Leonardo: Deep Dive Into The Main Programs Of One Of The Largest Defense Contractors In The World Leonardo: Deep Dive Into The Main Programs Of One Of The Largest Defense Contractors In The World M-346, C-27J NG, Captor-E and HH-101. (Images: Leonardo, Edit: The Aviationist). Leonardo is one of the world’s top ten players in Aerospace, Defense and Security. Let’s have a look at the status of its most important projects in the Aeronautics, Helicopters, Space and Electronics businesses. Named after the Italian inventor Leonardo da Vinci (although some people know or still refer to it by its previous names, Finmeccanica, or Leonardo-Finmeccanica – the transitional name adopted as part of the restructuring process launched in 2016), Leonardo is a global company headquartered in Italy specialising in aerospace, defence and security.