Italy’s state-owned defense company, Leonardo, announced on Monday that it had been tasked by the Ministry of Defence to lead the development of Europe’s inaugural military space cloud architecture project.
MILSCA Project: Advancing Military Space Capabilities:
Dubbed MILSCA, the project aims to pioneer cutting-edge computing, cloud, artificial intelligence (AI), and storage capabilities directly in space, catering to the needs of Italy’s government and armed forces.
Leonardo will collaborate with Telespazio and Thales Alenia Space, leveraging the expertise of these joint ventures to drive innovation and propel the MILSCA project forward throughout a two-year study.
Strategic Alignment and Future Focus:
The MILSCA initiative aligns with Leonardo’s strategic objectives, emphasizing its commitment to the space industry as a cornerstone of future defense and security operations.
The project underscores Leonardo’s vision of establishing interconnected, digitally enhanced platforms to complement its traditional product offerings.
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Enhanced Data Access and Processing:
MILSCA will facilitate seamless access to critical data, including communications, earth observation, and navigation data, enabling users to retrieve information swiftly and efficiently from anywhere.
Technical Specifications and Capabilities:
The project boasts impressive technical specifications, including 100 terabytes of data storage on Earth and in space aboard each satellite, coupled with processing power exceeding 250 TFLOPS, or 250 billion operations per second.
The initial phase of the study will focus on defining the architecture of the space cloud, followed by the development of a digital twin in the subsequent phase, aimed at enhancing operational capabilities and optimizing performance.
Strategic Significance for National Defense:
Leonardo’s Chief Innovation Officer, Simone Ungaro, highlighted the strategic significance of the MILSCA project, emphasizing the critical role of data management, security, and rapid information exchange in modern defense operations.