Saab Germany opens location in Wilhelmshaven

Saab opened its branch on the Jade, or rather the Ems-Jade Canal, with a ceremony in the new premises on Bunsenstrasse. In future, all maritime projects in Germany will be managed from here.

For years, Saab has propagated the idea of operating abroad in strategic co-operation with domestic companies, and is also implementing this here. It is all about the future of high-tech products such as sensors, weapons and combat boats. This also means an increase in the number of employees, currently 350 throughout Germany. In Wilhelmshaven there will initially be 4, and then 30 employees. The Lord Mayor of Wilhelmshaven, Carsten Feist, who was in attendance, was therefore very pleased with the growth, which he himself sees as a "pull effect" and expects 200 additional jobs in the region. MdB Siemtje Möller, Member of Parliament from Friesland-Wilhelmshaven and Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Defence, emphasised the benefits for the region and pointed out the importance for the operational capability of the German Navy. The main topic was the modernisation of the Class 123 frigates, which will be operational by 2035 with new command and control systems, new radars and fire control systems. They are the "workhorses" of the German Navy and the crews deserve the best possible equipment for their mission, she said. In addition to the numerous representatives of the Bundeswehr, the end user, the commander of Flotilla 2, Flotilla Admiral Axel Schulz, was also present. His bon mot addressed to Saab's CEO Germany, Anders Sjöberg: "Failure is not an option" was not without profundity, as the history of the F 123 has been accompanied by various delays in modernisation. Now Saab is to fix it and is working together with the Abeking & Rasmussen shipyard, ESG and Atlas, among others.

Text: hsc

Photos: Jörn Rehder / Saab