Schumer: Saab Defense to add 100 jobs for radar contract work

DeWITT, N.Y. — Saab Defense and Security USA, LLC  of DeWitt will serve as the main sub-contractor on a radar contract the U.S. Air Force (USAF) has awarded to Waltham, Mass.–based Raytheon Co. (NYSE: RTN).

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) announced the contract award in a news release Monday.

Saab in 2013 spun off its radar and sensor business  and integrated it as a new business unit into Saab’s newly established defense company, Saab Defense and Security USA, according to an email message from John Belanger, vice president of communications for Saab North America, Inc. Saab Sensis is a wholly owned subsidiary of Saab AB, a Swedish defense and security company.

The senator expects the contract to create about 100 local jobs in Onondaga County and support the 400 workers already employed at Saab in DeWitt, which are split between the Saab Sensis air-traffic management division on Collamer Crossing Parkway and Saab Defense and Security on Enterprise Parkway.

Saab Sensis is a wholly owned subsidiary of Saab AB, a Swedish defense and security company.

Under the contract,  Saab Defense will work with Raytheon to produce the next generation, three-dimensional [expeditionary] long-range radars (3DELRR) for U.S. troops overseas, according to Schumer’s office.

The first phase of this contract is worth more than $19.5 million. The USAF has authorized spending of up to $71.8 million over the next 4 years on this contract, Schumer’s office said.

The contract could be worth $1.3 billion over the course of 10 years.

The USAF contract calls for the firms to develop and manufacture 35 of these radar systems for deployment around the world.

“The Air Force’s decision to build a significant portion of the 3DELRR system right here in Syracuse is excellent news for the local economy, for Saab Sensis and its workers, and the safety of our troops abroad,” Schumer said in the release.

 As a result of this contract,  Saab Defense and Raytheon’s 3DELRR system will now serve as the principal ground-based, long-range radar system of the USAF, Schumer’s office said.

“This radar will be a tremendous asset for our armed forces and will help create over one hundred good-paying jobs here in Syracuse. Federal contracts like this are incredibly important to the entire Syracuse economy…” Schumer said.

The USAF will use these radar sensors for detecting, identifying, tracking, and reporting aircraft and missiles.

The system will replace the USAF’s current AN/TPS-75 air-surveillance radar system, as the 3DELRR will have the capability to extend air surveillance and better detect airborne threats.

These “major” improvements will provide early warnings for the USAF to allow it to “better prepare” for threats from other aircraft and ballistic missiles, according to Schumer’s office.

“The award of the 3DELRR program to the Raytheon Company is great news for Syracuse and for Saab Defense and Security USA LLC,” Erik Smith, general manager of sensor systems at Saab Defense and Security USA, said in a news release that the office of U.S. Representative Daniel Maffei (D–DeWitt) released on Monday. “Saab is a key partner to Raytheon for this critical US Air Force program, he said.

Smith credited Maffei’s support of the firms’ pursuit of the USAF contract, according to the Maffei news release.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com