DURBIN: CONFERENCE COMMITTEE APPROVES MORE THAN $84 MILLION IN DEFENSE FUNDING FOR PROJECTS IN ILLINOIS
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that a Senate-House conference committee has approved $84.35 million in federal funding to assist defense related facilities and project across Illinois.
The conference committee approved the funding, which was included in the fiscal year (FY) 2007 spending bill this afternoon. Durbin is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and served as a conferee. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 defense spending bill includes funding for the following projects:
C9C and C40 Aircraft Operations and Maintenance, Scott Air Force Base: $27.3 million for operating and maintaining C9C aircraft and preparing for C40 aircraft that are scheduled to be delivered to Scott Air Force Base beginning in 2007. Both the C9's and C40's will aid in operational support airlift of travel teams, critical mission support items, homeland defense, and contingency requirements. Funds would be used to continue funding the mission at the 932nd Air Wing at Scott Air Force Base. This request has been placed on the Air Force’s and Air Force Reserve’s priorities list. Durbin worked with U.S. Congressman Jerry Costello (D-IL).
Rock Island Arsenal Industrial Preparedness Items, Rock Island: $6.3 million for items that will support production of lightweight armor that can be added to military vehicles and military body armor for maximum troop protection. This project will also fund titanium fabrication and casting equipment, multi-axis machining centers, robotic welders and ultrasonic cleaners. These items will be used for the new M-119 howitzer production program, M-198 howitzer spare parts production, M-45 recoil mechanism production, M-93 gun mount production and the AC-130 gunship parts production. Additionally, the requested equipment will also have significant safety and efficiency benefits for the Arsenal.
Arsenal Support Program Initiative (ASPI) at the Rock Island Arsenal (RIA), Rock Island: $5.8 million for efforts by RIA to market its part-time manufacturing and related services as a non-governmental contractor. The ASPI program provides financial incentives for private companies that use underutilized Department of Defense facilities in order to reduce product and ownership costs and was enacted by Congress in 2001. Additionally, ASPI increases the utilization of existing critical skills and maintains readiness of the military industrial base. Through ASPI, the Arsenal will maintain and modernize infrastructure, reduce environmental costs and enhance the economies of surrounding communities through job creation. RIA currently has 14 ASPI tenants.
Low Cost Domestic Titanium Reduction to Powder Initiative, Lockport: $4.45 million to continue optimization of the Armstrong Titanium Reduction Process to support more effective and efficient use of titanium in future weapons systems. Titanium produced at Lockport is being used by the US Army to fabricate armor and to qualify that material for Army systems. The new pilot production facility that has been sited at Ottawa, Illinois will employ the equipment to produce over 4 million pounds of titanium per year beginning at the end of calendar 2007. Federal funding is needed to ensure that the efforts move forward in a timely manner. International Titanium Powder, in Lockport, would compete for this initiative.
Common Remotely Operated Weapons System (CROWS) Lightning Integrated Acoustic Sensor, Barrington: $3.25 million to integrate existing acoustic ballistic detection technology into a CROWS stabilized weapons mount. The integrated sensor will rapidly detect enemy shooter location and automatically position the weapon to return fire. The funding would also be used to improve the sensors’ ability to detect its surroundings, including small arms and IEDs. The system will assist soldiers in reducing enemy threats along transportation routes in Iraq and Afghanistan, and minimize supply chain interruption. Recon Optical, in Barrington, would compete for this initiative.
Small Business Infrared Materials Manufacturing- Silicon Alternatives, Bolingbrook: $1.8 million to help small businesses develop new high performance infared detection materials critical to national defense. In addition, this funding will help decrease our dependence on a single foreign source for component used in infared detectors. EPIR, in Bolingbrook would compete for this initiative.
High Explosive Air Burst Ammunition, Marion: $1.3 million to allow for the design and full development of an airburst ammunition for the U. S. Army Bradley Fighting Vehicle and the U. S. Marine Corps Light Armored Vehicle. The Airburst cartridge design will greatly increase firepower lethality and capabilities of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. GD, in Marion, would compete for this initiative.
Litening Targeting Pods for U.S. Marine and U.S. Navy Expeditionary Tactical Aircraft, Rolling Meadows: $6.5 million for LITENING pods, a multi-sensor pod that provides Navy and Marine Corps expeditionary tactical aircraft with precision strike capability and video datalink to the warfighter. LITENING is currently deployed on Navy and Marine AV-8Bs and F/A-18s and has proven itself essential in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Currently, inadequate numbers of targeting pods are preventing Marine Corps expeditionary tactical aircraft from fully supporting the war effort. Northrop-Grumman, in Rolling Meadows would compete for this initiative.
Northern Illinois University / Eiger Labs Low Quantity Precision Fabrication, Rockford: $3 million to help complete a program that will develop, test, and demonstrate new computer-aided process technologies related that will help small companies supply goods and services to the DoD. This proposed program will also help these firms develop micro-fabrication technologies to be supplied to DoD weapons systems. Durbin worked with U.S. Congressman Don Manzullo (R-IL) to secure these funds.
