image: The Warner Robins building and surrounding 8 acres are SwRI's first property purchased outside of its San Antonio headquarters in its 78-year history. The facility is strategically located 3 miles from Robins Air Force Base, one of SwRI's longstanding defense clients.
Credit: Southwest Research Institute
SAN ANTONIO — August 20, 2025 — Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has constructed its first facility outside of its San Antonio headquarters in Warner Robins, Georgia. The 33,000-square-foot, $18.5 million building, equipped to advance national defense technology, is strategically located 3 miles from Robins Air Force Base to bolster SwRI’s longstanding support for the U.S. Air Force.
Institute leadership welcomed government and community leaders to the grounds on August 20 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tours to mark the grand opening of the new structure, which houses offices, conference rooms and laboratories. SwRI employees based in Warner Robins develop advanced aerospace technology and electronic warfare (EW) solutions to detect, intercept and thwart enemy radar signals. The facility offers space for technology evaluations previously conducted off-site.
“We are proud to expand our presence in the dynamic city of Warner Robins to serve the U.S. Air Force and our nation’s warfighters,” said Winfield Greene, director of SwRI’s Advanced Electronic Warfare Department, who oversaw construction and the department’s relocation. “Warner Robins and the entire middle Georgia area is looking toward the future with the Air Force base driving progress. We are eager to broaden our impact on this community with this modern, high-tech facility.”
SwRI established a Warner Robins office in 1990, occupying leased space for decades. However, daily operations, a growing staff and increased workload created the demand for a larger building for national defense research and development. The SwRI Board of Directors approved funding for 8 acres and construction in January 2024. A groundbreaking ceremony was held at the site in May 2024, marking a new era in SwRI’s 78-year history.
“This is SwRI’s first property outside of San Antonio, and it represents an investment to support our longtime clients at Robins Air Force Base, recognizing the growing importance of its mission in national defense,” said SwRI Executive Vice President and COO Walt Downing, P.E., who was instrumental in establishing the original Warner Robins location. “We are committed to developing the most advanced technology for national defense applications. Our new facility adds resources to fulfill this mission for the base and beyond.”
SwRI develops custom defense, cybersecurity, radio frequency and signal analysis solutions to advance homeland security for the United States and U.S. allies. Many of SwRI’s innovations created in Warner Robins began as internal research and development (IR&D) projects. Through its IR&D program, the Institute invests in future-focused, unproven concepts to advance technology for government and industry clients.
“We are solving the defense challenges of today, while looking ahead, and anticipating the evolution of our nation’s defense needs,” said SwRI Defense and Intelligence Solutions Division Vice President Nils Smith, P.E., “Our Warner Robins property is equipped for the future, strengthening SwRI’s capabilities as we develop the next generation of advanced aerospace and electronic warfare technology.”
The new building, which is the primary work location for more than 50 SwRI staff members, is located at 653 Tallulah Trail, Warner Robins, Georgia. SwRI operates nine U.S. locations outside of its San Antonio headquarters and a wholly owned subsidiary, Signature Science LLC, in Austin, Texas.
See exterior drone footage of the new SwRI Warner Robins building here.
To learn more about SwRI’s defense capabilities, visit https://www.swri.org/markets/defense-security.