When it comes to having a well prepared Navy, training is key. Saab Inc. – which set up its Autonomous and Undersea Systems Division in Cranston in January 2022 – recently won a $173.2 million contract with the U.S. Navy to build a sophisticated training device called an Expendable Mobile Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Training Target (EMATT). For the next 10 years, Saab will create at least 1,200 EMATTs a year at its new facility for the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport. The company has partnered with SyQwest Inc., a leading manufacturer of subsea acoustic systems, and will share a facility to leverage the advanced production and test capabilities of their ISO 9001 rated facility.

Saab, Inc. is a U.S. based wholly owned subsidiary, delivering advanced technology and systems, supporting U.S. Armed Forces and the Federal Aviation Administration as well as international and commercial partners. The company is based in Syracuse, New York, with business units and local employees in seven U.S. locations.

The MK39 EMATT that Saab will build is a roughly 22 lb. robust acoustic training target that is 30 inches long and used to train sonar operators from naval surface ships, submarines and aircraft. The device is either dropped from a helicopter or boat which submarine operators then attempt to track.

Erik Smith, Saab, Inc.’s CEO, said Monday that upgrades to the device will include whatever the Navy wants. The device emits certain signals based on what it’s trying to do, so the Navy may want different signals or have the device maneuver differently. Additionally, the company could be asked to make the device go farther, or have a longer endurance to perform a longer mission.

“All those things are possible with the way the system is being architected,” said Smith.

Smith said Saab aims to increase the flexibility of the device so it’s more easily adaptable to do different things.

In addition to modernizing the MK39 EMATT, Saab will manufacture EMATTs domestically in its Cranston facility with its production partner, SyQwest. SyQwest has a 54,000 square foot facility on Kenney Drive and has experience in sonar and acoustic solutions and has provided innovative product designs for applications in marine hydrographic and geophysical surveying as well as military sonar markets worldwide; over the past 10 years, the company have delivered over 4,000 sonar systems to satisfied customers worldwide.

The two companies connected through their network and – from day one – Smith said a partnership between the two companies made a ton of sense. Saab had initial conversations with SyQwest, took a tour of the facility and it seemed like a natural fit. They had the facility space for Saab.

“These guys are phenomenal in what they do and it just made sense for both companies,” Smith said.

SyQwest President Robert Tarini Jr. said he’s excited for the partnership and to be on the cutting edge of technology. He added that a 10 year government contract can be rare and most are for five years.

Tarini added that SyQwest can create products from scratch which is beneficial when the supply chain is jammed up. Since so much of the MK39 EMATT production can be done at the Cranston location, this assists in cost savings. Tarini said in government contracts, cost is a large component. Additionally, initial acoustic testing for the MK39 EMATT can be performed in SyQwest’s 100,000 gallon tank.

The MK39 EMATT contract will support 15 to 20 well-paying, manufacturing jobs by the end of 2023. Saab recently hired its first employee, Michael Vidal, who will serve as the Manufacturing Plant Manager for the Cranston location. Saab is currently setting up its space within the facility.

“This factory is intended to build more than EMATT,” said Smith. “It will build EMATT and other vehicles down the road.”

Saab also hopes to use this contract as an anchor to win other business and further expand its footprint in the Ocean State. If Saab grows and wins more business, the company hopes to have approximately 50 full time, well-paid, engineering and manufacturing jobs in Rhode Island in the near future.

“There’s a whole world of opportunity in this space,” Smith said.

The facility also opens up opportunities in the education world. Smith, who’s a Roger Williams University (RWU) graduate, said the company will be taking its work to RWU and that this is the perfect vehicle to work with the academic community in Rhode Island to build up the blue economy academic base and understanding of undersea vehicles and how they work. Smith said it’s easy to pick an EMATT up, take it into an engineering lab and have students pull the device apart and understand how it works.

“While it’s great for business, great for the Navy, it’s also great for the academic community in Rhode Island,” Smith said, adding that this could be taken to the K-12 curriculum level.

While the Autonomous and Undersea Systems Division is new to Saab, the company has a global underwater and autonomous vehicle portfolio that includes a variety of training targets, torpedoes and ROVs. Saab projects this division to create north of $50 million a year in annual revenue.

“We have every intention of bringing the breadth of the global SAAB underwater portfolio to the United States and doing our manufacturing here in Rhode Island,” Smith said.