Leonardo: The Specialized Police of the Italian Ministry of Economy inaugurates the Simulation Center for Air and Maritime Operations

Built in partnership with Leonardo, it is the first training center of its kind in Europe and is based at Pratica di Mare Air Base (Rome)
By integrating aircraft and mission systems into a single virtual reality environment, the center provides effective and safe crew training for integrated operation in complex scenarios.

Rome, 02/02/2023 – The Guardia di Finanza, the specialized police of the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance, inaugurated, on Thursday (2), the Air and Maritime Operations Simulation Center during an official ceremony attended by representatives of the institutions and Leonardo. The company started developing the new center in 2020. Based on the customer’s requirements, the center uses the most advanced and innovative technologies in the field of simulation and aims to train the Guardia di Finanza crews that carry out air and sea operations.

The new center, which is unique in Europe, integrates advanced network simulation systems into a single environment. The simulators fully mirror Leonardo’s helicopters and aircraft, recently acquired by the Guardia di Finanza and used for a range of operational functions, as well as the company’s on-board mission systems, used among others for surveillance and identification. Also included is a scenario simulator, also developed by Leonardo and capable of virtually creating an environment where platforms and people collaborate in a single task, the boat instrument panel simulator, which also introduces ships to a marine environment and was developed in collaboration with Cetena (a subsidiary of the Italian company Fincantieri Also) and a ground command post coordinating operations.

The new ‘mini-motion’ simulators for AW169 / AW139 helicopters and the P-72B aircraft, classified as an Advanced Training Device (ETD e-Motion), reproduce performance, avionics and cockpit with high accuracy and are capable of providing adequate physical crew feedback thanks to the engines integrated in the Platform. The training of the pilots is complemented by the training of the rear crew in situations using the Leonardo ATOS mission system (Tactical Oversight and Airborne Control) for the AW139 and P-72B, as well as in cabin lift operations, thanks to virtual reality. Highly immersive search and rescue missions.

Thanks to these simulation capabilities, the Guardia di Finanza team will be trained in an environment able to very realistically reflect the interoperability usually required in current and future multi-domain scenarios, just like those in which the Guardia di Finanza carries out its security, surveillance, patrol and rescue missions.

The center is an EASA-approved training organization and has a Remotely Piloted Aircraft Training Certificate from ENAC (Civil Aviation Authority of Italy). Located in hangar “L” of the Air Base, the center has been adapted with the support of Leonardo and is fully integrated into the global network of the Leonardo Helicopter Training Academy. The Leonardo Training Academy has spearheaded the initiative, offering the highest international standards of flight and mission training offered by the company’s various business areas.

This initiative is the result of the Guardia di Finanza’s strong support for the use of training simulations and Leonardo’s related industrial and technological capabilities, which integrate fixed and rotary wings, electronics and sensors, as well as training and experience in the development and use of “digital twins”. With the new center, the Guardia di Finanza has become a benchmark for other players, both Italian and international, with a strong focus on integrated operability in complex scenarios, and Leonardo reaffirms its commitment to developing and providing advanced technical training solutions for the security of organizations around the world.

Leonardo, a global high-tech company, is among the world’s leading players in aerospace, defense and security and the leading Italian industrial company. Organized into five business divisions, Leonardo has a significant industrial presence in Italy, the United Kingdom, Poland and the United States, where it also operates through subsidiaries including Leonardo DRS (Defence Electronics), joint ventures and partnerships: ATR, MBDA, Telespazio, Thales Alenia Space and Avio. Leonardo competes in the most important international markets, taking advantage of the leading areas of technology and products (helicopters, aircraft, airframes, electronics, cybersecurity and aerospace). Leonardo was listed on the Milan Stock Exchange (LDO) in 2020, recording consolidated revenues of €13.4 billion and investing €1.6 billion in research and development. The company has been part of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) since 2010 and is confirmed among the global sustainability leaders in 2021. Leonardo is also included in the MIB ESG Index.