Leonardo has signed a strategic agreement with Arbit Cyber Defence Systems, a Danish company specializing in data security solutions designed for Intelligence, Defence, EU and NATO multinational and multi-domain operations. The agreement entails establishes a strategic collaboration to co-design, co-develop and certify a cross-domain solution aimed at meeting cybersecurity requirements for highly complex, multi-national and multi-domain programmes featured by a high level of interoperability.
These key strategic programmes, to which Leonardo is strongly committed – GCAP (Global Combat Aircraft Programme), AICS (Armoured Infantry Combat System), JOC-COVI (Joint Operation Center – Comando Operativo di Vertice Interforze) and Defence Cloud – demand the secure and rapid transfer of information across multiple levels of classification and qualification, ensuring full compliance with national, European and NATO security standards and policies.
At the core of Arbit’s solutions lies its NATO certified “Data Diode” technology, which ensures secure and fast data transfer between separate networks, even with different levels of classification, while providing maximum protection against modifications or data exfiltration. Utilizing semiconductors, the system ensures physical and electrical separation between networks, performs automatic content checks, validates data origins, and securely identifies sources, significantly reducing the need for manual intervention, which is prone to errors. This same technology will form the foundation of the solution developed jointly with Leonardo.
Andrea Campora, Managing Director of Cyber & Security Solutions Division at Leonardo, commented: “The agreement with Arbit marks a significant step forward in strengthening our offering and innovation capability in strategic programmes related to Defence & Secure Cloud. Our goal is to develop an advanced solution dedicated to both critical infrastructures and Defence, enabling the latter to conduct multi-domain operations with a data-centric approach. This agreement will have a major impact on data sovereignty, regulatory compliance, and adherence to security standards at NATO, European, and national levels.”
Rasmus Borch, CEO at Arbit, said: “I am very pleased and respectfully honored to finalizing our partnership with Leonardo, the first among several Defence primes in recognizing the critical importance of an independent Arbit and establishing a strategic partnership agreement. This achievement reflects the trust we have earned from our European MDO (Multi-Domain Operation) clients in their pursuing of cross-domain synchronization. It stands as a testament to the hard work and commitment of my colleagues and partners who have shaped our company into the organization it is today.”
The project aligns with Leonardo’s 2024-2028 Strategic Plan, enhancing its joint-all domain approach and offering. Leveraging Leonardo knowledge and expertise on Italian Defence industry, the collaboration will focus on gathering requirements from national stakeholders to develop a certifiable solution in Italy. The co-designed solution will then be expanded internationally to meet also the needs of European countries and NATO clients, as well as the increasing demand in the critical infrastructures market.
