MAINE FUNDING INCLUDED IN SENATE-PASSED FY 2005 DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS BILL
Snowe Highlights DDG-51Naval Destroyer Production, Advanced Weapon Systems Development, and MEP -Defense Supply Chain Project
Contact: Antonia Ferrier/ (202) 224-5344
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) today announced Senate passage of the Fiscal Year 2005 (FY2005) Defense Appropriations Bill, which includes a number of important national defense projects supported by Maine companies and institutions that contract with the Department of Defense. Snowe highlighted continuing work at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, advanced weapons procurement at General Dynamics in Saco, and development of emerging technology at the University of Maine. The appropriations bill passed with a vote of 98 to 0.
Thursday, June 24, 2004
< $1.57 billion in funding for development of the Land Attack Destroyer, or DD-X, the next-generation surface combatant ship. Bath Iron Works and Ingalls Shipyard will both be involved in the design of this new family of ships. < $352.1 million for a Littoral Combat Ship, an integrated surface combatant capability envisioned to operate in littoral (coastal) areas against terrorist threats, high-speed swarm boats, mines and diesel submarines.
< $3.45 billion for the DDG-51 Arleigh Burke Destroyer which will add 3 new platforms for the Navy’s arsenal.
Kittery-Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
< $5 million to accelerate and expand the installation of the High Performance Brush Technology in motors and motor-generators in Navy nuclear submarines and other systems.
General Dynamics Armament Systems, Saco < $10 million in funding for the XM312 .50 Caliber Advanced Crew Served Weapon which General Dynamics manufactures to replace the M2.50 caliber machine gun. < $10 million in funding for the Mk 47 Mod 0 Striker Special Operations Command. Funding will be used to integrate the latest sensing, targeting and computer programming technology for a simple, reliable, highly portable 40 mm machine gun usable by the combat soldier in small, mobile tactical units. < $3 million in funding for the Composite Special Operations Craft, in conjunction with Hodgdon Yachts, to provide for the preliminary design, testing, and optimizing design of a composite special operations craft, to double the range of the current MK V and to redesign the craft to fit into the C-17 verus the C-5 transport aircraft.
Applied Thermal Sciences, Sanford
< $3 million in funding for development of a small, rapid response watercraft for port security and harbor protection. An addition to the U.S. Navy’s arsenal, the small sea-craft will also escort large Navy ships into port for refueling and maintenance operations.
University of Maine, Orono < $5 million in funding for the U.S. Army research on advanced structures and composites in construction. < $5 million in funding for the Deployable Composite Structures for bunkers, underground storage facilities, and bridges. < $1 million in funding for the Structural Reliability of Fiber Re-enforced Polymers, a research project being conducted by the University of Maine in concert with Applied Thermal Sciences Inc. The project is aimed at developing a specialized structural reliability analysis process to optimize use of polymers in future ship construction.
Fiber Materials, Inc., Biddeford < $5 million for Integrated Composite Missile Structures which will reduce costs and weight of missile structures while significantly enhancing missile performance (increased range, higher aero-thermal operating temperatures, decreased heatshield thickness). The FY05 funding for this program will incorporate the results of past R&D and SBIR efforts to demonstrate the feasibility of manufacturing a multi-functional integrated missile structure with an emphasis on manufacturing and characterizing an integrated structure applicable to THAAD insertion and Terminal Interceptors.
Technology Systems, Incorporated, Wiscasset and Applied Thermal Sciences, Sanford < $4 million in funding for the development of high performance sandwich panel construction techniques, used to address problems associated with aerodynamic heating at high speeds and radiant heating caused by flight engines. TSI in Wiscasset, along with ATS in Sanford, are leaders in the research and development of this emerging technology.
Maine Manufacturing Extension Program (MEP) < $8 million to continue funding of the Defense Manufacturing Supply Chain Pilot Program, a “rapid response defense manufacturing supply chain system” in the six New England states. MEP will share in this funding. The funds will support training of Maine manufacturing workers on the principles of lean manufacturing and to increase their skill sets to meet the DoD requirements related to the manufacture of parts and equipment.
Pratt and Whitney
< $30 million to continue the upgrade of ANG Block 42 F-16 aircraft in FY05 and continue the program to finish three Air National Guard squadrons by FY06.
< $20 million to continue the active unit conversions with E-kit modifications as well as early conversion of ANG F-15 squadrons. The ANG F-15 units need this improved engine to insure they can meet mobility, readiness and combat power standards and new homeland defense requirements in the next decade.Other Projects < $1 million for the Personal Digital Assistant Maintenance Application Project which will concentrate scientific and technological resources at the Navy to achieve Future Naval Capabilities, to reduce maintenance manpower and costs. < $1 million for Low Cost Avionics which utilizes commercial open architecture standards for both military hardware and software avionics applications. < $2 million for the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps, a program directed toward the development of young men and women ages 11-17, through exposure to seamanship and aviation. < $21.7 million for the Civil Air Patrol Program which comprises over 6,000 volunteers throughout the country as the official Air Force auxiliary. < $200 million for the Cancer Research Program, to include breast cancer, ovarian cancer and prostate cancer -- Snowe led the effort to include funding for the Department of Defense Peer-Reviewed Breast Cancer Research Program, which was established in 1992 to fund research at universities, hospitals, non-profits and for-profit institutions, private industry and state and federal agencies to eradicate breast cancer. The program not only provides high-return research, but also reports the results of this research to the American people at a yearly public meeting called the “Era of Hope.” “These yearly meetings are crucial to increasing public knowledge concerning advances in breast cancer research. They provide a forum for the public to ask questions regarding how funding is used, what knowledge was gained and what future research will focus on,” Snowe said.
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