Arkansas Delegation Secures Millions in Funding for Arkansas Defense Priorities

Washington — U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor and U.S. Representatives Marion Berry (AR-01), Vic Snyder (AR-02), John Boozman (AR-03) and Mike Ross (AR-04) today announced funding for Arkansas priorities that are critical to the state’s military installations, research institutions, and defense contractors. The Defense Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2010 passed the House today, and the Senate is expected to vote on the legislation in the coming days.

Pryor and Berry are members of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees, respectively.  Their presence on these committees allows them the opportunity to shape the legislation during the legislative process.

“I will always support the men and women on the front lines who risk their lives every day for America’s national security,” Lincoln said. “The provisions in this bill will ensure that our troops are well equipped and prepared for battle.  The state and local priorities funded by this bill will help to ensure the continued strength of our military, as well as boost our state’s economy.”

“As a member of the Appropriations Committee, one of my top priorities is ensuring our troops have the equipment, training and technology to conduct their missions safely and prepare for emerging challenges,” Pryor said. “Arkansas’s military installations, universities and businesses play an enormous role in our national security, and I’m proud to fight for funding that allows them to advance our military’s capabilities to new levels.”

“Congress must do everything in its power to ensure our troops have the tools they need before they leave, on the battlefield and when they return home,” Berry said.  “This funding supports important research projects that provide our armed services with advanced technological resources to help keep our troops and our country safe. In addition, these projects will help create additional jobs for our local economy while strengthening our military.”

“This bill makes crucial investments in troop readiness,” Snyder said. “These projects are responsible investments in key priorities that will protect our country and grow our economy.

“Our troops deserve the tools necessary to carry out the difficult missions that have been given to them. This funding is vital to our national security and I’m pleased that Arkansas’s cutting edge industries can play an influential role in our national defense. This not only protects our country, but also protects and creates high tech jobs that lay a strong foundation for future economic growth in our state,” Boozman said.

“As we enter the 21st century, these funds will help our military continue to be the strongest and most technologically advanced armed forces in the world,” Ross said.  “I was proud to help secure these funds for our numerous military instillations in Arkansas and particularly for those that support the critical jobs at the Pine Bluff Arsenal, which will allow it to continue to serve as a vital and important resource to our military and to our national security.”

The following is a list of Arkansas projects in the legislation:

University of Arkansas

$3 million for the University’s Center for Nanoscale Bio-Sensors:

The project will develop new nanotechnology to promote recent breakthroughs in nanostructures for research and development of nanoscale biological sensors. This initiative is critical to the Army’s goal of protecting its soldiers and civilian communities from bacteria, viruses and biological toxins.

$1.6 million for Terahertz Sensing and Imaging Technology at the University of Arkansas: The project will help the University develop Portable Terahertz Sensing and Imaging Technology that will significantly reduce the risk to soldiers of hidden or concealed weapons and explosive devices. The technology will also replace current technologies that are cumbersome due to their size and weight, and provide added bandwidth.

$1.44 million for the University’s High Frequency Devices and Circuits for Nanotubes and Nanowires Project:

The research aims to develop carbon nanotube- and silicon nanowire-based high frequency components. Carbon nanotubes exhibit faster electron speeds, which lead to higher operating frequencies and more currents.  Faster switching speed and size reduction of components are crucial figures of merit for military and commercial applications.

Arkansas State University

$8.5 million to continue development of the Standoff Hazardous Agent Detection and Evaluation System (SHADES):

The project will continue researching how to detect weapon threats before chemical or biological components can hurt troops or citizens.

$4.8 million for Standoff Improvised Explosive Device Detection Program (SIEDP), Arkansas State University: The project will improve the detection of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).  Funding for this program will allow Arkansas State University — along with Florida A&M and the University of Hawaii — to explore and develop new capabilities in areas of IED standoff detection and forensic training.

$3 million for Biological Air Filtering System Technology (BAFST) Development:

The project will advance biological filtration systems to mitigate complex, biologically- based threats.  Current technology cannot provide an environment that is clean and safe from toxins and contamination for forward-based space and missile defense elements. BAFST provides a standalone/fully integrated biological detection and cleansing subsystem that will allow missile defense systems to operate 24/7 during combat regardless of the contaminated environment. This technology also readily applies to the needs of the Air Force, Navy, OSHA, Homeland Security, Intelligence and NASA.

$1.6 million for Spectroscopic Materials Identification at Arkansas State University: The project will improve the capabilities at ASU’s Arkansas Center for Laser Applications and Science (ArCLAS) to detect solids, liquids and gases of primary interest to the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security.

