Italy’s Leonardo unveils AI-powered ‘Michelangelo Dome’ to boost Europe’s defence

Italian defence company Leonardo has unveiled plans for a shield powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to protect cities and critical infrastructure amid geopolitical tensions.

Called the “Michelangelo Dome,” the shield was developed to protect critical infrastructure, sensitive urban areas, and assets of national and European strategic importance, the company said.

"With Michelangelo, Leonardo reaffirms its commitment to developing solutions that safeguard citizens, institutions, and infrastructure by combining advanced technology, a systemic vision, and strong industrial capabilities," said Roberto Cingolani, Leonardo's chief executive officer and general manager.

"In a world where threats evolve rapidly and become ever more complex – and where defending is costlier than attacking – defence must innovate, anticipate, and embrace international cooperation".

The company aims for the project to be fully operational by the end of the decade, CNBC reported.

How does it work?

The Michelangelo Dome was unveiled on Thursday, and Leonardo claims it works differently from other domes because it integrates next-generation sensors across land, naval, air, and space domains, as well as cyber defence platforms, command-and-control systems, and AI.

The company said this creates a security umbrella that can detect, track, and neutralise a wide variety of threats, including hypersonic missiles, drone swarms, surface and subsurface maritime attacks, and hostile ground forces – even during large-scale, coordinated assaults.

It can also use multiple sensors and predictive algorithms to anticipate hostile activity and automatically coordinate which countermeasures will be most effective, the company said.

Europe’s defence

Europe has ramped up its defence spending since US President Donald Trump said he may reduce financial support for the bloc.

In October 2022, Europe also announced a Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), aimed at enhancing the continent’s protection from aerial threats following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

It is unclear if the new Leonardo technology will be integrated into the ESSI programme.