Leonardo has opened a new building at its Sesto Calende facility dedicated to the development and manufacture of helicopter flight simulators. The investment builds on the training technologies and services available at the site since 2006, when the “A. Marchetti” Training Academy opened as Leonardo’s first helicopter training academy, and further establishes Sesto Calende as a development and production hub for simulation systems across the company’s rotary-wing business. The building provides more than 6,000 square metres of space and can accommodate up to five simulators at a time, bringing engineering, design, development, production, assembly, integration and testing together under one roof. Offices occupy three floors alongside a large assembly and integration area; the most advanced simulators recreate a helicopter cockpit on a motion platform or fixed base, surrounded by a panoramic visual dome.

The project builds on the facility’s growth in recent years: employee numbers rose from around 470 in 2022 to more than 610 in 2025, an increase of over 30%. The new building will bring together specialists currently working across different areas of the site, including aeronautical and computer engineers, software developers, assembly technicians, pilots and programme managers, among them many young professionals with STEM skills, particularly in engineering and software development.

EXISTING SIMULATOR PROGRAMMES

Simulator design and manufacturing have long been core areas of expertise at Sesto Calende. Leonardo-developed systems include the A129 Mangusta helicopter simulator for Italian Army Aviation in Viterbo, the HH139 simulator for the Italian Air Force in Cervia, and the NH90 helicopter simulator at the Italian Navy’s Maristaeli Luni simulation centre, alongside systems developed for other helicopter types and customers worldwide. The new building provides additional space to expand these activities for civil and military programmes in Italy and overseas; the first simulators built in the new facility will serve operators in Italy and Asia, with stronger in-house capabilities continuing to complement established partnerships such as the Rotorsim joint venture with CAE.

The expansion supports an important part of Leonardo’s helicopter business: between 2023 and 2025, Customer Support, Services and Training accounted for an average of around 42% of Helicopters revenues, and more than 16,000 people are now trained each year across the company’s helicopter training activities. The Sesto Calende Training Academy uses advanced simulation systems, including virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence and digital twins, to train pilots, crews, operators, ground staff and maintenance personnel in realistic flight, mission, maintenance and repair scenarios, and the facility also houses the coordination centre for technical and logistics support across Leonardo’s entire helicopter fleet. The new building continues Sesto Calende’s aviation heritage, which dates back to 1915.