January marked a strong start to the year for Leonardo, with national recognition for workplace excellence, major technological milestones and continued progress in sovereign defence capabilities.
The year kicked off when we were proud to be named as one of Glassdoor’s 2025 Best Places to Work in the UK. This recognition is based entirely on anonymous employee feedback, reflecting the company’s commitment to creating a supportive, flexible and inclusive workplace. Employees praised Leonardo for its excellent work environment, flexible working arrangements and strong leadership vision. Testimonials from across UK sites also highlighted the company’s veteran-friendly culture, exciting projects and commitment to employee wellbeing.
Building on the trilateral agreement between the UK, Japan and Italy signed in December 2024, in January we welcomed MPs and Peers to learn more about the transformative potential of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). The programme will develop the core platform of the UK’s Future Combat Air System and is set to enhance national security and sustain UK sovereign combat air capability, while driving innovation, skills and economic growth across the country.
We also revealed the design of the Proteus Uncrewed Rotorcraft Technology Demonstrator, a circa three-tonne fully autonomous aircraft being developed in partnership with the Royal Navy and the UK MOD. Featuring a modular payload bay and advanced digital manufacturing techniques, Proteus is designed to support maritime aviation transformation and future anti-submarine warfare missions. The aircraft incorporates a digital twin, AI-driven control software, and composite materials to accelerate development and reduce costs. Its flexible design allows commanders to adapt mission payloads, offering operational versatility and value for money.
Continuing with the good news for our helicopter business, in collaboration with DE&S, Leonardo completed upgrades to 25 AW101 Commando Merlin helicopters, transitioning them to Mk4/Mk4a standard. These upgrades enable global maritime deployment in support of 3 Commando Brigade and include a new Mission Planning System, folding rotor and tail, and enhanced defensive systems. The upgraded helicopters now share greater commonality across the Merlin fleet, improving interoperability, training and maintenance efficiency. The synthetic training suite at RNAS Yeovilton further enhances operational readiness.
To cap off the month we exhibited alongside Leonardo DRS at the International Armoured Vehicles event in Farnborough, presenting key capabilities including the Modular Integrated Protection System (MIPS), counter-UAS technologies and integrated support solutions. As Principal Systems Integrator on the programme, Leonardo continues to lead innovation in land vehicle protection and electronic infrastructure.