The conference agreement, which cleared the House last week, passed in the Senate today by a margin of 93-1. The agreement now goes to the President for his signature.
The overall agreement will provide approximately $355.1 billion in new spending authority for the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2003. The bill provides $37.5 billion more than the level appropriated for the Department of Defense in fiscal year 2002. The conference agreement fully funds a 4.1- percent pay increase for all service members, and targeted pay raise for up to 6.5% for noncommissioned and mid-grade officers.
For shipbuilding , the conferees approved a total of $9 billion, $842 million more than was requested by the Administration. As requested, the bill would provide $2.3 billion for two DDG-51 Aegis-class destroyers. The report also includes $944 million for DD(X), and an additional $30 million for the littoral combat ship program. The bill also includes $635 million of the $645 million requested to pay for ships funded in earlier budgets.
¡°Each of these projects is critical to the nation¡¯s defense,¡± said Senator Collins. ¡°I am proud that the men and women of our armed forces will benefit from the dedicated workers of Maine companies.¡± Senator Collins played a critical role in this legislation that makes important investments in a variety of projects vital to both our national defense and to the state of Maine. Highlights of the Maine-related programs are: ¡ï Bath Iron Works: $2.5695 billion for two DDG-51 destroyers, one to be built by Bath Iron Works in Bath, and the other In Pascagoula, Mississippi, as well as to effect the ship swap that occurred earlier this year between General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman Ship Systems and to pay for prior year ship costs. The conference agreement further included $944.5 million for the DD(X) program; and an additional $30 million for the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) which is part of the DD(X) family-of-ships. At Senator Collins¡¯s request the conference agreement also includes $2.5 million for the DDG-51 optimized manning project, which will dramatically reduce manning and crew workloads, without sacrificing crew safety or mission capability on the DDG-51. Its future includes $2 million for Marine Direct/Ship Service Cell Technology Verification/Trainer Project, which offers potential to accelerate shipboard installation of fuel efficient, reduced maintenance, reduced emission marine fuel cells on U.S. Naval Vessels.
¡ï Pratt & Whitney: $78 million, $14 million more than President Bush¡¯s original request, for F-15 ¡°E-Kit¡± Modifications, which will reduce costs, improve reliability, and enhance flight safety. $10.5 million for Block 42 F-16 Fighter Engine Modernization, which replaces the current F100-PW-220 engine with the F100-PW-229 engine.
¡ï Brunswick Naval Air Station:. $110 million for P-3 Anti-Surface Warfare Improvements, a quantum upgrade in the P-3''s ability to receive and process information, classify targets, and deliver weapons against surface targets. This equates to two additional Anti-Surface Warfare Improvement kits.
¡ï Kittery-Portsmouth Naval Shipyard: $6.0 million for the High Performance Brush Project, which clean submarine propellers, extending the propellers working life span. $10 million for the Shipyard Apprentice Program, which targets revitalization of the workforce at Naval Shipyards, to ensure skills are available to execute future overhaul maintenance and repair of naval ships. Portsmouth Naval Shipyard will receive $2.5 million for the apprentice program at the yard in Kittery, ME. ¡ï University of Maine: $1 million for the Modular Advanced Composite Hull Forms, which focuses on designing, fabricating, and testing a prototype structure for use on high-speed, hybrid surface ships that lead to high- speed troop transports as well as civilian ships. This project is being developed through the University of Maine (Orono) and Applied Thermal Science, Inc. in Sanford. $1 million for Intelligent Spatial Technologies for Smart Maps, which will be used to support spatio-temporal database research; visualization and user interaction testing; enhanced image processing and automated feature extraction research. $3.5 million for Supercluster Distributed Memory Technology, which represents a low-cost approach to running the necessary complex computer simulations for the weapons systems under development by the Department of Defense.
¡ï Sensor Research Development Corporation (SRD): The bill will include a $25 million competitive fund that SRD can compete for funds to be used for the Rapid and Sensitive Detection of Bio Warfare Agents, and the Diagnostic Tool for Biowarfare-Inflicted Infectious Diseases. SRD is working to continue research and development of thin film sensors for light weight man-portable chemical and biological agent detectors.
¡ï General Dynamics Armament Systems, Saco Operations: $16.663 million for the MK 19 Mod 3 Grenade Machine Gun. The MK 19 remains a primary force protection component for infantry, Scouts, Military Police, and Combat Support Units. $2 million for the Advanced Lightweight Grenade Launcher/STRIKER system, which provides Special Operations Forces with a dramatic increase in overall survivability and the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab for delivery and evaluation of prototype units of the STRIKER Advanced Lightweight Grenade Launcher. $5.417 million for the Objective Crew Served Weapon, which is being developed to provide an ultra lightweight, two-man weapon with overwhelming lethality compared to existing systems. The Army has identified this weapons as the principal secondary weapon system for the Future Combat System (FCS) program.
¡ï Fiber Materials, Inc., Applied Thermal Sciences, Inc., and Technology Systems, Inc.: $1 million for Ceramic and Carbon Based Composites, which will develop ceramic based nozzle material that will exhibit little to no erosion during flight and has significant impact in the tactical missile field. $2 million for Laser Welding and Cutting, which will significantly reduce ship construction costs while affording ship designers flexibility and ultimately improve ship performance. (Applied Thermal Sciences, Inc., of Sanford and Technology Systems, Inc., of Wiscasset, is developing this technology. Bath Iron Works is also a partner on the project.) $2.55 million for the Multiple Component Army Flight Test, which will allow for the selection of flight parameters that best fit Army operational requirements to allow for realistic evaluation of component technologies. $4.25 million for the Small Rapid Response Watercraft Demonstrator, which will address the Navy¡¯s need for rapid response, small watercraft to safeguard ports, harbors, and military ships. $2.5 million for the Small Kill Vehicle program.
¡ï Jackson Laboratory: $1.0 million for Genetics Research - Mice Modeling. This research is developing an understanding of biological differences that enhance the ability of soldiers to survive battlefield diseases and injuries.
¡ï Manufacturing Extension Partnership: $6.0 million for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) to expand program assisting small and mid-sized manufacturing companies to break in or gain additional work with the Department of Defense. The Maine MEP will receive $1.2 million to assist companies with the means to produce military compatible parts and materials needed to maintain weapons and machinery being used by our nation¡¯s military to fight the war on terrorism.
¡ï Navy Pilot Human Resource Call Center: The conference agreement also states not less than $1.0 million should be made available for the Navy Pilot Human Resources Call Center. To assist small businesses, the conference agreement also includes an additional $3.5 million (bringing the total to $22.5 million) for the Procurement Technical Assistance Program (PTAP). The PTAP provides invaluable one-on-one assistance to guide businesses through the complex procurement process.
The conference agreement also provides $246.1 million, a $34 million increase, for environmental restoration for formerly used defense sites.
¡°This is a critical time in our nation¡¯s history - a time when we must be assured of having the best-equipped, best-trained fighting force in the world. As we continue to fight the war on terrorism, we owe our military men and women nothing less.¡±