Fuel Cell Mobile Electric Power System, Des Plaines: $1.3 million to improve fuel efficiency, reduce noise and thermal signatures, and lower environmental emissions for fuel cells. Advanced solid oxide fuel cell technology is being developed as an efficient replacement power source for conventional electric power generators. Mobile Electric Power (MEP) is one of five essential infrastructure elements in Joint service overseas deployments. MEP accounts for 8 Air Force cargo aircraft flights per 1100-man deployment and up to 4,000 gallons per day of fuel sustainment, placing a burden on air fleet and logistics chain. Senator Durbin worked with Senator Obama to secure these funds. GTI, in Des Plaines will compete for this initiative.
Secure Wireless LAN Infrastructure for Point of Maintenance, 182d Air Wing, Peoria: $2 million to improve the visibility capabilities, and accuracy and timeliness of data processed at the 182nd Air Wing Maintenance facility. The U.S. Air Force is currently implementing a Secure Wireless LAN infrastructure across many maintenance facilities and is seeing remarkable efficiency improvements. CERL in Peoria would compete for this initiative.
Nanocrystal Therapeutic Agents and Screening Tools, Evanston: $1 million for Northwestern University and the U.S. Army to establish an accelerated research program focusing on the development and use of powerful nanotechnology tools for creating fast, highly selective, chemical and biological detection systems that are sensitive, selective, mobile, lightweight, and field deployable. This program will develop nanoparticle materials that can be used as “gene therapy agents” to detect and turn off genes associated with debilitating diseases and conditions that adversely affect Army personnel. The proposed program will positively and substantially impact the U.S. military by providing new technology for diagnosing and treating diseases as well as biological and chemical threats.
Naval Air Warfare Center Asset Visibility Business Process Improvement, Vernon Hills: $2 million to accelerate implementation of RFID technology to improve the Navy’s supply chain management system. It will advance the goal expressed in the Quadrennial Defense Review, which sought to reduce supply costs and improve performance. Zebra Tech, in Vernon Hills, would compete for this initiative.
Wide-Area Sensor for Force Protection Targeting, Barrington: $2.6 million to develop and demonstrate a wide-area, high resolution/high fidelity infrared sensor system that would provide the Navy with superior surveillance and targeting capabilities. The sensor system and its applications can be utilized on platforms within each branch of the military. Recon Optical, in Barrington, would compete for this initiative.
Real-Time Drinking Water Security Program, Champaign: $1 million to develop and evaluate a means to detect downstream terrorist attacks on drinking water distribution systems and treatment plants at the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL). CERL is currently evaluating the first real-time detection and response sensor suite capable of detecting and responding to such attacks. Senator Durbin worked with Senator Obama to secure these funds. CERL, in Champaign, would compete for this initiative.
Humvee Hybrid Technology Conversion, Chicago: $1 million for the Illinois Institute of Technology to apply its existing expertise in the field of hybrid vehicle systems to implement a cost effective conversion kit to retrofit U.S. Army Humvee vehicles with electric hybrid systems. Prototype work suggests such retrofits will increase gains in vehicle acceleration and fuel efficiency by over 50% and in a cost effective manner. Senator Durbin worked with Senator Obama to secure these funds.
Fuel Cells for Mobile Robotics Systems Project, Chicago: $1 million for Chicago State University to continue developing fuel cell technologies for the power needs of mobile robotics systems in the defense arena. A three-year program is required to develop a fuel cell technology package with full functional capabilities and one that is production ready. Senator Durbin worked with Senator Obama to secure these funds.
A-10 On-Board Oxygen Generation System (OBOGS) Retrofit, Moline: $6.5 million to retrofit existing A-10s with OBOGS, reducing maintenance and logistic costs and increasing operational availability. Carleton, in Moline, will be competing for this initiative.
Tactical RPG Airbag Protection System, Decatur: $3 million to develop Tactical RPG Airbag Protection System (TRAPS), the only active protection system under development by the Army that does not result in collateral damage to dismounted troop or adjacent vehicles. TRAPS uses commercial airbag and low-cost radar technology to defeat the RPG warheads and has been successfully tested against most of the RPG configurations currently threatening coalition troops. Decatur Electronics, in Decatur, would compete for this initiative.
Compact Tactical Laser (CTL) Program, Crystal Lakes: $1.95 million to create high power multi-module systems with approximately 10 kW of laser diode power that are significantly more compact, efficient, and lower cost than anything available to the military today. Three different applications modules will be created from this system, addressing important problems in the areas of Defense Construction, Defense Metrology, and Defense Tactical. These three application modules will then be jointly tested with the relevant labs to gauge their effectiveness in the application. Optical Engines, in Crystal Lakes would compete for this initiative.
Computer Systems Masking Shunt, Aurora: $1.3 million to make computer networks more secure by adding another protective layer without degrading speed or network. The Masking Shunt is a network device that hides firewalls and LANs and provides layer two security by hiding the Media Access Control (MAC) address of any pass through device. The Connor-Winfield Corporation, in Aurora, will be competing for this initiative.
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