$1.6 million for ASU PRIDE Center: The Pride Center would assist wounded or disabled veterans in achieving personal and educational goals through rehabilitation, counseling, advocacy, and increased college access.

University of Arkansas at Little Rock

$2.4 million for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock to support the Advanced Functional Nanomaterials for Biological Processes:

The project will improve the delivery of drugs and other medical therapies necessary due to battlefield injury or disease.

$1.44 million for Information Quality Tools for Persistent Surveillance Data Sets:

The project will improve data linking for command, communication, and control platforms for surveillance missions.  The continuous volumes of data and need for rapid analysis requires automated processing tools to identify features, events, or other anomalies of interest for further analysis by human operators.

Arkansas Power Electronics International

$2.4 million for Arkansas Power Electronics International in Fayetteville to support the development of Silicon Carbide Power Modules for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter:

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is one of the first major programs implementing the Air Force’s new “More Electric” and “All Electric” aircraft design philosophy, which mandates the replacement of costly and bulky mechanical hydraulic aircraft flight control systems with lighter weight, high-reliability, low-maintenance electric motors and drives.  The high power densities and high voltages required to operate mechanical flight systems using electric motors are driving a transition to high density silicon carbide (SiC) power electronic systems that can operate at higher efficiencies, higher voltages, higher power densities, and higher temperatures in comparison with conventional silicon electronics.  This request will fund the transfer of laboratory tested SiC power electronics technology developed at APEI to F-35 actuator drive flight systems.

Space Photonics

$2.4 million for Space Photonics in Fayetteville: The project will develop advanced Anti-Tamper products for protecting weapon systems.  These funds will be used to complete product development and integration of the components and prepare for full flight qualification within military aircraft, both manned and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).

Acxiom Corporation

$1.44 million for Acxiom’s IdentClarity – Identity Resolution Project

Many of the current defense technology initiatives pertain to finding new information by extracting information from documents or the Web to piece together intelligence. The goal of this project is to find links and information within existing and known sources of data.  This research intends to influence investigative services, beneficiary quality, and overall search awareness in existing databases.

Pine Bluff – $14.6 million above President’s Budget request

$109 million for 120mm Mortars, All Types, Pine Bluff Arsenal – This project, funded $4.2 million above the President’s Budget, is for mortar systems that enhance mission effectiveness for maneuver unit commanders by providing indirect fire support for U.S. Army and Marine Corps personnel engaged in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq.

$61.7 million for Artillery, 155mm, All Types, Pine Bluff Arsenal – This project, funded

$7.2 million above the President’s Budget is for ammunition fired from a tracked, armored vehicle in direct fire support for infantry units in combat.

$60.6 million for Grenades, All Types, Pine Bluff Arsenal – These funds are for canister-type smoke grenades used by Army and Marine Corps personnel as ground-to-ground or ground-to-air signaling devices, target or landing zone marking devices, or a screening device for unit movements.

$48.844 million for 60mm Mortars, All Types, Pine Bluff Arsenal – This project, funded at

$3.2 million above the President’s Budget, is for mortar systems that enhance mission effectiveness for maneuver unit commanders by providing indirect fire support for U.S. Army and Marine Corps personnel engaged in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Camden – $99.9 million (protected in the President’s Budget)

$99.9 million for Hydra 70mm Rockets (General Dynamics) – These funds are for the Hydra-70 rocket system used by Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Special Operations helicopters and Navy, Marine and Air Force jet aircraft. The combat-proven Hydra-70 is crucial in the accomplishment of anti-material, anti-personnel, and air-to-ground suppression missions in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

East Camden – $57.6 million above the President’s Budget request

$226.3 million for Standard Missile (SM-3) Deployment (Raytheon) – This project, funded at $57.6 million above the President’s Budget, is for systems to detect, track, intercept, and destroy short- to intermediate-range ballistic missiles. These systems are integrated on U.S. Navy cruisers and destroyers and are our first-line defense against a ballistic missile threat.

Texarkana – $11.2 million above the President’s Budget request

$233.9 million for 40mm, All Types (Day & Zimmerman) – This project – funded at $4 million more than the President’s Budget – is for dual-purpose impact type rounds designed to penetrate lightly armored targets and perform anti-personnel missions.

$129.2 million for 60mm and 81mm Mortars, All Types (Day & Zimmerman) – These funds are for mortar systems which enhance mission effectiveness for maneuver unit commanders by providing indirect fire support for U.S. Army and Marine Corps personnel engaged in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq.

$61.7 million for Projectile 155mm DP Basebleed M864 (Day & Zimmerman) –This project, funded at $7.2 million above the President’s Budget, is for the 155mm M864 ER-DPICM artillery projectile that supports Stryker combat teams.