Job Description:

Leonardo is an international industrial group and one of the world's leading companies in the Aerospace, Defence, and Security sectors, delivering multi-domain technological capabilities in the fields of Helicopters, Aircraft, Aerostructures, Electronics, Cyber Security, and Space. With more than 60,000 employees worldwide, the company has a strong industrial presence in Italy, the United Kingdom, Poland, and the United States, and operates in 150 countries through subsidiaries, joint ventures, and equity investments. A key player in major strategic programs at the global level, Leonardo is a technology and industrial partner to governments, defence administrations, institutions, and businesses.

For our Helicopters Division we are looking for a Master’s thesis student to join our team and work on an innovative project in the field of aircraft navigation, GNSS resilience and Performance-Based Navigation (PBN).

The increasing use of advanced PBN operations relies heavily on GNSS-based navigation. However, GNSS signals can be affected by Radio Frequency Interference (RFI), potentially impacting the accuracy and integrity required for Required Navigation Performance (RNP) operations.

In this context, Distance Measuring Equipment (DME), supported by both ground and airborne infrastructure, represents a potential alternative to GNSS in areas where GNSS is unavailable or degraded.

The thesis will investigate the use of Multi-DME navigation as a means of supporting RNP operations in the event of GNSS interference.

Thesis Project

The main objective of the thesis is to develop and evaluate a suitable Multi-DME Horizontal Protection Level (HPL) based on a pseudo-residual-based RAIM (Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring) algorithm.

The work will focus on:

• Developing a suitable protection level for Multi-DME navigation.
• Supporting the detection and exclusion of Out-of-Tolerance (OOT) DME measurements.
• Investigating the accuracy and integrity performance required to support RNP operations.
• Applying the developed algorithm to real helicopter flight-test data.
• Simulating and evaluating the potential performance of PBN operations using Multi-DME navigation in a real helicopter environment.
• Analysing the results and identifying potential limitations and areas for further development.

Education

• Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Automation Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.

Technical Skills

• Basic knowledge of aircraft navigation systems and avionics.
• Knowledge of GNSS, DME and/or Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) is considered a plus.
• Familiarity with navigation algorithms, signal processing or estimation techniques is an advantage.
• Basic knowledge of RAIM and integrity monitoring concepts is desirable.
• Programming skills in MATLAB/Simulink, Python or similar tools are considered a plus.
• Interest in working with real flight-test data and navigation performance analysis.

Soft Skills

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively within a multidisciplinary engineering team.
• Curiosity and willingness to develop expertise in aircraft navigation and avionics.
• Good communication skills and a structured approach to technical activities.

Monthly reimbursement: €800 gross per month.

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Hybrid Working: