November opened with a landmark achievement for UK defence as the DragonFire laser weapon system successfully shot down high-speed drones during trials at the MOD Hebrides range. This success paved the way for a £316 million contract to deliver DragonFire systems to the Royal Navy by 2027, five years ahead of schedule. Developed at Leonardo’s Centre of Excellence for Radar and Advanced Targeting Systems, in Edinburgh, the Dargonfire beam director provides pinpoint accuracy, at a fraction of traditional costs – just £10 per shot. The programme will sustain nearly 600 skilled jobs across the UK and marks a major step forward in NATO’s directed energy capability.
Leonardo’s commitment to diversity was recognised at the AFBE UK Awards, where our Ethnicity Inclusion network group was named Ethnicity Employee Resource Group of the Year. The accolade celebrated impactful campaigns during Race Equality Week, South Asian Heritage Month and Black History Month, alongside proactive engagement with senior leadership to influence policy. Co-Chairs Arvind Mahendran and Jainna Bhalla accepted the award, emphasising the importance of creating safe spaces for honest conversations that drive real change. Leonardo also sponsored the awards’ Young BME Professional of the Year category.
Investment into our Helicopter business continued as we signed a Memorandum of Understanding with NORCE Research to explore autonomous capabilities in Norway. The partnership aims to establish a hub of Arctic-proven autonomy and navigation technology, building on Leonardo’s strong relationship with Norway following the successful delivery of the AW101 All-Weather Search and Rescue Helicopter fleet, which has achieved over 22,000 operational hours with 99 per cent availability.
Cybersecurity and space innovation converged as Leonardo, through Telespazio UK, led the ESA-funded Earth Observation Veracity project. This initiative addresses the growing threat of satellite data manipulation by creating an end-to-end solution to verify the authenticity of Earth Observation data. By applying advanced cybersecurity expertise, Leonardo is ensuring that critical weather and environmental data remains accurate and resilient, which is vital for defence, security and civilian applications.
Elsewhere, Leonardo and 2Excel Aviation were honoured with the Royal Aeronautical Society Bronze Team Medal for their collaborative work on the Excalibur Flight Test Aircraft. This highly versatile flying laboratory is central to the UK’s Future Combat Air System programme, enabling real-world testing of next-generation sensors and communications technology.
We also spoke to Dr Alisdair Wood, Safety Management System and Aviation Risk Manager for Leonardo’s UK Helicopter business, about his tenure as President of the Royal Aeronautical Society. Alisdair is championing safety as an enabler of innovation and advocating for a more inclusive skills pipeline to meet future aerospace demands. Additionally, his leadership is focusing on addressing mental health, sustainability and the role of AI as a tool for empowerment, ensuring the sector remains future ready.
Tomorrow’s Engineering Week (10-14 November) provided Leonardo with a timely opportunity to showcase initiatives such as the Future Leaders Girls in Engineering programme and internal career mobility opportunities alongside WithYouWithMe. Our efforts with WithYouWithMe were also recognised during the month, with Leonardo receiving the WithYouWithMe Impact Award for championing skills-based hiring, supporting veterans, neurodiverse individuals and career changers through free training and pathways into meaningful employment.
November also spotlighted engineering excellence through the Eurofighter Expert series, which featured Maia Hely from our Edinburgh site. Maia shared her journey into radar technology and her role in designing and testing components for the ECRS Mk2 radar, a critical capability for the Eurofighter Typhoon.
International Men’s Day provided an opportunity to reflect on evolving roles and responsibilities in the workplace. Rob Foster, Executive Sponsor of Leonardo’s Equalise gender balance network group, shared his perspectives on achieving flexibility, fostering wellbeing and promoting healthier work-life balance. His insights reinforced Leonardo’s commitment to creating an inclusive culture where individuals thrive both professionally and personally.
Remembrance Day saw Leonardo employees from across our UK sites paying tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of those who have served in the Armed Forces.