At a remote location, somewhere inside the 15 km long fence line, a JAS 39 Gripen slips out of its protective cocoon. Out into the open air. The security staff from Securitas don't let it slip from their sight. We are talking about extremely expensive projects and defense secrets of the highest order.
Twenty-six years after the Swedish parliament agreed to create a new Swedish fighter aircraft, close to 200 Gripen aircraft have been supplied from Saab AB. Despite Sweden being one of the few countries in the world that can produce their entire combat aircraft system, there are new and changing threats against Saab – exactly as there are against other industries. But a company like Saab also needs to strive for security in terms of information management within the area. The security demands on their own personnel are strict, as well as for the security supplier.
The level of security shifts in line with the prevailing threats and current operations, and each of the 150 buildings at anyone of Saab’s locations has its own specific level of security, which is determined in conjunction with Securitas.
"Security is obviously very important. It demonstrates to our foreign customers how we treat their defense secrets," says Stefan Franke, Head of Security at Saab.
Since the beginning of 1937, Saab has manufactured over 4300 aircraft for the Swedish Air Force, including Tunnan, Lansen, Draken, Viggen and most recently Gripen. For the civilian market, Saab has produced the Saab 340 and Saab 2000 aircraft. Saab is currently the manufacturer of the wing spar for the super jumbo jet A380 – the world's largest passenger airplane.
"Since Saab's policy is to focus on their core operations, and plant security is not a part of that, we believe that this is handled most efficiently by Securitas. Securitas now handles large parts of plant security – both technically and manually".
Technology and humans in harmony. This is how Saab has always worked, as Stefan Franke says, and even if the technology is reliable, there are still situations where humans are more reliable. He names surveillance and personal assistance calling in an ambulance. At a place like Saab, he believes that technology will never replace human interaction.
But even if security is extremely high, and the risk of fire is more critical than illegal entry, Saab always works under the assumption that someone could have entered the hangers without permission.
"Then we once again have to guarantee security around the plane, he says, and be sure that no one has 'snooped around' the plane."
Whether the most important player is the security officer who manually lets in bicyclists, car drivers; the canine officer who patrols the 360,000 square meter location; the receptionist who greets visitors; the security officer who sits in the alarm center or who stands two meters from the Gripen, he will not say. They are all equally important – otherwise the chain is broken.
"And I expect everyone to be service-minded. This means being alert, since it is important to get help quickly from the security staff when you call them. It is also important to be visible – visibility is a testament to a high level of security. I have been very satisfied with Securitas over the past years and I continue to be so."