By Thomas Gnau

Staff Writer

The state on Monday helped clear the way for a major defense contractor to bring 215 new high-paying jobs to the area that focus on a growing area of expertise here.

The State Controlling Board on Monday granted Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) $550,000 to be used to add 180 jobs at its Beavercreek office and 35 in the Springfield area during the next three years. SAIC currently has about 380 employees in the Dayton area.

The new employees will support unmanned aircraft development by the Air Force and at the Springfield Air National Guard Base, said State Sen. Chris Widener, R-Springfield. Local leaders have identified unmanned aerial systems research and development as a key area of growth.

The funds announced Monday are in addition to $3.4 million in job creation tax credits and $120,000 in work force training grants the state offered to SAIC to expand here. The Fortune 500 company, with $11 billion in annual revenues, will invest $5.1 million of its own money to bring the jobs to Beavercreek and Springfield. Many of the new jobs will have salaries in the $80,000 to $90,000 range, SAIC officials told the state.

Also on the controlling board’s agenda was a $232,918 purchase of a femtrosecond pulsed laser by Wright State. The request is part of a laser-building project between Wright State and the Miamisburg-based Mound Laser and Photonics Center, Widener said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2390 or tgnau@DaytonDailyNews.com.