The Senate last night approved the 2008 Department of Defense Appropriations bill, which includes funding requested by Senator Collins for Bath Iron Works, the University of Maine, Saco Defense, Pratt & Whitney, and other Maine companies.
“This legislation will fund critical force protection and health care initiatives for American service members while continuing development of important technologies to counter existing and emerging threats,” said Senator Collins, who is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “I am pleased that my colleagues in the Senate have recognized the valuable contributions of Maine companies to our national security by funding important defense programs in our state.”
At Senator Collins’ request, the Senate bill ensures a continued and steady workload at Bath Iron Works by authorizing $2.9 billion for the second (and final) fiscal year of funding for construction of the dual-lead DDG-1000 Zumwalt class destroyers. Bath Iron Works is now slated to build the first DDG-1000 destroyer.
The Senate also appropriated a 3.5 percent across-the-board pay increase for service members, 0.5 percent above the President’s budget request, and $73 million to fund programs authorized under the Dignified Treatment of Wounded Warrior Act. Senator Collins is an original cosponsor of this legislation, which includes provisions that she authored with Senator Clinton to improve the detection, assessment, and treatment of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) among wounded service members and to expand support for the victims of TBI and their families
In addition, the Senate bill includes funding for the following programs, as requested by Senator Collins:
- $6.1 billion for continued development of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) and $3.6 billion for further procurement of F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft. Pratt & Whitney builds the F135 engine for the JSF and the F119 engine for the F-22 with partial work performed at the Pratt & Whitney North Berwick facility.
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$442.3 million for C-17 Globemaster III aircraft, the engines of which are built by Pratt & Whitney with partial work performed at the Pratt & Whitney North Berwick facility.
- $19 million for M2HB .50 Caliber Machine Guns, $21 million for MK19 MOD 3 40mm Grenade Launchers, and $6 million MK47 Mod 0 Striker40 Grenade Launchers, which are manufactured at Saco Defense in Saco.
- $240 million for national research on Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer, and Ovarian Cancer.
- $14 million for the Defense Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, which benefits the University of Maine.
- $5 million for the production and demonstration of lightweight modular ballistic tent insert panels designed by the University of Maine’s Army Center of Excellence in Orono. The panels provide crucial protection to service members in temporary dining and housing facilities in mobile forward operating bases in Iraq and Afghanistan.
- $3 million to complete development of a prototype “Smart Valve,” which Portland Valve, LLC in South Portland has designed to replace bleed air regulating, control, and relief valves on naval ships.
- $3 million for the Maine Army National Guard to field the Integrated Disaster Management System, developed by Global Relief Technologies in Kennebunk and Portsmouth, in support of critical medevac operations in Iraq. This system provides near real-time data management and analysis to and from field operators via hand-held devices.
- $2 million for continued development of the autonomous SKYBUS “Lighter-Than-Air” Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology, which has a variety of surveillance and communications applications for defense and homeland security purposes, by the Telford Group, Inc. in Bangor.
- $2 million to develop and demonstrate the production capabilities of the DiscoTexTM discontinuous fabric technology for aerospace composite materials and structures. This technology, which was developed by Pepin Associates, Inc. in Greenville, has a variety of applications for military and civilian aircraft platforms.
- $2 million to weaponize the Ripsaw Unmanned Ground Vehicle platform designed by Howe & Howe Technologies, Inc. in North Berwick.
- $2 million to continue development of a chemical and biological infrared detection system designed by Orono Spectral Solutions in Orono.
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- $1 million to complete the miniaturization and systemization of semiconducting metal oxide based sensors, which are being developed by the Sensor Research and Development Corporation in Orono.
- $1 million for the Asymmetric Warfare Initiative, which will enhance the State of Maine’s coordination and response capabilities to catastrophic events through a complex, scenario-based exercise involving the Maine Emergency Management Agency in Augusta.
- $1 million to adapt Small Craft Integrated Common Operational Picture technology, developed by Technology Systems, Inc. in Brunswick, to enhance situational awareness on Department of Defense high-speed small craft.
- $1 million for research in advanced propulsion for gun launched projectiles and missiles performed by Applied Thermal Sciences, Inc. in Sanford.
- $1 million to adapt composite technologies developed by Maine Marine Manufacturing in Portland, the University of Maine in Orono, and Hodgdon Yachts in East Boothbay in the Mark V replacement patrol boat program to meet the U.S. Special Operations Command’s requirement for a high-speed Medium-Range Endurance Craft.
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