Wilson Working for Federal Support for Key National Security Priorities
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Heather Wilson today announced 7 of her requests for important national security projects totaling $12 million in New Mexico are included in a defense bill progressing through the U.S House of Representatives.
The fiscal year 2008 Defense Appropriations Act, passed by the House Appropriations Committee, will next be considered by the full House.
“New Mexico is known for research and technology in support of our nation’s security,” Wilson said. “These projects continue that tradition.”
“Although I am pleased with the projects here in New Mexico, I am disappointed in the cuts to the Future Combat System and Missile Defense. Those are also important projects for our nation’s security.”
$12 Million in Wilson-Requested Projects for NM in the Defense Appropriations Act:
- $2 million, Lumidigm - Development of a Robust, Mobile, Multispectral Fingerprint Capture Device Employing Multispectral Imaging. A rugged, portable, compact, easy-to-operate, affordable fingerprint scanner that solves problems with image capture is urgently required in field operations. Force protection, civilian disaster assistance, border security, law enforcement and intelligence collection efforts would be greatly enhanced. When deployed, this will be a significant enhancement to our efforts in the Global War on Terrorism.
- NMSU – GeoSpatial Science Initiative – amount in classified annex. The National Geo-Spatial Intelligence Agency (NGA), Physical Sciences Lab, and the Depts. of Geography and Surveying Engineering will help meet the critical workforce development needs of America’s intelligence community through education and training in geospatial techniques. Substantial workforce development and research needs exist in automatic feature extraction, change detection, remote sensing, data fusion, and the use of Geographic Information Systems. This project deals with workforce development and the efficient delivery, retrieval, and analysis of data in geospatial and intelligence communities. NMSU seeks to become an official Academic Partner of NGA by providing critical education and training in geospatial sciences.
- $2 million, Goodrich – Advanced Modular Avionics for Operationally Responsive Space Use. The Air Force has an operational need to be able to launch satellites on demand. Current ORS avionics systems, however, are not designed to support rapid deployment.
- $1 million, Stolar Research – EDIT Advanced Shallow Subsurface Tunnel, Bunker and Cache Detection – a project also requested by Rep. Tom Udall. The Electromagnetic Detection and Imaging Transceiver (EDIT) Advanced Shallow Subsurface Tunnel, Bunker, and Cache Detection Program will modify the successful EDIT technology to result in a practical tool for irregular warfare applications requiring the detection and confirmation of the presence of shallow (up to 30 feet) subsurface tunnels, bunkers, and caches. A recent discovery involving an innovative method allows a deeper detection range to be achieved with the EDIT detection technology that has proven successful in detecting and confirming the existence of metallic and non-metallic landmines and unexploded ordnance at much shallower depths.
- $2 million, NMSU – UAV Systems and Operations Validation Program – a project also requested by Rep. Steve Pearce. This program will develop certification requirements for UAV operators, develop training programs for UAV operators and designers, and further develop unique surface materials to provide camouflage coatings for small- to mid-sized UAVs.
- $3 million, UNM – University Strategic Partnerships. This program funds explosives surveillance and situational awareness including new sensors, materials and disease signatures for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.
- $2 million, NM Tech – Magdalena Ridge – a project also requested by Rep. Steve Pearce. The United States Office of Naval Research and the Naval Research Laboratory have joined a consortium of research universities, including the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (New Mexico Tech) and Cambridge University, in a unique teaming arrangement to build a state-of-the-art observatory in the Magdalena Mountains near Socorro, New Mexico. This project will fund research to improve imaging of space objects.
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