Leonardo marks LVC pilot training advances with FITS4TOP project

Leonardo has given an update about its activities as the co-ordinator of the Future Integrated Training System for TOP Pilots (FITS4TOP) project, which is intended to produce an innovative ‘system of systems’ that integrates with Leonardo’s M-346 advanced jet trainer to enhance the current live, virtual and constructive (LVC) capabilities of the military pilot training syllabus.

Co-funded by the European Union under the European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP) 2019, the FITS4TOP technology development phase was launched in 2020 under Leonardo’s co-ordination, with the involvement of six aerospace excellence partners (Italiana Ponti Radio, IFAD, MBDA, CS Group, METRA and INCAS) from EU member states Italy, France, Denmark and Romania.

In a press release on 26 January 2026, Leonardo stated that a demonstration of the project’s capabilities was conducted at its production site in Venegono Superiore, in the Italian province of Varese, involving an M-346 in flight together with its associated ground-based training systems to validate the FITS4TOP technology demonstrator.

The event was attended by European institutions and representatives from the militaries and defence industries of the participating nations Italy, Denmark, France and Romania) and, according to Leonardo, marked “a significant milestone in the development of advanced LVC capabilities for the training of future combat pilots in multi-scenario environments”.

The FITS4TOP ‘system of systems’ leverages advanced hardware and software, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, new sensors, datalinks and state-of-the-art onboard avionics to enhance current LVC military pilot training syllabi. These capabilities – which enable real aircraft in flight to be combined within a single mission with simulated elements and computer-generated friendly or adversary forces – are extended into a modern multi-domain environment, characterised by a high level of interoperability.

The project delivers a highly digitalised training environment, supported by high-performance computing and cyber-resilient capabilities, in which trainee pilots conduct live flight training while facing potential air, maritime and land-based threats.

Trainees can interact in real time with instructors and other pilots operating simulators, engaging with increasingly complex and realistic simulated mission scenarios. They acquire and process data and information, which can also originate from real operational theatres and be filtered through ‘friendly’ assets, such as joint terminal attack controllers (JTACs), who play a critical role in close air support missions.

FITS4TOP was originally billed under EDIDP 2019 as a 42-month-long project, although presumably the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic has caused delays.

A screengrab from a Leonardo video showing a recent FITS4TOP demonstration involving an M-346 in flight paired with the FITS4TOP ‘system of systems’. [Leonardo]