Saab has officially opened its new state-of-the-art Sovereign Combat Systems Collaboration Centre (SCSCC) and expanded headquarters at Mawson Lakes.

The SCSCC aims to strengthen Australia’s sovereign defence capability with Saab and its partners to utilise the centre for software development, systems integration, testing and prototyping.

Supported by a $22.6 million grant from the Australian Government’s Modern Manufacturing Initiative, the SCSCC is poised to play a crucial role in developing a sustainable combat systems industry.

Saab has been a leader in Australian Combat systems capability for more than three decades, and Saab Australia Managing Director Andy Keough CSC said the investment into the new SCSCC signalled their intent to drive this commitment into the future.

“The Collaboration Centre will be a hub for Saab, our industry and research partners, and Defence, to develop and integrate combat system capabilities at a speed that meets the ADF’s operational requirements,” he said.

“A core component of ongoing sovereign combat systems capability development is the AusCMS – Australia’s sovereign combat management system.”

The sovereign AusCMS enables the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) to independently adapt their capabilities through the adoption of evolving and disruptive technologies to meet the continually changing and challenging operational context.

AusCMS is a common capability across the RAN surface fleet and will form the Australian Interface for the combat system on the upgraded Hobart-class destroyers and Hunter-class frigates.

The opening of SCSCC reinforces Saab’s ongoing investment into South Australia, where they have been headquartered since 2004 and employ more than 700 staff across the maritime, land, air, space, cyber and civil security domains.

Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Richard Marles MP, said the Collaboration Centre will bring together a skilled workforce which at its heart is building a future made in Australia.

“The facility will have a primary focus on software development, systems integration, testing and prototyping of our combat systems which are critical to delivering a more capable, integrated and focused Defence Force,” Deputy Prime Minister Marles said.

The development at Mawson Lakes follows Saab’s recent expansions into Western Australia, Victoria, Queensland and the ACT, growing Saab’s total Australian workforce to 1000 full-time employees.