Built in West Lafayette: From Indiana to the Flight Line
Saab is proud to call West Lafayette, Indiana, home. In Purdue University's Discovery Park District, Hoosiers build the aft fuselage of the U.S. Air Force T-7A Red Hawk, made in America, for the next generation of America's pilots.
Saab, Inc. is committed to strengthening the United States' defense manufacturing and production capabilities as part of the company's mission to keep people and society safe. Since opening in October 2021, our 100,000-square-foot facility has brought T-7A aft fuselage production from Sweden to the United States, creating high-quality aerospace jobs and a research partnership with one of the nation's leading engineering universities.
Today, more than 240 employees in West Lafayette are building the aircraft that will train U.S. Air Force fighter and bomber pilots for decades to come.
Growth in West Lafayette
Saab is an established U.S. advanced manufacturer, and West Lafayette is home to Saab, Inc.'s Aerospace Systems business and its flagship aircraft production in the United States.
The West Lafayette team builds the T-7A's aft fuselage, the section that runs from behind the cockpit to the end of the aircraft, fully installed with its hydraulic, fuel and secondary power systems. Each finished section travels to Boeing's final assembly line in St. Louis, where it is joined with the forward fuselage, wings, fins and tail.
The T-7A Red Hawk is an all-new advanced pilot training system designed and built through the Boeing-Saab partnership. The U.S. Air Force selected the jet in September 2018 and plans to buy 351 aircraft, which will train more than 1,000 pilots each year. Its name honors the Tuskegee Airmen and their red-tailed fighters of World War II.
West Lafayette offered what a modern aerospace program needs: a skilled Indiana workforce, a world-class research university next door and partners who move at speed. The State of Indiana, Purdue University, the Purdue Research Foundation, the cities of West Lafayette and Lafayette, Tippecanoe County and Greater Lafayette Commerce all came together to bring Saab to the region.
The facility opened on time and on budget, and with room to grow. As the T-7A moves into production for the U.S. Air Force, West Lafayette will continue to attract top talent and support the U.S. warfighter with modern domestic manufacturing.
Progress in West Lafayette
West Lafayette now builds the first American-made T-7A Red Hawk aft fuselages, and the work is accelerating.
- Production of the aft fuselage transferred from Saab's team in Linköping, Sweden, where West Lafayette assemblers and engineers trained side by side with their Swedish counterparts.
- The T-7A was designed digitally from day one. That precision lets Boeing join Saab's aft section to the forward fuselage in under 30 minutes.
- With the U.S. Air Force moving the T-7A into production, the focus now is on rate. The site has the land to expand as demand grows.
- New team members receive paid, on-site training through Saab's aerospace structures training academy.
Partnering with Purdue
Saab chose West Lafayette for more than a building site. Purdue University's world-leading aerospace and engineering programs make the facility a hub for research, talent as well as production.
Research. Saab and Purdue collaborate on sensor systems, artificial intelligence, autonomy and advanced manufacturing. In December 2022, the Office of Naval Research selected Saab for a $13.3 million effort, performed in West Lafayette with Purdue, to develop explainable AI that helps protect surface vessels by detecting and characterizing threats. In 2023, Saab, Ericsson and Purdue turned Purdue University Airport into a live 5G test site for aviation research.
Talent. Purdue graduates and U.S. Military Veterans form the core of the West Lafayette team. In fact, more than 15% of employees at West Lafayette are Veterans. Purdue students also gain internship and career pathways into aerospace and defense, close to campus.
Ecosystem. The facility sits in the Discovery Park District, developed by the Purdue Research Foundation next to campus, alongside other aerospace and technology innovators.
Saab in the Community
Saab cares deeply about playing a positive role in the communities where we live and work and in society as a whole. In offices across the U.S., Saab is committed to supporting and strengthening our neighbors through investing in the local community and creating jobs.
Every year, Saab supports charitable organizations in our local communities, with a focus on those working to address hunger and food insufficiency in our veteran community.
In Greater Lafayette, Saab joins the region's aviation community at events like Purdue Aviation Day, where students and families explore the future of flight. Our West Lafayette employees and their families also welcomed the T-7A Red Hawk home to Indiana, celebrating the aircraft they help build.
Saab’s West Lafayette facility partners closely with the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, Ivy Tech Community College, Purdue Research Foundation, CASA Cycling, De-Trash the Wabash, and other local community organizations.
Did you know?
At full production, Saab aims to support up to 300 full-time jobs in West Lafayette, ranging from structural assembly and quality to engineering and management.
Are you interested in working at Saab in West Lafayette? Check out our vacancies here.
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