(Washington, D.C.) U.S. Senators Mark Pryor and Blanche Lincoln, along
with Representatives Marion Berry (D-1st), Vic Snyder (D-2nd), John Boozman
(R-3rd), and Mike Ross (D-4th), today announced final passage of the Fiscal
Year 2006 Department of Defense (DOD) Appropriations Bill. The bill
includes significant funding for Arkansas’ military instillations, research
institutions and defense contractors.
Delegation members said that the $453.5 billion defense appropriations
bill includes funding for military personnel, operations and maintenance
and equipment procurement. In addition, $50 billion is allotted to
finance the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for the first part of fiscal 2006.
“Arkansas is home to vital military installations, as well as a growing,
cutting edge research and development industry that will bring our nation’s
defense capabilities to new levels,” Pryor said. “The projects in this
bill reflect a year of hard work to secure funding that supports our national
defense, our troops in the field and Arkansas’ defense industry.”
"Our communities and industries in Arkansas have long played an important
role in building a strong national defense," Lincoln said. "In today’s
war on terror, our military must have every resource they need to provide
for our country’s long-term stability. I am extremely proud of our state’s
significant contribution to America’s national security."
"Thanks to a united effort by Arkansas' congressional delegation, we
were able to secure millions of dollars to support the state's growing
defense industry," said Berry. "These funds will not only improve existing
military installations, but advance cutting edge research that will strengthen
military effectiveness and keep our troops safe as they fight overseas."
“These projects, being done right here in Arkansas, demonstrate the
changing nature of warfare,” said Snyder. “We must keep our edge technologically
not just in education, medicine or business, but also in war-fighting.”
"I have spent the past few days in Iraq visiting Arkansas soldiers on
the front lines," Boozman said. "They deserve the best equipment
money can buy and the funds in this bill will help them get it. It
will also fund projects aimed at using new technologies to protect our
troops. I am proud that many of those advancements are being made
right here at home in Arkansas."
“The funds secured in this Defense Spending Bill will positively impact
military installations and military contractors who provide jobs and economic
opportunities to Arkansas's working families,” said Ross. “During
a time of war, these funds are critical to homeland security and to ensuring
our troops have the necessary tools to do their job safely and effectively.”
The following Arkansas projects were included in the FY 2006 Department
of Defense Appropriations Bill:
Russellville, AR
Mobile Medical Shelter - $4.1 million was secured for the design and
manufacturing of a new generation of mobile medical shelters. Modern
and sterile shelters are critical resources to medics treating military
wounded on the battlefield. In a partnership agreement with the City
of Russellville, the European Aeronautic Defense and Space (EADS) North
America will develop two prototypes for a U.S. Army competition.
If the Army selects the EADS prototype and buys the mobile units, final
assembly, testing and maintenance of the mobile medical shelter will take
place in Russellville, AR.
Pine Bluff, AR
Pine Bluff Arsenal Data Equipment, Pine Bluff - $7 million was secured
to modernize and expand the automatic data collection capabilities at the
Pine Bluff Arsenal, as well as arsenals in Red River, TX, Anniston, AL
and Rock Island, IL. This technology will increase Army productivity
and enable the real-time tracking of manufacturing and distrbution of supplies,
including chemical and biological protection equipment.
Army Artillery - $2 million was secured to provide the military with
illumination and smoke-producing artillery to support the war in Iraq.
Of this amount, $1 million will be used to procure M485 illumination rounds
and $1 million will be used for M110 smoke-producing projectiles at the
arsenal.
Jonesboro, AR
Standoff Sensor for Radionuclide Identification, Arkansas State University
- $4 million was secured to invest in smart technologies, called Standoff
Sensor for Radionuclide Identification, to detect nuclear, chemical and
biological weapons. ASU, The University of Hawaii, and Florida A&M
will continue collaborative work to expedite results on promising sensor
research for the early detection of chemical and biological threats most
likely to be used by terrorists.
Standoff Hazardous Agent Detection and Evaluation System (SHADES), Arkansas
State University - $2 million was secured to assist ASU, in conjunction
with industry, to further sampling and analysis technologies to detect
ultra-low concentrations of weapons of mass destruction. These technologies
will include Solid Phase Micro-Extraction (SPME) samplers and unique Gas
Chromatography (GC) and Laser Spectroscopy (LS) techniques.
Wolverine Mountain Climbing Boots, Jonesboro - $1 million was secured
to establish a U.S. production base for high-performance boots for use
by all special operations warfighters from all services. Finding
an adequate supply for high performance boots in the U.S. will solve the
problem of outmoded and inadequate boots, which has forced some unit leaders
to purchase foreign-off-the-shelf items for their personnel while others
have relied on personal gear, purchased at their own expense.
Fayetteville, AR
The Center for Ferroelectric Electronic-Photonic Nanodevices, University
of Arkansas - $2 million was secured to continue the Center’s development
of new revolutionary nano materials and breakthroughs in miniaturized electronic
and photonic devices. This work supports Army information and communication
supremacy goals through ferroelectric and electronic-photonic nanodevices.
Nanotechnology is a newly emerging field of science where scientists and
engineers are beginning to manipulate matter at the molecular and atomic
level in order to develop materials and systems with revolutionary properties.
The Logistics Institute, University of Arkansas - $1 million was secured
to provide responsive cost-effective methodologies to ensure readiness
and sustainability for military operations. TLI will aid in the development
and analysis of concepts and technologies in support of Sense and Respond
Logistics (S&RL) to achieve the Air Force’s goals in deploying current
and future weapons systems.
