DODD, LIEBERMAN ANNOUNCE MAJOR DEFENSE INVESTMENTS FOR CONNECTICUT

WASHINGTON, DC – Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) announced today that Connecticut will receive major federal defense funding, pending approval of the Fiscal Year 2011 Defense Appropriations Bill.  On Thursday, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved billions of dollars for Connecticut’s defense industry that if passed into law will provide critical support for the state’s businesses and thousands of jobs for Connecticut workers.

 

“This bill is a critical investment in Connecticut’s defense industry and a true testament to the hardworking men and women who build the equipment that our military depends on,” said Dodd. “Senator Lieberman and I fought hard to ensure that this bill fully funds Virginia Class Submarines and does not provide wasteful funding for the alternate engine for Joint Strike Fighters. Funding for these military projects is not only vital to our state’s economy, helping us to retain the jobs of thousands of talented workers, but is also essential to our national security.”

 

“This bill will give the men and women of our Armed Services the funding they need to defend our freedoms while also taking care of their families,” said Lieberman.  “I am always so proud that in addition to those from Connecticut who wear our nation’s uniform, there are many others who build the equipment they take to the fight.  This bill will keep those workers busy for the year ahead.”

 

The Defense Appropriations Committee approved $669.871 billion for overall defense spending.

Funding in the Defense Appropriations bill will be used for procurement of military equipment, technology development, and for day to day military operations and maintenance requirements.  The following towns and projects will be funded through the defense appropriations:

 

Groton (Electric Boat)

• Fully funds the president’s request for the VIRGINIA Class attack submarine program
• $6  million for the development of the Common Command and Control System Module to upgrade the technology on all U.S. Submarines and lower operating costs
• $8 million for the research and development of the capability to integrate unmanned vehicles into submarines via their large volume payload tubes

 

Windsor Locks (Hamilton Sunstrand)

• $4 million to allow for the installation of NP2000 propellers on LC-130 aircraft
• $2.5 million to provide for a full-scale sustainable water production demonstration

 

Bloomfield (Kaman)

• $3 million to develop an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle that could be used to resupply soldiers deployed under combat conditions

 

Cheshire (Goodrich Atlantic Inertial Systems)

• $3 million to develop reliable precision guidance IMU used for precision guided cannon launched munitions

 

Danbury (Goodrich/DRS Power and Control Technologies)

• $3 million for the Terahertz Spectrometer project to develop a highly accurate detection system for hazardous materials such as explosives, chemical agents and biological warfare agents
• $2.5 million for the Fan Coil Assembly of the Future project to design, build, and test of a variable speed Fan Coil Assembly for Navy Ships

 

Fairfield (M Cubed)

• $1.5 million to develop lightweight components for military equipment and protective body armor, thus lightening the overall carrying load of the individual soldier

 

Hartford (University of Hartford)

• $2 million for Projectile Unmanned Aerial Systems project to develop and test a hybrid unmanned aerial system projectile for the U.S. Army

 

Middletown (Pratt and Whitney)

Dodd and Lieberman were disappointed to see that the chairman’s mark did not fully fund the JSF program.  The bill funded a total of 32 F-35 aircraft (6 Navy, 10 Marine Corps and 16 Air Force Planes), deleting 10 aircraft from the requested level.

 

“It is disappointing that the bill does not include full funding for the Joint Strike Fighter program that is important to Connecticut’s defense industry,” said Dodd. “I will continue to fight to make sure this program is fully funded when the bill comes to the Senate floor.”

 

“I am dismayed that the bill does not fully fund the Joint Strike Fighter program,” Lieberman said.  “It is essential that we keep this program on track, and I will fight to restore full funding when the Appropriations Bill is brought to the floor.”

 

Mystic (General Physics Corporation)

• $1 million to provide for the Virtual Maintenance Engineering Platform (VMEP) project that will provide remote repair capabilities to SSGN submarines using Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS)

 

Simsbury (Ensign Bickford)

• $5 million for the development of Reactive Armor to better protect our troops against enemy attacks from Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosions and Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) attacks

 

Stratford (Sikorsky)

• Fully funds the President’s budget request for Army Helicopter procurement, while providing for the procurement of an additional twelve UH-60 Black Hawks 
• Accelerates the modernization of 10 UH-60A Black Hawks to UH-60L configuration
• Fully funds the MH-60S and MH-60R programs while supporting multiyear procurement for those helicopters
• Funds three Air Force HH-60 helicopters in the Operational Los Replacement Program

 

Storrs (University of Connecticut)

• $9.5  million to support human rights initiatives within the Department of Defense

 

Torrington (Fuel Cell Energy)

• $3 million to assist in the design and construction, and initial performance characterization of a 100 KW class fuel stack needed for the Navy’s standard military power generator applications

 

Wallingford (Z-Medica, Proton Energy)

• $2.5 million for Z-Medica to continue fielding an advanced clotting agent to the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command called Quick Clot to instantly treat traumatic wounds incurred in combat
• $2 million for Proton Energy to develop large scale PEM

 

Waterbury (Ansonia Copper and Brass)

• $6 million to preserve the last domestic manufacturer of copper nickel tubing in the United States for use on submarines

 

West Haven (University of New Haven)

• $.5 million to expand open source collection/analysis efforts and training for various agencies to provide up-to-date information on criminal and extremist activities and trends in Mexico and the United States

 

West Hartford (Goodrich Pump and Engine Controls)

• $5 million to provide for improvements to the helicopter universal control program and converge the new pump system into the Universal Control System

 

C-27J Spartan aircraft for the Connecticut National Guard 

• Included in the bill is funding for eight C-27J Spartans.  This level of funding will keep the program on schedule and allow for the first aircraft to arrive to the 103^rd Airlift Wing of the Connecticut Air National Guard in fiscal year 2013.

 

 

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