October 7th, 2005	Contact: Cameron Hardy 202-224-6441
THOMAS: CUTTING EDGE RESEARCH CONTINUES Wyoming Receives $4 Million in Funding for Unmanned Vehicle Testing
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Craig Thomas secured $4 million to continue the University of Wyoming’s cutting edge research at Camp Guernsey for unmanned vehicle testing in partnership with the Department of Defense (DoD). “Wyoming continues to lead the way in attracting a wide variety of important defense missions. The partnership between the Wyoming Guard and UW serves the nation and the community very well.” “Our diverse geography, along with Guernsey’s highly skilled soldiers, make Wyoming an alluring place for the DoD Joint Robotics Program to set up shop. I continue to work with folks at the University of Wyoming to look for new ways to utilize their research,” Thomas said. The Senate passed the DoD Appropriations bill today, 97-0. Included in the bill was $4.0 million that Senator Thomas secured to help continue the Wyoming National Unmanned Systems Experimentation Environment (NUSE2). This Wyoming unmanned vehicle testing program was initiated by Thomas for research and development. The Wyoming NUSE2 operates in partnership with the DoD, the University of Wyoming and the Wyoming Guard. Thomas added that Wyoming is a main site in a national consortium of experimental test facility used to develop unmanned aerial, ground and water vehicles. In announcing the program in October of 2003, Thomas noted that Joint Robotics Program had selected Camp Guernsey for its variable testing terrain to test unmanned systems, including its geographical features and access to the highly trained soldiers that train at Camp Guernsey. The University was a perfect match because it is a top-tier research facility and staff who are working in this cutting edge technology field.
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