First line of defense
Northeast Austin lands $150 million campus from global defense contractor
Northeast Austin will soon be home to the third largest defense contractor in the world. On August 11, BAE Systems announced it is expanding its operations in the Capital City with a new $150 million, 390,000-square-foot facility near East Parmer Lane and I-35.
BAE Systems' new campus will be part of the Parmer Austin Business Park, and will include engineering, manufacturing, and laboratory facilities, as well as office space. Once complete, the campus will hold 1,400 employees, according to a release.
The British-based BAE Systems is one of the world’s leading aerospace and defense technology companies. According to a release, the North Austin facility will primarily support U.S. Department of Defense customers.
As of 2019, the company employed more than 600 people in its current East Austin office where they work on autonomy technologies, cyber technology, electronic warfare, sensor development, and manufacturing.
"Work at the [Northeast Austin] site will consist of new programs and existing business, which primarily includes the design, development, and manufacturing of radio frequency and electro-optical/infrared countermeasure systems," the company said.
BAE Systems also touted the new location's proximity to the Capital Factory and U.S. Army’s Futures Command.
"This expansion will continue our longstanding legacy of innovation in Austin, while also preparing us for our projected engineering and manufacturing growth,” said Dave Harrold, vice president and general manager of Countermeasure & Electromagnetic Attack Solutions at BAE Systems, in a release. “Austin is an ideal location to attract the talent we need to deliver the latest capabilities to our customers.”
Construction is scheduled to begin this year and end in 2022.
