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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 1, 2002
Contact: Brian Selander at 202-224-3396 / 302-598-3622 or Jenn Connell
at
202-224-2441; Margaret Aitken (Biden) 202-224-0133
http://carper.senate.gov
Biden & Carper: U.S. Senate
Appropriates Millions for Critical Delaware Defense Projects. Substantial
Funding Included for Newark-based Quantum Leap's Bio Defense Work,
Delmarva's Patrick Powers and a 4.1% Across-the-Board Pay Raise
for Military Personnel
August 1, 2002
WASHINGTON, DC - Senators Joe Biden and Tom Carper announced today
that the U.S. Senate appropriated more than $41 million dollars
for high priority national security programs and projects in Delaware
in the 2003 Department of Defense Appropriations Act. The legislation
includes substantial funding for Newark-based Quantum Leap, Delmarva
firm Patrick Powers and a 4.1% across-the-board pay raise for military
personnel. The projects in the bill are designed to strengthen the
United States' defense capability and fortify our nation's Armed
Forces.
"The money and projects included in this bill are critical
to strengthening America's defense capabilities and ensuring that
our military men and women have the capacity, the capability and
the resources they need to respond to any and all threats against
the United States," said Biden. "The innovative research
being done by companies and universities in Delaware give our military
the edge they need to be ahead of potential adversaries now and
in the future."
"The funding included for Delaware projects is substantial
and mission essential," Carper said. "These programs are
critical to reducing the Defense Department's worker safety costs,
to improving the military's biodefenses and to protecting our forces
from extreme weather on the battlefield."
The fiscal year 2003 Department of Defense Appropriations bill includes:
$5 million for the DuPont Army Worker Safety Program $5 million
for Patrick Powers' Rotary, Multi-Fuel Auxiliary Power Unit for
the Army $8 million for Quantum Leap Innovations for biological
warfare technology $14 million for W.L. Gore's cold weather protection
gear $9.826 million for the University of Delaware's Center for
Composite Materials (UD-CCM) $96.3 million for 9 additional UH-60
Blackhawk helicopters, bringing the total to 21 new UH-60s. The
DOD Appropriations bill includes $14 million for the Extended Cold
Weather Clothing System (ECWCS), which is made by W.L. Gore. It
is vital to the deployability and operability of Guard and Reserve
units in bad weather, protecting soldiers and airmen from the cold
and rainy weather typical in places like Bosnia and the Afghan mountains.
The Senators sought the additional funding because the Guard and
Reserve, unlike the active duty, have not been able to field their
requirement for ECWCS. This funding will bring them closer to meeting
that requirement.
Sussex County is in line for new jobs and industry,
the Senators said, with $5 million included in the bill for the
development of a lightweight Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) for the
Army. This funding will allow Patrick Powers to complete the final
phase of engine design and testing. Their APU is expected to provide
a much less expensive and lighter alternative to the current turbine
APUs being used in multiple military vehicles. Once testing is done,
Patrick Powers, a firm with business in both Delaware and Maryland,
will build the engines in Georgetown.
Newark-based Quantum Leap will continue to work on revolutionary,
lifesaving bio-defense software that they are designing for the
First State and developing for the Navy. Quantum Leap's technology
will be designed to detect suspicious agents and disease, closely
monitor trends and to develop instantaneous, individualized plans
for first responders and emergency management officials.
"Quantum Leap's innovations hold the promise of saving an enormous
number of lives by quickly identifying terrorist threats and coordinating
defensive responses. Their technology is novel and its applications
are lifesaving," said Carper. "With its small size, easy
access to state and emergency planning officials and manageable
data collection, our state is an excellent arena for technology
advances. By giving our state the best system in the nation for
coordinating emergency plans, Quantum Leap is making Delaware a
model for the nation."
The funding for the University of Delaware Center for Advanced Composite
Materials (UD-CCM)will help both the Army and the Navy. There is
$3 million for composite materials technology for the Army Future
Combat System, which is the Army's top science and technology priority.
It will be an ensemble of fighting capabilities that can be more
easily transported than today's heavy, unintegrated equipment. $9.826
million for Army's Composite Materials Center of Excellence located
at UD-CCM. This will allow the Center to perform a total of $1.2
million worth of basic research for the Army. This basic research
is the building block for much of the Army's transformation work.
$3 million for the Composite Body Parts-CAV Transition Technology
program which will provide a much needed replacement for sheet metal
body parts. The composite parts are less expensive, do not corrode,
and are extremely damage tolerant. $3 million for the Navy's Center
of Intelligence, Advanced Materials and Intelligent Processing Center
located at UD-CCM. The Center produces the manufacturing technologies
needed by the Navy to produce affordable and dependable composite
structures for use in ships and airframes.
In addition, Senators Biden and Carper also announced that the bill
includes $5 million for the DuPont Army Worker Safety Program. This
is the second phase of an innovative program that could save the
Army hundreds-of-millions of dollars in worker's compensation costs
and lost workers. In addition, this program will help the Army meet
the Secretary of Defense's stated goal of reducing worker-safety
levels by 50% throughout the Department of Defense.
Last, the Senators pointed out that the bill adds 9 Blackhawk UH-60
helicopters to the President's original request. This bill provides
a total of 21 new UH-60s. "Army aviation needs to be modernized
sooner rather than later. This is just another installment in that
process, but it is a welcome and much needed one," said Biden.
The different funding levels in the Senate and House passed Defense
Appropriations bills will now have to be reconciled into a final
Conference bill before going to the President for his signature.
http://carper.senate.gov/press/02/08/010802.html
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