Aircraft
Leonardo To Lead European Unmanned Maritime Surveillance Project
With thousands of illegal migrants still trying to cross the seas to Europe, the European Defence Agency is funding the work.
A Leonardo Hero unmanned helicopter on display at the recent Dubai Airshow. (Photo: Chris Pocock)
A Leonardo Hero unmanned helicopter on display at the recent Dubai Airshow. (Photo: Chris Pocock)

The European Defence Agency (EDA) has chosen Leonardo to lead the OCEAN 2020 project to integrate unmanned platforms for maritime surveillance and interdiction. Leonardo will manage no fewer than 42 partners from 15 European countries, including aerospace/defense companies, research centers, and ministries of defense. The work will lead to an operational demonstration in the Mediterranean Sea in 2019 that will involve Leonardo’s Hero and Solo unmanned helicopters, and various naval vessels and systems.