drones before they can cause harm and will work similarly to Israel’s Iron Dome, which has been operational since 2011.

“This is a model that is important for security in Italy, Europe and NATO countries in the coming years,” Leonardo chief executive Roberto Cingolani said at the presentation in Rome.

Cingolani said that the state-controlled company would set up a team made up of Leonardo staff and the Italian armed forces to “design an architecture according to the needs of our defense.”

After a partial implementation, Michelangelo will start to be fully operational from 2028. The plans were presented to top Italian military officials in the past few days.

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto has recently called for solutions to combat hybrid warfare threats, particularly for energy infrastructure and airports.

“Each country can integrate its own technologies,” Crosetto said on Thursday.

“Together, we can cooperate to create a highly advanced defense system against all types of threats, from hypersonic missiles to small drones, because threats now come in many different forms,” he said from Paris after a meeting with French counterpart Catherine Vautrin.

Crosetto said Italy had already talked to other European countries about the project.

Italy’s announcement makes it the latest of several nations to develop Iron Dome-inspired systems.

In May, US President Donald Trump announced plans for a Golden Dome missile shield system to protect his country against foreign attacks, saying it should be operational by the end of his second term. However, recent reports suggested that the plans have experienced major delays following a US government shutdown.

Additionally, Turkish defense companies signed $6.5 billion worth of contracts to reinforce and develop Turkey’s integrated, multi-layered Steel Dome air defense system, the Turkish Defense Industries Presidency (SSB) said on Wednesday.

In October, Taiwan announced plans for its own multi-layered air defense system called “T-Dome” to defend itself against enemy threats, namely China.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.