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Leonardo Training & Simulation: where the future of simulation takes shape

03 February 2026

Thirty five years of experience in innovation serving advanced training and the development of complex systems: history, evolution and emerging challenges for Leonardo’s Training & Simulation technologies, increasingly crucial for multi-domain training and the design of new integrated systems. 

Since the concept of simulation for training first emerged, Leonardo has been at the forefront. It is a 35‑year journey of innovation and achievements, from the Tornado Full Mission Simulator delivered in 1990 – still operational today at the Ghedi Air Base (Brescia) – to present and future challenges linked to developments in the international context, military doctrine and technological innovation.

In the current geopolitical scenario, characterised by increasing complexity and new and diverse operational requirements, simulation is a strategic asset for the Defence sector. It allows extremely complex scenarios to be reproduced with a high degree of realism with unrivalled benefits in terms of safety, complexity management and reduced environmental impact.

A mission simulator is, in fact, the only tool capable of training personnel and preparing them to act in real operational contexts, using extremely realistic simulation scenarios and representing situations (e.g. conflicts, breakdowns) that would be impossible to reproduce in reality.

Operational in large spaces and in all weather conditions

Involvement of a very high number of assets of all domains, also allowing real and simulated assets to interact

Realistic representation of the natural world, of friendly, hostile or civil/neutral forces

Testing of advanced and innovative technologies, to trial them before deployment in the field

The ability to adapt to multi-domain logic is essential in training and simulation phases, as is interoperability: between the various structures within an Armed Force, between Armed Forces operating in different domains (air, sea, land, space, cyber), and between Forces from different nations. The paradigm is known as Live Virtual and Constructive (LVC): real assets such as aircraft, naval or land vehicles (Live) are integrated with simulators (Virtual) and entities generated by simulation equipped with artificial intelligence (Constructive), creating a highly realistic shared operational environment.

What makes Training & Simulation technologies crucial for training is precisely the accuracy of the details: from the “click” of the display button, to the sign located inside the virtual airport, to the aircraft landing gear release mechanism. For a simulator to be effective, all actions and movements must be extremely faithful to reality, reproducing exactly what happens on real assets, providing operators with a feeling of complete immersion.

Similarly, simulation technologies developed for training have become increasingly prevalent both in providing large amounts of data for artificial intelligence systems and in testing and evaluating real systems through the use of their digital twins.

 

Realistic and immersive

The training courses is based on the concept of “Train as you fight”, which consists of developing solutions to teach students how to orient themselves, act and interact in the simulated scenario just as they would in a real-life situation. The model is based on four pillars:

Realism

Physical simulation of all elements of the platform and scenario (e.g. sensors, friendly and hostile entities, atmospheric conditions and electromagnetic spectrum)

Complexity

Missions that replicate the complexity of the real world (e.g. civilian traffic detected by radars, EO/IR sensors and identification systems)

Immersiveness

Accurate replica of the platform and reproduction of the “Out of the Window” (e.g. panels, buttons, operator controls, and external elements)

Interoperability

Network all assets to develop the effectiveness of the entire force in the field (e.g. test and improve the efficiency of interoperability and multi-domain systems)

Leonardo's simulation system consists of building blocks, a product portfolio ranging from a complete turnkey simulator to the possibility of customisation and interaction in a larger system. 

  • MARS

    Suite of simulated multi-domain sensors (radio frequency, electro-optical/infrared, EW systems and sonar) based on high-fidelity physical modelling and integration of re-hosted real code, for simulation that closely matches the operational behaviour of the systems.

    MARS
  • RIACE

    Distributed synthetic environment that replicates the real world and enables the interaction of simulated forces and real systems, forming the basis of LVC simulations for training, operational testing and training of AI systems.

    RIACE
  • VIR3X

    High-fidelity 3D graphics engine, developed internally by Leonardo, for rapid creation of realistic scenarios, with immersive rendering, procedural environment generation, and simulation of contexts in every domain with support from eXtended Reality.

    VIR3X
  • OCEAN

    Cloud platform for hybrid simulation infrastructures (consisting of virtual and physical machines), optimised to reduce operational costs and complexity, and to deliver simulation according to the NATO MSaaS paradigm.

  • LEONIDAS

    Suite for simulating ambient sounds and radio communications.

The simulation scenarios are thus remodelled according to the complexity of reality, adapting and evolving based on customer needs and requirements.

In step with technological advances, simulation is also gaining increasing relevance in research. The sequence is essentially being reversed: whereas in the past, the research phase was followed by the implementation of a new technology, today it contributes to its development. Simulation technologies are also used to contribute to product development, making it possible to test the main components early on in a simulated environment, representative of the actual operating environment, starting from the preliminary stages.

 

A centre of excellence

The reference point for Leonardo's Training & Simulation activities is the Ronchi dei Legionari (Gorizia, Italy) site. Over the years, capabilities and technologies have been developed here that have made the hub a centre of excellence in the development of simulation systems for training and development (experimentation, testing and integration) of complex systems. The Friuli site, which covers an area of over 90,000 square metres, employs 140 people in the engineering department, in addition to the 40 who work on these technologies at the Genoa site.

Among the numerous programmes in which the Group has participated is the ESS (European Simulation System) Consortium, which, starting in the 2000s, aimed to develop the ASTA simulator for the Eurofighter Typhoon. As part of this activity, Leonardo collaborated with major European companies in the sector, such as Thales and CAE, to develop the most advanced mission simulator in Europe. The applications of the implemented systems have progressively expanded to other fixed-wing aircraft, including the T346A aircraft simulator of the GBTS (Ground Based Training System), to helicopters, drones and, more recently, to naval and land systems.

A recent operational example of the innovative solutions implemented is the Centurion Warrior exercise, which concluded in September 2025. This was the first Live, Virtual and Constructive exercise conducted by the Italian Air Force, in which real fourth and fifth generation aircraft operated synergistically with a network of simulators and synthetic aircraft. For the exercise, conducted in the real airspace of the Salto di Quirra Interforce Range (PISQ) in Sardinia, Leonardo provided its advanced distributed simulation systems.

The activity is part of the Operational Training Infrastructure (OTI) programme, in which the Group plays an active role in collaboration with the Italian Air Force. The objective is to create a permanent platform for advanced training, focused on system interoperability and the simulation of complex operational scenarios.

The Centurion Warrior exercise represented a further step forward in training, allowing real, latest-generation aircraft to operate in the same scenario as virtual and simulated aircraft, controlled by pilots in simulators but also by artificial intelligence algorithms, through the use of RIACE.

RIACE and the LVC technology

A cutting-edge Distributed Synthetic Environment, RIACE it is a digital representation of the real world, including elements such as the natural environment, terrain, oceans, atmospheric and meteorological phenomena. It hosts simulated entities (computer-generated forces), which can interact with each other in accordance with accurate physical modelling of the assets.

Developed with scalability as the main project driver (it supports execution on a single computer or on a geographically distributed network), RIACE is able to connect to real systems (e.g. command-and-control centres, aircraft in flight) using real protocols such as tactical links and radio communications.

This capability is the basis for LVC simulations, of which RIACE is the backbone in several Italian Armed Forces simulation projects.