Growing reliance on air defence capabilities has prompted Leonardo to introduce the Michelangelo Dome, a modular, open-architecture, scalable and multidomain integrated defence solution, revealed in late November 2025.
The system is built around a robust C5 architecture combined with multiple sensors and effectors, forming an initial modular protective layer referred to as the “Dead Zone,” in which hostile threats are neutralised using point-defence assets.
During a briefing held at its Brescia facility in northern Italy, Leonardo detailed its plans to adapt naval artillery technologies into land-based effectors that can be deployed in static, relocatable or mobile configurations. This new family of ground systems has been named Hystrix, the Latin word for hedgehog.
The first artillery-based element derived from naval guns is the Hystrix 76 ADS (Air Defence System). The longer-range version employs Leonardo’s widely used 76/62 mm naval gun, specifically the “SP” (SovraPonte) variant, designed to sit entirely above deck, making it well suited for rapid land installation, including on trailers. Leonardo confirmed that a prototype of this trailer-mounted Hystrix 76 ADS will be completed before the end of the year.
Current development visuals depict a two-axle flatbed trailer equipped with four hydraulic stabilisers and a platform above the drawbar. The gun is positioned just ahead of the front axle, while the forward platform supports a container housing the fire-control electronics, communication equipment for integration with command-and-control networks, and a power generator. At present, a standard 10-foot container is used, though engineers are working to reduce overall size, weight and volume.
Operation of the system is fully remote. Fire missions are transmitted via a two-way data link from the command centre, while real-time feedback on system health and ammunition levels is sent back, allowing the C2 architecture to dynamically assign engagements. This enables the guns to remain deployed in the field without local operators.
The Hystrix 76 ADS provides continuous 360-degree traverse and an elevation range from -5° to +85°. It features a dual-feed system holding 36 rounds per magazine. The 76/62 mm gun supports a wide array of ammunition types optimised for air defence, including:
- HE-PF-IM6-OES rounds with the 3AP programmable multifunction fuse
- HE-MOMA1 (Multirole OTO Munition) rounds equipped with the 4AP fuse
- Vulcano 76 BER guided ammunition using the MFF BER fuse
- DART guided projectiles with the MFF DART in-flight programmable fuse
Two additional munitions are nearing completion: the Vulcano 76 GL IR with infrared seeker and the Vulcano 76 GLR SAL featuring a semi-active laser seeker.
When firing DART ammunition, the system requires the Davide guidance kit. Leonardo is currently developing an upgraded version known as Davide Plus, which will provide both projectile guidance and target tracking, allowing the gun to operate as a stand-alone effector once initial engagement data is received from the command centre.
Leonardo stated that existing ammunition has already demonstrated high effectiveness against unmanned aerial threats. During the Brescia presentation, engagement range data for the 76 mm MOMA1 and DART rounds was shared. Although proximity-fuse performance against very small drones has sometimes been questioned, Leonardo confirmed successful trials at the Italian Navy’s La Spezia range, where a 4AP fuse operating in proximity mode detonated within 2–3 metres of a Class 1 drone, triggering the kill mechanism.
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Company representatives emphasised that detecting small UAVs remains more challenging than destroying them. In this context, Leonardo’s C-band Tactical Multi Mission Radar (TMMR) reportedly performed strongly during demonstrations. Moreover, the blast effect of a single 76 mm round can neutralise multiple drones in a swarm scenario, though the calibre may be excessive for certain small UAV classes.
The standard Hystrix 76 ADS is intended primarily for fixed or relocatable deployment, either trailer-mounted or installed on truck flatbeds. With a dry weight of approximately 7,000 kg, and an additional 900 kg when fully loaded with ammunition (assuming an average round weight of 12.5 kg), it is not considered suitable for fully mobile platforms.
To address mobile requirements, Leonardo has initiated development of a lighter system: the Hystrix 76 ADS Light. Weighing under 4,000 kg, this variant retains the same elevation envelope but has a reduced firing rate of 100 rounds per minute and carries just over 40 rounds, amounting to roughly 500 kg of ammunition, with final capacity still being defined.
The lightweight system makes extensive use of existing components. The loading tray, breech block, transfer assemblies and cradle interfaces originate from the 76/62 Compact gun; the barrel and recoil system come from the 76/62 SP; the ammunition handling architecture is derived from the 76/62 SR (Super Rapido) DF/MF configuration; and the traverse bearing is taken from the HITFACT MkII land turret, normally armed with 105 mm or 120 mm guns.
Source: Leonardo news release
