Rome, 15 July 2024 - The ENAV Group, following a specific mandate issued by the Air Force General Staff, has signed a contract with TELEDIFE (Telematics and Advanced Technologies Directorate of the Italian Ministry of Defence) for the supply, installation and commissioning of a new radar for air traffic surveillance carried out by the Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force) at the Sigonella Air Base. 

The project will be implemented by an ENAV-led Temporary Grouping of Enterprises with Techno Sky and Leonardo. 

Under the Sigonella Airport Command, the Italian Air Force provides operational, technical and logistical support to the Entities and Departments deployed or in transit on the Air Base, ensuring services for the performance of flight activities.

From the Sigonella Air Base, the Italian Air Force also manages the approach/landing phase for civil flights operating at the Catania Fontanarossa airport with approximately 70 thousand movements per year coordinated through the ENAV control tower. The new radar is therefore strategic for both military and civil activities. The contract was signed by ENAV Group CEO Pasqualino Monti and by the Director of TELEDIFE, Lieutenant General of the Italian Army Corps of Engineers Angelo Gervasio. 

The Chief Executive Officer Pasqualino Monti said: "This contract represents the ability of Italian companies and institutions to work together for the modernisation of the country in the technological development of infrastructure and air traffic management systems both to defend national borders and to ensure the efficiency of civil flights. After the contracts with the Dominican Republic and Tunisia a few weeks ago, this latest order is confirmation that the new strategy we are pursuing to increase business in the non-regulated market is yielding concrete results. We are confident that we will achieve all the targets communicated to the market a few months ago”.

Specifically, the contract, with a duration of two years, covers the supply of the new radar and equipment for the room that will house the air traffic controllers, including the installation and commissioning of the new equipment. There are also plans to modernise the radar room and completely refurbish the related systems.

In order to minimise the operational impact, a transportable control room will be made available during the execution of the works, from which Sigonella air traffic controllers will be able to operate without service interruptions.

Under the contract, Leonardo will supply the primary ATC radar of the ATCR-33S Next Generation Family and the secondary SIR-S/I radar. These technologies and related services, which are functional to the progressive renewal of the Italian Air Force’s entire air traffic control surveillance capability, will be fully integrated with those already in use by the Armed Force and with the surveillance systems provided by ENAV.