Leonardo Company Profile, Products, Employees and Revenue

Leonardo S.p.A. is an Italian aerospace, defence and security group headquartered in Rome that builds helicopters, military and trainer aircraft, defence electronics, cyber security systems and space equipment. Formerly Finmeccanica, it is best known for the AW139 and AW101 helicopters, the M-346 jet trainer and its share in the Eurofighter Typhoon and the GCAP fighter programme.

Leonardo reported revenues of €19.5 billion for 2025 and had 62,762 employees, according to Wikipedia’s citation of company data, with the Italian state as its largest shareholder. New orders reached €23.8 billion in 2025 and the order backlog was about €59 billion at 30 June 2026. Its customers are mainly the armed forces of Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States, Poland and other NATO and export buyers.

What Does Leonardo Do?

Leonardo designs and produces military and civil helicopters, combat and trainer aircraft, aerostructures for airliners, radars and sensors, naval guns and torpedoes, cyber security services and satellite systems. Under its industrial plan the group is organised into divisions rather than separate subsidiaries, a change that followed the January 2016 merger of AgustaWestland, Alenia Aermacchi, Selex ES, OTO Melara and WASS into a single company.

Leonardo DRS is a US-listed subsidiary that reports its own results and is not covered in this profile beyond the mention here. The company also holds stakes in MBDA, Telespazio and Hensoldt, per Wikipedia.

Leonardo Company Profile

How Many Employees Does Leonardo Have?

Wikipedia lists 62,762 employees for 2025, and the company’s own results release describes a rise of 2,294 people on the previous year. Helicopter Investor reported that Italy added about 1,600 of those jobs and the United Kingdom about 400, and that the group made more than 6,600 hires in 2025.

Figures differ by definition. Some sources count only the parent company and others include consolidated subsidiaries, so a headline number is best read together with its year.

Leonardo Revenue and Financial Results

The half-year net debt figure is higher than at the end of 2025 partly because Leonardo completed the purchase of Iveco Group’s defence business (IDV) on 18 March 2026 for about €1.6 billion. IDV brought roughly €6 billion into the order backlog, according to the company’s results release. The board proposed a dividend of €0.63 per share for 2025.

What Are Leonardo’s Main Products?

Janes reported that AW149, M-346 and air defence orders contributed to the H1 2026 growth. Among recent buyers, Nigeria, Austria, Indonesia and Canada have ordered M-346 variants, according to Wikipedia.

Who Owns Leonardo?

Leonardo is a listed company. The Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance holds about 30.2% and is the largest shareholder, according to Wikipedia. Leadership changed this year: the Italian government picked Lorenzo Mariani, previously head of MBDA Italia, to replace Roberto Cingolani, and Defense News covered the decision in April. Mariani formally took office on 8 May 2026.

Which Countries Buy From Leonardo?

Italy is the home customer and the largest naval programmes are national. On 24 September 2026 the Orizzonte Sistemi Navali venture won a €3.7 billion order for two DDX destroyers for the Italian Navy, according to the H1 2026 release.

The United Kingdom buys the AW101 Merlin and the new AW149 and takes part in GCAP. Poland operates AW149s, Canada flies the AW101 as the CH-149 Cormorant and Brazil signed its first serial Centauro II contract on 1 September 2026. In land systems, the Leonardo Rheinmetall Military Vehicles joint venture supports Italy’s €5.1 billion Panther-based tank programme, and our Rheinmetall profile covers the partner.

Recent Contracts and Developments

Leonardo is one of three equal partners, with BAE Systems and Japan’s JAIEC, in Edgewing, the joint venture launched on 20 June 2025 to develop the Global Combat Air Programme fighter, per Wikipedia. Our explainer covers GCAP in detail. Leonardo’s chief executive said in July 2026 that the jet could enter service two years ahead of the 2035 target date.

Elsewhere in Europe, Airbus is preparing an unsolicited Eurofighter offer for Portugal, a programme in which Leonardo is a partner.

Leonardo History and Key Milestones

Leonardo FAQ

What does Leonardo S.p.A. do?

It makes helicopters, aircraft, defence electronics, cyber security systems and space equipment for military and civil customers.

Where is Leonardo headquartered?

In Rome, Italy.

How many employees does Leonardo have?

62,762 in 2025, according to Wikipedia. The company reported a rise of 2,294 on the year before.

What was Leonardo’s revenue in 2025?

€19.5 billion, up 11%, with EBITA of €1.75 billion.

Who is the CEO of Leonardo?

Lorenzo Mariani, who took office on 8 May 2026, replacing Roberto Cingolani.

Who owns Leonardo?

It is a listed company. The Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance is the largest shareholder with about 30.2%.

Was Leonardo formerly Finmeccanica?

Yes. Finmeccanica was founded in 1948 and renamed Leonardo on 1 January 2017.

What is Leonardo’s role in GCAP?

It is one of three equal partners in Edgewing with BAE Systems and JAIEC, leading areas such as flight system, weapons and training integration.