Three-Dimensional Packaging, University of Arkansas - $2 million was
secured for the Three-Dimensional packaging program, a consortium research
effort between the University of Arkansas, the International Technology
Center, North Carolina State University, and the University of Florida.
This is a third-year program working on 3-D microcircuit packages to help
the military lower the size and weight and improve thermal and electrical
performance of radio communications equipment.
Space Photonics Intelligent Free Space Optical Satellite - $3 million
was secured for product development and space qualification of the critical
elements of the Free Space Communications Node, including high-speed multi-channel
fiber optic transceivers, high-speed multi-channel free space laser communications
transceivers, and intelligent and adaptive space communications networks.
This work supports the Air Force goal to improve the performance, reliability
and security of its space communications capability. Space Photonics
in Fayetteville is a growing business supporting high-tech jobs in the
Northwest region of Arkansas.
Farmington, AR
ZEUS Light Strike Vehicle Hybrid Electric Pilot - $1 million was secured
for the development of a multi-purpose, internally transportable, off-road
vehicle. Cal-Zark is a company in Farmington that is working on the
pilot project.
Rogers, AR
Machinery Control Surveillance System - $3.5 million was secured for
Visions Technology of Rogers to procure a machinery control surveillance
system to monitor mission-critical spaces aboard gas turbine ships.
The Naval Systems Command (NAVSEA) has identified the work of Visions Technology
as important to the Navy’s mission, which demonstrates Visions’ rising
stock as a provider of quality defense services.
Arkansas National Guard
Meteorological Measuring Set - $4.8 million will be divided among several
states to support the procurement of a next generation artillery meteorological
system.
M-22 Automatic Chemical Agent Alarm – $11.2 million will be divided
among several states to equip their guard units with chemical agent detection
alarms. The Army Guard has a requirement for over 19,000 such alarms
and has only 231.
Highland Park, Camden, AR
Standard Missile Modifications - $3.75 million was secured to modernize
the rocket motors on about half of the missiles that would otherwise expire
by 2010 due to age. As part of its ongoing Standard Missile Service
Life Extension Program (SLEP), the Navy qualified a rocket motor regrain
process that re-uses the major subcomponents thereby providing a new rocket
motor at approximately 50% of the cost and in half the time required for
a motor Standard Missile Improvements -- $1.3 million was secured to obtain
new technologies to improve mature production weapons systems. This additional
funding will continue the Navy’s FY05 effort to evaluate IM technology
for inclusion on the Standard Missile in order to provide sailors with
the safest weapon systems possible.
Hydra-70 70 mm (2.75 inch) Rockets -$156.8 million was protected for
the Hydra-70 rocket system used by Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Special
Operations helicopters and Navy, Marine and Air Force jet aircraft.
The system is an effective area suppression weapon which has seen use most
recently in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Hydra-70 family of rockets includes
seven different tactical warheads that provide combat overmatch and ensure
a near-term warfighting readiness posture for U.S. aviation assets including
the Army’s AH-64 Apache, the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior, and the Marine Corps’
AH-1 Cobra. Camden’s portion of the Hydra Rocket production supports
243 jobs.
Tomahawk - $376.9 million was secured for special tooling and testing
equipment to increase production capacity of the Tomahawk missile.
This was on the Navy’s Unfunded Priority List. Camden’s portion of
the Tomahawk Missile assembly supports 60 jobs.
Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System - $124 million was secured to contract
with Lockheed Martin Corporation to procure the Guided Multiple Launch
Rocket System (GMLRS) for the U.S. Marine Corps. Camden’s portion
of the GMLRS development supports 85 jobs.
Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile - $99.83 million was also secured for production
of the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile, which is on the Navy’s Unfunded Priorities
List. Camden’s portion of the Sea Sparrow Missile assembly supports
50 jobs.
PAC-3 Missiles - $489.7 million was protected to fund the Defense Department’s
priority anti-tactical missile interceptor program, the Patriot Advanced
Capability-3 (PAC). It is designed to counter all threats armed with
weapons of mass destruction. Camden’s portion of the PAC-3 Missile
production supports 460 jobs.
HIMARS - $156.8 million was protected for the High Mobility Artillery
Rocket System (HIMARS) launcher program. Camden’s portion of the
HIMARS development supports 100 jobs.
Aegis Missile Defense - $41 million was secured for the Aegis SM-3 development
and deployment. The system provides Navy Aegis Cruisers and Destroyers
the capability to detect, track, intercept, and destroy short to intermediate
range ballistic missiles. Camden’s portion of the Aegis Missile assembly
supports 50 jobs.
Hot Springs, AR
Vanadium Technology Partnership - $1.5 million was secured for the Vanadium
Technology Program, which has made immense progress in finding beneficial
commercial solutions for defense applications. Currently, Vanadium
is used in virtually every structural application in the military and continued
funding for the program will advance practical applications. Benefits
to the Army include lighter, mobile systems, which improve airlift capability
and decrease logistical support. Stratcor, Inc. in Hot Springs manufactures
vanadium products.
Texarkana, AR
Red River Data Equipment - $7 million was secured to modernize and expand
the automatic data collection capabilities at the Red River Army Depot,
as well as the Pine Bluff Arsenal and arsenals in Anniston, AL and Rock
Island, IL. This will reduce workload and better able the Army to
track the manufacturing and distrbution of supplies, including chemical
and biological protection equipment. |