Congress Approves Defense Bill With Key Delaware Projects

WASHINGTON, DC – Following passage of the 2005 Defense Appropriations bill by both the House and the Senate last night, the Delaware Delegation announced that Congress has approved legislation that funds key military needs and priorities. The funding in the bill will help U.S. military men and women serving in Delaware and throughout the world.

The fiscal 2005 Defense Appropriations bill totals $416.2 billion, including $25 billion in supplemental funding for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and provides a 3.5% across-the-board pay raise for military personnel.

The legislation provides $46.226 million for Delaware companies, the University of Delaware, and the Delaware Air National Guard and will fund 12 UH 60 L Blackhawks for the Army Guard around the country. It also includes $436.083 million for C-5 modernization programs, $3.5 million more than the President requested.

“The news every day reminds us that we have an obligation to our men and women in harms way. This bill meets that commitment by providing emergency funding for the Iraq war and for Afghanistan and by providing for the regular needs of our military,” said Biden. “It is also exciting to see the military taking advantage of the tremendous work being done by Delaware’s scientists and companies. Delaware truly adds value across the spectrum of military needs, which is so important in the current era. In addition, I am very pleased that the Delaware Guard is getting funds it needs to be on the cutting-edge of homeland security here in the state and for the nation with both a new information operations squadron and a Weapons of Mass Destruction-Civil Support Team.”

“The defense bill highlights Delaware’s strategic, scientific and technological importance at a time when the nation is facing continued security threats at home and abroad,” said Senator Carper. “The funds for C-5 modernization will strengthen our military’s strategic airlift capacity, while other funds in the bill will help clothe and protect our troops, as well as address the challenges of terrorism at home and abroad.”

“Our nation’s safety and freedom ultimately rely on the strength and abilities of our brave men and women in uniform and their supporting organizations. Not only does this funding legislation provide vital resources for our military, but it helps our state continue to play a pivotal role in providing for our national defense strategy. Delaware organizations such as the University of Delaware, WL Gore, ANP Technologies and Quantum Leap Innovations continue to strive to provide us with the critical research needed to help the U.S. military serving in Delaware and abroad. These funding initiatives will allow Delaware companies to lead the way in providing crucial services to meet today’s defense needs,” said Castle.

Specifically, the bill will provide the following:

C-5 Modernization (AMP & RERP) – $436.083 million This includes $103.101 million in procurement funding ($3.5 million more than the President requested) for additional AMP kits and $332.982 million in research to continue work on the Re-engining program.

University of Delaware–Center for Advanced Composite Materials $10.926 million will go toward basic research for the Army, research on materials needed to support the Army’s Future Combat System, work to create low cost, lighter weight, and less corrosive body parts for Army vehicles, including an effort to develop an armored composite cab for Army tactical vehicles that would be 50-60% lighter than current options and provide superior ballistic protection. Part of the funds will also go toward work with the Navy to provide structures and parts for Navy ships that provide improved mine protection, are more fire resistant, easier to repair, and incorporate communication devices.

Replacement of the University of Delaware’s R/V Cape Henlopen UNOLS Research Vessel $1.8 million for the replacement of UD’s R/V Cape Henlopen research vessel, scheduled to retire in 2006. This builds on $2 million provided by the Navy last year for this new ship.

University of Delaware Electrical and Computer Engineering Department

$1.7 million for work with the Navy to help develop optics that can see through smoke and other obscurants.

Quantum Leap Innovations $3.5 million for Quantum Leap Innovations to continue work on a system for the Navy that will integrate data from a variety of sources and immediately alert decision makers and appropriate responders to potential threats and help them plan best responses.

Fraunhofer USA

$3.5 million for Fraunhofer USA to continue development of a multivalent one shot, universal bio-defense vaccine based on plants. Initial work is focused on anthrax and plague vaccines and on creating a vaccine that can be orally delivered for quick vaccination in a crisis. ANP Technologies

$4 million for ANP Technologies to continue development of their Nano Intelligent Detection System, a handheld biological agent detector capable of testing for multiple agents. This is system is lighter, more accurate, and less expensive than the current system used by the military.

MIDI

$1 million for MIDI to help create a networked system to rapidly identify and track the specific strain of given biological agents and to share that information. This network would be created with USAMRIID, the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases.

WL Gore – $14.8 million

$14.8 million for the Army National Guard, the Army Reserve, and the Air National Guard to purchase additional protective clothing for cold and rainy weather and for the Marine Corps to continue purchasing a new generation of protective clothing, both made by W.L. Gore.

Patrick Power Products

$2.1 million for Patrick Power Products to complete the development of their Rotary, Multi-Fuel Auxiliary Power Unit. The RMF-APU will provide the Army with a smaller, lighter, cheaper APU for a range of vehicles. The company estimates that the Army can achieve savings of over $200 million by using this APU in just one vehicle. Once they finish development, they plan to produce the new APUs in Sussex County.

166th Information Operations Squadron for the Delaware Air National Guard

$2.4 million ($1.4 million in personnel and $1 million in O&M) for the Air National Guard to stand-up a new information operations squadron as part of Delaware’s 166th tactical airlift squadron. This new unit would provide information network assurance and financial tracking skills to military intelligence agencies.

7 new WMD-CST teams Full funding for 7 new National Guard WMD-CSTs, including Delaware’s team.

The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 96-0. The House passed it 410-12. It now must go to the President’s desk to be signed into law.