Tom Kington

Tom Kington is the Italy correspondent for Defense News.

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Leonardo stake in Hensoldt could boost FCAS, Tempest commonalities

A corporate tie-up between Italy’s Leonardo and Germany’s Hensoldt could make Europe’s two future fighters, the Tempest and the Future Combat Air System, more interoperable, a Leonardo official has claimed.

2 days ago

Deal with Hensoldt expands Leonardo’s stake in Eurofighter radar business

Leonardo has won 260 million euros ($296 million) in Eurofighter radar work from Germany’s Hensoldt, meaning the Italian firm now has a major role in all three of the new e-scan radars being built for Typhoon customers.

12 days ago

Kuwait gets its first two Eurofighters

The first two of 28 Eurofighters ordered by Kuwait have been delivered to the Gulf state, Italy’s Leonardo announced on Tuesday.

Denmark, Norway join European corvette program

The two nations have joined Italy, France, Spain and Greece onboard the the European Patrol Corvette program, boosting ambitions to make the vessel a catalyst for operational and industrial integration on the continent.

Eurodrone engine candidates tout wares as decision draws near

As Airbus awaits a sign-off on its new European drone, a U.S.-owned Italian firm and a French company are on tenterhooks to discover who has been picked to supply the engine.

Italy air force F-35B makes first time landing on Italian carrier

The exercise was officially about F-35Bs from different countries working together, but the big breakthrough was the sight of Italian Navy and Air Force jets flying alongside each other after a slow start to cooperation between the forces.

China is too far away from NATO to be called an adversary, says top alliance general

"We talk about ‘near peer’ enemies, meaning they are good but not as good as we are. But in some cases we talk of peer enemies, and in some areas we are concerned they are talking about us now as ‘near peer’ enemies.”

Protectionist instincts flare as venerable Italian cannon maker goes up for sale

Italian defense giant Leonardo is looking at selling off cannon maker Oto Melara and torpedo maker WASS, with Franco-German joint venture KNDS reportedly keen to snap them up.

Amid high hopes, can the European Patrol Corvette deliver?

An industrial source told Defense News that each vessel is expected to cost around €250-300 million, making the Corvette program worth €5-6 billion, even before Greece confirms an order and any new members sign up.

New radar kits abound for the Eurofighter fleet

With progress being made on yet another version for Germany and Spain’s fighters, the Typhoon now has not one but three e-scan radars in the works after years of delays.

Japanese fighter pilots to start training in Italy

Fledgling fighter pilots from Japan are signing up for training in Italy as the Mediterranean country’s pilot school expands operations.

Italy drops drone program, instead buying Piaggio aircraft

However, a contract is missing — one the government said in 2019 it would award to Piaggio Aerospace.

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Tom Kington

All Stories By

A corporate tie-up between Italy’s Leonardo and Germany’s Hensoldt could make Europe’s two future fighters, the Tempest and the Future Combat Air System, more interoperable, a Leonardo official has claimed.

Leonardo has won 260 million euros ($296 million) in Eurofighter radar work from Germany’s Hensoldt, meaning the Italian firm now has a major role in all three of the new e-scan radars being built for Typhoon customers.

The first two of 28 Eurofighters ordered by Kuwait have been delivered to the Gulf state, Italy’s Leonardo announced on Tuesday.

The two nations have joined Italy, France, Spain and Greece onboard the the European Patrol Corvette program, boosting ambitions to make the vessel a catalyst for operational and industrial integration on the continent.

As Airbus awaits a sign-off on its new European drone, a U.S.-owned Italian firm and a French company are on tenterhooks to discover who has been picked to supply the engine.

The exercise was officially about F-35Bs from different countries working together, but the big breakthrough was the sight of Italian Navy and Air Force jets flying alongside each other after a slow start to cooperation between the forces.

"We talk about ‘near peer’ enemies, meaning they are good but not as good as we are. But in some cases we talk of peer enemies, and in some areas we are concerned they are talking about us now as ‘near peer’ enemies.”

Italian defense giant Leonardo is looking at selling off cannon maker Oto Melara and torpedo maker WASS, with Franco-German joint venture KNDS reportedly keen to snap them up.

An industrial source told Defense News that each vessel is expected to cost around €250-300 million, making the Corvette program worth €5-6 billion, even before Greece confirms an order and any new members sign up.

With progress being made on yet another version for Germany and Spain’s fighters, the Typhoon now has not one but three e-scan radars in the works after years of delays.

Fledgling fighter pilots from Japan are signing up for training in Italy as the Mediterranean country’s pilot school expands operations.

However, a contract is missing — one the government said in 2019 it would award to Piaggio Aerospace.

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