Strategy: Leonardo's management is continuing to work to change the corporate culture and improve the company's performance to reach levels achieved by European competitors. Its new industrial plan unveiled in February 2018 seeks to restart growth, improve financial performance and cut debt.

The business already has been restructured. Cost-cutting and divestitures of non-core businesses have improved profitability.To turn around the company, management has undergone repeated shakeups replacing many long-time managers.

Forecasting the size of the future UAV market is far more problematic, than in other areas of aerospace technology. There are several reasons for this. The most important is that UAVs are a revolutionary new technology. They are not an established technology (such as missiles, combat aircraft, etc.), where there are clearly defined requirements and established bureaucratic organizations that foster their procurement. While there has been a considerable amount of attention to UAVs in the press, and considerable experimentation with UAVs by many armies, there are still an enormous number of unanswered questions about the nature of UAVs and their operation that make any forecasting difficult.

Despite the challenges associated with entering this market, three new regional jet producers have thrown their hats in the ring. The biggest success, and a major surprise, has been the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) Powered by Pratt & Whitney’s Pure-Power PW1000G Geared Turbofan, (GTF).

In October 2009, the MRJ scored a notable breakthrough with a tentative order for 50 firm and 50 option planes from Trans States Holdings, the parent company of Trans States Airlines and GoJet Airlines. A firm contract was expected by the end of the year, but did not arrive until February 2011. Also, in July 2012 Sky-West announced a tentative commitment for 100 MRJ90s. This order, for 100 firm and 100 option planes, was firmed up in December 2012.

In terms of units produced over the next 10 years, turboshafts account for 23% of the overall aero turbine market. Measured by value of engines produced, the 'shaft segment is only 4% of the total market.

The joint kings of the turboshaft market are General Electric and French manufacturer Turbomeca, a subsidiary of the Safran Group. The former leads handily in terms of value of units delivered, but they are at parity when unit deliveries are considered.