Italy's Leonardo unveils Hystrix air defence system to counter drones and loitering munitions.

On February 2, 2026, Leonardo unveiled the Hystrix family of land-based air defence and counter-unmanned aerial systems, introducing the Hystrix 76 ADS and Hystrix 40 ADS derived from naval gun technologies. Both systems are integrated within the Michelangelo Dome defensive architecture and are intended to counter drones, loitering munitions, and low-altitude aerial threats.

On February 2, 2026, the Italian company Leonardo unveiled the Hystrix family of land-based air defence and counter-unmanned aerial systems, adapting its naval 76 mm and 40 mm gun technologies for terrestrial use. Existing in two configurations, the Hystrix 40 ADS and the Hystrix 76 ADS, this new system is designed to operate as fixed or relocatable gun-based effectors under centralized command and control. The Hystrix will be integrated within the Michelangelo Dome defensive architecture and is intended to counter drones, loitering munitions, and low-altitude aerial threats.
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The mid-layer gun system is the Hystrix 40 ADS, derived from the Marlin 40 naval mount in service with 30 navies, whose lineage traces back to 40 mm systems developed by Oto Melara in the 1950s. (Picture source: Leonardo)

The Michelangelo Dome, which now integrates the Hystrix, is organised around a C5 structure linking sensors, command elements, and effectors into a unified defensive system. Within this architecture, Leonardo defines an initial engagement layer referred to as a Dead Zone, where incoming threats are treated by point-defence effectors before reaching protected sites. The architecture is modular and scalable, allowing different calibres and effectors to be combined depending on threat density and mission requirements. Naval gun systems are reused as land-based assets in static or relocatable configurations, reducing development timelines while expanding coverage against aerial targets. The Hystrix designation derives from the Latin term for hedgehog and is used to identify the family of land artillery systems within this layered structure.

According to available information, in this arrangement, the 76 mm systems form the longer-range gun layer, while the 40 mm systems provide a mid-range layer under the same command-and-control logic. The long-range element is the Hystrix 76 ADS, based on the 76/62 naval gun in the SovraPonte configuration, which avoids below-deck intrusion and allows installation on land supports. Development is self-financed by Leonardo, and the configuration shown consists of a two-axle flatbed trailer fitted with four hydraulic outriggers. The gun is mounted slightly ahead of the front axle, while a forward platform supports a container housing fire control electronics, communications equipment for data-link connectivity, and an onboard generator.

The container currently corresponds to a 10-foot standard format, with ongoing efforts to reduce its size, volume, and mass. Leonardo stated that a prototype will be available before the end of the year, with initial trials planned within the same timeframe. The Hystrix 76 ADS is remotely operated through a two-way data link that transmits firing missions to the gun and returns system status information to the command post, including remaining ammunition data. This configuration allows guns to be emplaced in the field and controlled from a separate location. The system provides continuous 360-degree traverse and operates across an elevation arc from -5 degrees to +85 degrees. It uses dual-feed magazines with 36 rounds per magazine, enabling rapid switching between ammunition types.

Supported ammunition includes HE-PF-IM6-OES with a 3AP programmable fuse, HE-MOMA1 with a 4AP fuse, Vulcano 76 BER with an MFF BER fuse, and the DART guided munition with an MFF DART in-flight programmable fuse. Additional Vulcano variants with infrared and semi-active laser seekers are in advanced development. Employment of DART requires the Davide guidance kit, and a Davide Plus variant is under development to add tracking capability and allow stand-alone operation once firing data is received from the command centre. Leonardo previously indicated that existing 76 mm ammunition has demonstrated effectiveness against unmanned aerial targets, including small drones.

For instance, a demonstration at the La Spezia Navy range showed a 4AP proximity fuse initiating the engagement sequence when a round passed 2 to 3 metres from a Class 1 drone. The company highlighted detection and tracking as the primary limiting factors in this mission set and cited the performance of its C-band Tactical Multi Mission Radar in supporting such engagements. The blast and fragment effects of a 76 mm round were stated to be capable of engaging multiple drones in a swarm, while also noting that the calibre exceeds requirements for some UAV classes. Hystrix 76 ADS is intended for fixed or relocatable use on trailers or truck flatbeds. The system has a dry mass of 7,000 kg, with ammunition adding about 900 kg when accounting for 72 rounds at an average mass of 12.5 kg per round, limiting suitability for mobile vehicle-mounted roles.

The Hystrix 76 ADS is based on the 76/62 naval gun in the SovraPonte configuration, which avoids below-deck intrusion and allows installation on land supports. (Picture source: Leonardo)

To address mobility requirements, Leonardo is developing the Hystrix 76 ADS Light for installation on 8x8 wheeled vehicles or tracked vehicles. This variant has a dry mass below 4,000 kg and retains the same elevation arc as the heavier system, while operating at a reduced rate of fire of 100 rounds per minute. It carries slightly over 40 rounds, with an ammunition mass of about 500 kg, and the final round count has not been confirmed. The design reuses existing sub-assemblies, including components from the 76/62 Compact, 76/62 SP, and 76/62 SR Super Rapido DF/MF, as well as training elements from the Hitfact MkII land turret. Trials of the heavier Hystrix 76 ADS are planned before year's end, while the Hystrix 76 ADS Light prototype will follow at a later, unspecified date.

The mid-layer gun system is the Hystrix 40 ADS, derived from the Marlin 40 naval mount, whose lineage traces back to 40 mm systems developed by Oto Melara in the 1950s. More than 850 Marlin 40 mounts are in service with 30 navies. The land variant adopts the Independent Line Of Sight configuration, integrating its own electro-optical sensors to support autonomous detection, tracking, ballistic calculation, engagement, and engagement termination. Prior export activity included delivery of trailer-mounted Marlin 40 ILOS turrets to an unnamed Far East country for air defence use by its air force, with Leonardo supplying core components and local industry performing assembly, and a further order for the same country’s army is being pursued.

A Hystrix 40 ADS prototype is planned before year's end to support integration with Michelangelo Dome command-and-control elements. Hystrix 40 ADS provides full 360-degree traverse with an elevation range from -20 degrees to +85 degrees and is designed for high angular performance, with training speeds of 120 degrees per second and elevation speeds of 75 degrees per second, both with accelerations of 200 degrees per second squared. The land configuration has a dry mass of 2,100 kg, about 100 kg less than the naval mount, and carries 72 ready-to-fire rounds with an ammunition mass of about 180 kg based on a 2.5 kg round mass. The system fires exclusively at its maximum rate of 300 rounds per minute, and full reloading through a rear hatch takes less than five minutes.

The sensor suite includes a 6.5 km laser rangefinder, a thermal camera with Detection, Recognition, Identification ranges of 15 km, 6.8 km, and 3.5 km, and a day camera with ranges of 20 km, 9 km, and 4.5 km. The final configuration is expected to integrate the fully digital Janus D sensor optimised for counter-UAS tasks. The system can be mounted on flatbeds or semitrailers with hydraulic jacks for autonomous unloading and is compatible with IDV Astra 8x8 trucks used for SAMP/T and SAMP/T NG. Ammunition options include high-explosive and incendiary tracer rounds, high-explosive pre-fragmented rounds with proximity fuse, and multifunction programmable ammunition with proximity, gated proximity, airburst, point-detonating, and combined modes, while cooperation with MBDA Italy is ongoing to explore integration of the Fulgur VSHORAD missile to extend engagement range.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.