The sixth generation fighter will boost Italy’s technological and industrial development. Engineer Guglielmo Maviglia, Leonardo’s Chief Global Combat Air Program Officer, thus explains the effects of the Gcap joint venture, signed by Leonardo together with Bae Systems and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement.
What is the scope of this agreement?
«It is particularly relevant because we are primary players, together with our partners, in the design and development of the technologies of the future. In the sixth generation, a capacitive structure capable of carrying out joint and multi-domain operations becomes central. We will develop technological initiatives such as the use of artificial intelligence, the digital twin, high performance computing (HPC), the ability to exchange billions of data per second between multiple domains. Furthermore, 80% of these technologies can be used in many other sectors, from healthcare to finance. We want to implement a transformation process that will lead our country to have more international competitiveness, not only in defense.”
What benefits will Italy get from this?
«The return on investment is fundamental. Italy, which has the Eurofighter and the F35 in its history, cannot help but imagine a benefit from the Gcap component as well. If we didn’t have 40 years of results we wouldn’t have been able to aspire to have a third of the value of this joint venture. Our satisfaction is having added a piece to a fifty-year journey that deserves to continue given the efforts and benefits obtained at all levels.”
What applications will artificial intelligence have in security and defense?
«It could be applied, for example, for the creation of new databases, or to have algorithms that can help us make decisions. Also interesting are the autonomous functions of the AI, which inform the operator and relieve him of a workload. The sixth generation marks a step forward with technologies that also mean drones, manned and unmanned aircraft, connections with capacitive assets of other dimensions, such as naval and terrestrial ones, as well as satellite, ground control centers”.
Gcap opens a horizon to 2070. What does it mean for you?
“It gives us the opportunity to organize and plan. An extraordinary example of long-term implementation is the Eurofighter, which still has a lot to give today. We have an important background and we will borrow this experience. However, it will be important to have the security of funding: history teaches us that these programs have performed well when there was certainty that the funds were allocated and confirmed over time. We need a driving force and this can only come from the institutions.”
Can the hypothesis of a common European defense give impetus to new projects?
«Already today Leonardo has a role as a promoter of alliances.
We have three important examples of collaboration: the MBDA, which creates a European champion while maintaining the autonomy of individual nations; the Gcap, in which three industries insert their own engineers to be more effective on the result; finally Rheinmetall, which enhances collaboration for the European production of land defense systems. All this will support the theme of common European defence, for which, however, some prerequisites are needed: if European countries are unable to share a common purpose, it becomes complicated to achieve it.”