SAAB continues to support Swedish armed forces in Afghanistan 2611112

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Defense Industry News - SAAB
 
 
Saturday, November 26, 2011, 09:35 AM
 
SAAB continues to support Swedish armed forces in Afghanistan.
The Swedish Armed Forces will continue to entrust Saab with the operation and maintenance of power stations at three Swedish bases in Afghanistan. The contract is being extended for another year and is now valid to 2013.
     
The Swedish Armed Forces will continue to entrust Saab with the operation and maintenance of power stations at three Swedish bases in Afghanistan. The contract is being extended for another year and is now valid to 2013.
The new Swedish army camp Monitor in Schebregan: Excavation and laying of underground cables for electricity, fibre and telecommunications.
     
“Our activities here in Afghanistan mainly involve operating the electrical installations at Camp Northern Lights, Camp Monitor and Camp Birka. We make sure they remain operational 365 days a year,” explains Carina Hörnfeldt, Head of Section and Field Support Manager at Saab.

Camps throughout the world

For several years, Saab has been working with the Swedish Armed Forces’ bases throughout the world, for example in Kosovo, Cyprus and the UAE. Saab has been supporting ever since Camp Northern Lights was built in northern Afghanistan in 2006, and once the construction was finished Saab assumed the operational commitment.

“In parallel to this, we are also working on the expansion of various bases, where the projects include electricians, fibre technicians, project managers and supervisors. Altogether, there are about 40 people working on this in Afghanistan but the assignment also requires a great deal of administration back home, so there are many more people involved,” states Carina Hörnfeldt.

Feather in the cap

Last year, Saab and the Swedish Armed Forces agreed a two-year contract and this has now been extended for another year to 2013.

“It feels great that they want to continue working with us. It is a key deal for our business and a feather in the cap for everyone who is working on the project,” says Carina Hörnfeldt.

Altogether, there are around 600 soldiers from Swedish units stationed at the three bases. Most are at Camp Northern Lights, where Finnish troops are also stationed. The Swedes are part of Isaf (International Security Assistance Force), which is working on behalf of the UN to enable the reconstruction of Afghanistan.