Leonardo Hystrix 40 ADS

History

The Leonardo Hystrix 40 ADS is an Italian land-based air-defense gun system intended primarily for counter-UAS and short-range air-defense missions. It adapts Leonardo's Marlin 40 naval gun mount to a ground-based configuration and forms the middle-caliber element of the Hystrix family.

Hystrix was developed as part of Leonardo's effort to transfer naval artillery technology into land-based air-defense effectors. The family is planned around 76 mm, 40 mm, and 30 mm systems that can contribute to a layered defense architecture and operate in static, relocatable, or mobile configurations.

The Hystrix 40 ADS is based on the Marlin 40 ILOS, or Independent Line Of Sight, configuration. Its integrated electro-optical equipment allows the gun system to perform detection, tracking, ballistic calculation, engagement, and engagement termination without requiring the gun itself to rely on an external target-tracking sensor.

Development

Leonardo presented the Hystrix concept in Brescia in early 2026 after unveiling its Michelangelo Dome integrated defense architecture in late January. Within the Hystrix family, the 40 mm system was positioned below the larger Hystrix 76 ADS and above the smaller Hystrix 30 ADS.

The concept also builds on earlier land use of the Marlin 40 ILOS. Before the formal Hystrix program, Leonardo supplied an unnamed Far Eastern customer with trailer-mounted Marlin 40 ILOS systems for air-defense duties. Those installations preceded the Hystrix 40 ADS but were not identified as production Hystrix systems.

Leonardo planned to have a Hystrix 40 ADS prototype ready before the end of 2026 for integration with the command-and-control elements of Michelangelo Dome. By October 2026, a Hystrix 40 ADS configuration had been photographed undergoing testing, showing that the system had progressed beyond the rendering stage.

Design

The Hystrix 40 ADS uses the Marlin 40 naval mount adapted for land operation. The weapon can traverse through 360 degrees and has an elevation range from -20 to +85 degrees. The land configuration retains the high angular movement needed for short-range air defense, with a maximum training speed of 120 degrees per second and elevation speed of 75 degrees per second.

The system is intended to use the gun at its maximum 300-round-per-minute firing rate during air-defense engagements. The turret carries 72 ready-to-fire 40 mm rounds. Leonardo gives a dry mass of approximately 2,100 kg for the land-based gun system, with about 180 kg of ammunition when the ready-use load is carried.

Electro-optical system

The development configuration uses an integrated electro-optical director derived from the Marlin 40 ILOS arrangement. Its sensors include thermal and daylight cameras and a laser rangefinder. The laser rangefinder has a stated range of 6.5 km. The thermal channel has stated detection, recognition, and identification ranges of 15 km, 6.8 km, and 3.5 km respectively, while the daylight camera has corresponding ranges of 20 km, 9 km, and 4.5 km.

Leonardo plans to equip the final Hystrix 40 ADS configuration with the Janus D electro-optical system. Janus D is a fully digital development of the Janus family and is intended to improve detection and tracking of small unmanned aircraft.

Deployment

In a relocatable configuration, the gun can be installed on a flatbed fitted with hydraulic jacks that allow the system to be unloaded from its transport vehicle. Leonardo has considered the IDV/Astra 8×8 truck family already associated with SAMP/T and SAMP/T NG support requirements. A semitrailer configuration is also possible.

The complete land installation is planned to include supporting electronics, communications equipment, and electrical power generation in addition to the gun mount. Hystrix concepts also include static and mobile arrangements, although the exact production configuration of the Hystrix 40 ADS remains under development.

Armament and ammunition

The 40 mm weapon is derived from the Bofors L/70 family through the Breda/Oto lineage used in the Marlin 40. The Hystrix 40 ADS is intended to use conventional high-explosive and tracer ammunition as well as programmable rounds for air-defense engagements.

Supported ammunition types include HE, HEI-T, and HE-T rounds, HE-PFF rounds with a programmable proximity function, and multifunction programmable ammunition. The multifunction round can use proximity, gated proximity, airburst, point-detonating, and combined gated-proximity and airburst modes.

Leonardo is also cooperating with MBDA Italy on the possible integration of the Fulgur very-short-range air-defense missile. This remains a proposed enhancement intended to extend the engagement reach of the Hystrix 40 ADS rather than a confirmed feature of the current test configuration.

Program status

The Hystrix 40 ADS remains in development. The program had progressed to physical testing by October 2026, while Leonardo continued work on its final sensor configuration, land deployment arrangements, and integration with the wider Michelangelo Dome architecture.

No confirmed production Hystrix 40 ADS operator has been identified. Earlier trailer-mounted Marlin 40 ILOS air-defense systems delivered to an unnamed customer represent a related precursor application rather than confirmed Hystrix 40 ADS service equipment.

Specifications (Hystrix 40 ADS)

General characteristics

• Type: Land-based 40 mm air-defense and counter-UAS gun system
• Gun mount: Leonardo Marlin 40 ILOS-derived installation
• Caliber: 40 mm
• Dry mass: Approximately 2,100 kg for the land gun system
• Ready ammunition: 72 rounds
• Ready ammunition mass: Approximately 180 kg
• Traverse: 360 degrees
• Elevation: -20 to +85 degrees

Performance

• Maximum firing rate: 300 rounds per minute
• Maximum traverse speed: 120 degrees per second
• Traverse acceleration: 200 degrees per second squared
• Maximum elevation speed: 75 degrees per second
• Elevation acceleration: 200 degrees per second squared
• Laser rangefinder range: 6.5 km
• Thermal camera detection, recognition, identification: 15 km, 6.8 km, 3.5 km
• Day camera detection, recognition, identification: 20 km, 9 km, 4.5 km

Armament

• Main weapon: 40 mm L/70-family automatic cannon in the Marlin 40 mount
• Ammunition: HE, HEI-T, HE-T, HE-PFF, and multifunction programmable ammunition
• Planned missile option: MBDA Italy Fulgur VSHORAD missile integration under consideration

Related equipment

• Hystrix 76 ADS: Larger-caliber member of the Hystrix land-based air-defense artillery family.
• Hystrix 30 ADS: Smaller-caliber member of the family based on the Lionfish 30 naval mount.
• Marlin 40: Naval 40 mm gun mount from which the Hystrix 40 ADS is derived.