{"id":40545,"date":"2017-11-14T19:26:13","date_gmt":"2017-11-14T19:26:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2017\/11\/14\/new-leonardo-exec-optimistic-on-business-reorganizations-effect-on-us-bids\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:09:45","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:09:45","slug":"new-leonardo-exec-optimistic-on-business-reorganizations-effect-on-us-bids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/dubai-air-show\/2017\/11\/14\/new-leonardo-exec-optimistic-on-business-reorganizations-effect-on-us-bids\/","title":{"rendered":"New Leonardo exec optimistic on business reorganization\u2019s effect on US bids"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates \u2014 Leonardo is widely considered the dark horse for the two major U.S. military aerospace competitions in which it\u2019s currently competing: the T-X trainer competition and the UH-1N Huey helicopter replacement program, where it is teamed with Boeing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But while Lorenzo Mariani, the company\u2019s new chief commercial officer, stopped short of saying he was confident in a win for both opportunities, he seemed pleased with recent changes made to its U.S. subsidiary, Leonardo DRS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDRS has gone through a very bright reorganization and it has made the company more effective than a bunch of the companies in the U.S. And this was also a prerequisite in that market,\u201d he told reporters during a Nov. 13 briefing at the Dubai Airshow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winning the U.S. Air Force\u2019s T-X trainer contest would be a \u201cgame-changer\u201d in the U.S. and for the whole business, he said. In that competition, Leonardo DRS offered the T-100, a modified version of the Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master, which is already in service in Italy, Israel and Singapore.<\/p>\n\n\n\t