HUNTSVILLE — City and state officials joined business professionals Sept. 10 to witness the groundbreaking of BAE Systems’ new expansion project at Cummings Research Park in Huntsville.

BAE Systems’ new facility is expected to bring more than 350 new jobs within five years, according to Joe Wasley, director of the Huntsville Business Center at BAE Systems.

“We’ve been interested in establishing roots in Huntsville for several years,” Wasley said. “The community provides a rich source of top talent, which will allow BAE Systems to fill hundreds of positions over the coming years.”

The multiphase project, estimated at $45.5 million, will include new engineering development space, manufacturing space and laboratory space in an 83,000-square-foot facility. The laboratory space will serve as support to the U.S. Department of Defense. The building will sit on a 20-acre lot that will leave room for future growth.

Wasley said the new facility will initially focus on the design, development and manufacturing of precision munitions and aircraft survivability technology. BAE Systems is “actively seeking” locals to work in engineering, program management and business development roles, as well as those with manufacturing experience.

A rendering of the new facility | CONTRIBUTED

According to a press release, BAE Systems is working with three local companies to accomplish the expansion: developer Samples Properties, Fuqua & Partners Architects and Pearce Construction. The facility is expected to be completed in 2019, and Wasley said the facility is expected to be fully operational by the start of 2020.

“Huntsville is an ideal location to attract the key talent needed to develop and deliver important new capabilities to our customers,” said Paul Markwardt, vice president and general manager of survivability, targeting and sensing solutions at BAE Systems.

The facility’s new location in Cummings Research Park will allow BAE Systems to work more closely with those customers in the United States Army, Missile Defense Agency and PEO Missiles and Space, as well as Redstone Arsenal.

“We are proud to extend our legacy of producing the nation’s most advanced and dependable electronic systems to the Huntsville community, as these systems are vital to our men and women in uniform around the world,” Wasley said.

BAE Systems is the third-largest defense contractor in the world with operations in 30 states and more than 83,000 employees worldwide. The company specializes in aerospace defense and security systems. According to their website, BAE Systems provides threat detection, integrated processing and advanced threat countermeasures to protect against threats to rotary and fixed wing aircraft.

The company’s Albertville facility focuses on aircraft modification and integration for these fixed and rotary wing aircrafts, which benefits both the Department of Defense and civilian customers. BAE Systems’ facility in Anniston produces most of the forged track components for the United States’ inventory of tracked combat vehicles. Together, the two facilities currently employ more than 380 Alabamians.