Congressman Mike Michaud

“I am pleased that the Appropriations Committee recognizes the quality workforce and talent that we have in Maine,” said Michaud.  “The University of Maine and our state’s businesses do great work and have a proven track record of producing results for our national defense.  The funding contained for projects in this bill will contribute greatly to our state’s economic development.  I will work closely with the Maine delegation to make sure this funding remains intact and is delivered to these valuable Maine projects.”

A list of Maine projects funded in H.R.2638 can be found below.

• $1.6 million for the Procurement and Deployment of Ballistic Protection for Remote Forward Operating Bases – a University of Maine project that initiates steady-state fabrication and deployment of ballistic panels for soft shelters (such as tents and mess halls), containerized housing units, as well as frame and inflatable composite structure variants of a full scale forward base camp.  Modular ballistic panels, developed through the US Army Natick Soldier Research Development and Engineering center, are ready for pilot manufacturing and deployment to US Army forward deployed forces.
• $2.4 million for the University of Maine, Orono – Cellulose Nanocomposite Panels for Enhanced Blast and Ballistic Protection.  The funding will be used for developing force protection materials, such as ballistic tent panels, where nanomaterials can improve performance to defeat higher blast and ballistic threat levels. 
• $1.6 million for the Maine Institute for Human Genetics and Health, which is a regional collaborative venture to advance academics, medical research and clinical care in rural Maine.  The emphasis is on studying the health of returning veterans, Reservists, and National Guard members and their families in Eastern Maine.  This work is to be performed in collaboration with the Togas VA Medical Center.  Department of Defense funds are to be used in a collaborative effort between Maine Institute for Human Genetics and Health, University of Maine and the Jackson Labs.
• $1.6 million for Elscott Manufacturing located in Ellsworth Maine for the development and production of miniature, lightweight, battery efficient, field proven thermal viewers for the Department of Defense.  It is estimated that this project will create 11 to 15 new jobs.
• $1.6 million for Pepin Associates, Inc., in Greenville, Maine for advanced material systems that reduces the cost of fabricating composite components used on a range of Naval fixed and rotary wing aircraft.
• $800,000 for NSW 11m RIB Replacement Craft Design.  A team of five Maine companies have developed a vessel concept that is of interest to SOCOM and the Navy.  This project is a continuation of an FY08 effort to design shock mitigating seating, develop design tools and establish composite materials testing methods for military crafts.
• $1.6 million for Portable Non-Magnetic Compass-Positioning-Timing Device.  Provides warfighters with a tool to provide heading and compass information from a non-magnetic source.  Using different materials and adjusting the receiver algorithms this tool will be a unique, operational, deployable handheld device.
• $1.6 million for Random Obfuscating Compiler Anti-Tamper Software.  Provides breakthrough advance in secure content delivery and host authentication.  This project ports current software packages from the Linux platform to the embedded systems platforms used in DoD weapons.  This effort is expected to create 12-13 new jobs for scientists, plus 2-3 other skilled personnel in Maine.
• $800,000 for the New England Defense Manufacturing Supply.  Expands the capabilities of SupplyPoint – the Center for Supply Chain Integration and Risk Mitigation – to generate, maintain, and update for the DoD a virtual, electronic stockpile of machined parts for legacy and new weapon systems that can be manufactured on demand using a national network of machine shops.  Whenever a part is needed on demand, the constantly updated electronic package for the part would be pulled and distributed to qualified suppliers for production and delivery under very short lead times.

9/28/2008 1:10:30 PM