"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 also a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. "These projects continue the valuable contributions of Maine companies to our national security by funding important defense programs in our state."
Funding, approved today by the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, for Maine projects is as follows:
Aroostook County
- $20 million to Maine Military Authority in Limestone for the continued maintenance of Humvee vehicles.
Cumberland County
- $3.1 million for Portland Valve in South Portland for smart valve technology.
- $1.5 million for Technology Systems, Inc. in Brunswick for additional development of the threat identification program as well as test and demonstration on small craft to allow for tailoring the system for small craft operators.
Kennebec County
- $5 million for Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership in Augusta for the supply chain initiative which will provide DoD rapid response capability to surge demand using the network of New England suppliers and minimize the risk from supply chain disruptions, obsolescence, and battlefield backorders for machined parts.
- $3.9 million for Tex Tech Industries in North Monmouth to produce Ballistic CORE Technology. The Ballistic CORE Technology project provides enhanced protection for troops against fragmentation from blasts and a variety of bullets.
Penobscot County
- $3.6 million for the University of Maine in Orono. The appropriations funding will support the LGX High Temperature Acoustic Wave Sensors which will continue to investigate fundamental sensor materials and device design concepts as well as demonstrate functional prototypes of acoustic wave sensors. It also will provide for woody biomass conversion to JP-8 Fuel.
- $1.9 million for Orono Spectral Solutions to continue development of a chemical and biological infrared detection system.
- $1.9 million for ANGEL Secure Networks in Orono to continue development of software which would secure content delivery and provide host authentication both of which are of critical importance to protect the Department of Defense's technological edge.
- $1.6 million for Sensor Research & Development in Orono for real time test monitoring of chemical agents, chemical agent stimulants and toxic industrial chemicals.
York County
- $12 million for Saco Defense for manufacturing of the Lightweight Caliber .50 Machine Gun and the Advanced Lightweight Grenade Launcher.
- $2.5 million for Howe & Howe Technologies, Inc. in North Berwick to weaponize the Ripsaw Unmanned Ground Vehicle platform which will provide a full-size high speed all terrain weapons platform.
- $2 million for Applied Thermal Sciences in Sanford for the research and development of fuel efficient, high specific power free piston engines for Unmanned Sea Surface Vessels.