 |
 |
 |
|
ask.heather@mail.house.gov
|
In Washington DC
442 Cannon House
Office Building
Washington, DC
20515
202-225-6316 Phone
202-225-4975 Fax |
In Albuquerque
20 First Plaza NW
Suite 603
Albuquerque, NM
87102
505-346-6781 Phone
505-346-6723 Fax |  |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Congresswoman Heather Wilson, First Congressional District of New Mexico
 |
| KIRTLAND TAPPED FOR MAJOR NEW ROLE AS LASER RESEARCH HEADQUARTERS |
January 03, 2001 |
| |
White Sands Missile Range Stands to Gain from Designation
WASHINGTON - Members of the New Mexico congressional delegation today welcomed the Pentagon’s designation of Kirtland Air Force Base as the new headquarters for coordinating Defense Department high energy laser research-a move that creates a major new role for the base.
The decision is the culmination of efforts by U.S. Senators Pete Domenici and Jeff Bingaman, with Congresswoman Heather Wilson to better coordinate the Pentagon’s work on directed energy technologies. Following the congressional mandates approved through legislation pushed by the New Mexico lawmakers, the Pentagon has decided to locate a Joint Technology Office (JTO) -a single location responsible for overseeing all laser research for the military and coordinating research among military branches and government agencies-at Kirtland Air Force Base.
The designation of the JTO at Kirtland was formally made in a letter sent today from Defense Secretary William Cohen to the Senate Armed Services Committee, which through Bingaman’s efforts last year directed the Pentagon to issue its High Energy Laser Master Plan, which called for a JTO. Bingaman is a senior member of the Armed Services panel.
The decision follows an FY2001 Defense Authorization Act amendment authored by Domenici and cosponsored by Bingaman that called on the Pentagon to implement the master plan and authorizing $30 million for these technologies. The amendment also directed the Secretary of Defense to place the JTO at a site already performing a significant proportion of high energy laser research - giving Kirtland an edge.
Wilson requested funding for the Direct Energy center in the House and negotiated with House and Senate Armed Service Committees to add language to the law to ensure that the Joint Technology Office would include all directed energy technologies, not just high energy lasers.
“This decision puts New Mexico center stage when it comes to advancing this important research, and I believe it puts us in a position to attract even more laser research, development and testing work to our state. In taking on this major new role, Kirtland will expand its mission while strengthening and solidifying the already key role in plays in our national defense. As a premier site for testing military research, White Sands Missile Range also gains from the decision to headquarter research in Albuquerque. All around, this is a huge win for our state,” Bingaman said.
“This is great news because it will greatly enhance and accelerate some of the research, development, test and evaluation activities in New Mexico,” Domenici said. “The JTO at Kirtland will be responsible for finding the best way to leverage the federal government’s investment in directed energy technologies by ensuring adequate stability in the industrial base support and promoting educational opportunities in directed energy technologies.”
“This announcement solidifies Kirtland AFB and Albuquerque as the center of directed energy technology,” Wilson said. “In addition to solidifying Kirtland’s future role as a key player in our national defense it will greatly expand the amount of research and development in New Mexico. Lasers and microwaves are the weapons of the future and New Mexico will play an important role in that future.”
As a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, Domenici this year secured $30 million for laser science and technology to support programs selected within a consolidated and coordinated Defense-wide directed energy management structure.
Kirtland Air Force Base has been the home of significant research on directed energy, including lasers and microwaves, since 1966. Not only is the Air Force Directed Energy Directorate located at Kirtland, the base is also home to the Special Program Office for the Airborne Laser (ABL) program. ABL is the Air Force’s flagship effort to weaponize high energy lasers. Many of the fundamental enabling technologies for ABL are the result of advances achieved by the Air Force Research Lab at Kirtland.
The FY2001 Defense Authorization Bill also underscored the vital role of the High Energy Laser Test Facility (HELSTF) at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) and the importance of Defense Department’s close coordination with other federal agencies, academia and industry in creating a stable foundation for further progress in laser technologies. It is at WSMR, that the Army has its Tactical High Energy Laser (THEL) program, which is a joint DOD/Israel program already capable of destroying Katushya rockets, a primary threat to Israel from Hezbollah terrorists.
Since the 1970s, WSMR has emerged as the proving ground for Defense Department’s high energy laser research and development efforts, centered primarily at HELSTF.
This year, New Mexico attracted approximately $400 million annually in DOD funds for high energy lasers - a significant portion of the entire DOD budget for this effort. The designation of Kirtland as JTO puts the state - both the base and White Sands - in a position to attract more funding for the development of high energy lasers.
While research in high energy lasers is primarily used for military purposes, it holds great promise for use in the private sector. For example, the technology could be used in improving satellite communications and oil drilling capabilities.
“Heather Wilson and I have pushed so hard for this decision, in part, because we know that the designation could be a catalyst for attracting spin-offs and private sector growth in New Mexico,” Domenici said. “There is a great future in high energy laser research and development, and we believe New Mexico could be at the crossroads for such work.”
“Research from Sandia and Los Alamos labs is already being spun off to create good paying, high-tech jobs in our state. As this directed energy research advances and more applications are developed for use in the private sector, there’s great potential for even more job growth in New Mexico,” Bingaman said.
“We worked together as a delegation to get this done for New Mexico,” said Wilson. “This agreement will usher in an exciting new chapter in laser research and development. I look forward to working with Senators Domenici and Bingaman in the future on other issues of importance to our state.”
--30-- |
|
|
|
|
|