WASHINGTON Ð The Senate Armed Services Committee approved a robust national defense budget that once again includes significant gains for Connecticut's defense industry and its workers, Senator Joe Lieberman announced today.
The Committee agreed to a $309.8 billion budget for the 2001 fiscal year, an increase of $4.5 billion over the President's request. Part of that additional funding will go toward enhancing several weapons systems produced by Connecticut companies, including Electric Boat in Groton, Pratt & Whitney in East Hartford, and Sikorsky in Stratford.
"This bill makes an important statement at a critical time," said Lieberman, the Ranking Member of the Armed Services AirLand Subcommittee. "It reaffirms our commitment to maintaining the best trained, best equipped, and most effective military in the world, something our troops are proving every day right now as part of the NATO mission in Bosnia and Kosovo, on naval vessels around the world, and in operations and exercises that span the globe."
"Our particular focus this year as a Committee, after listening to the nation's top military leaders, was twofold -- to meet the ongoing readiness and retention challenges facing our armed forces, and also to augment our investment in the research, development, and procurement of the weapon systems necessary to maintain our military superiority well into the 21st Century," Lieberman said. "I believe we accomplished both of those goals, and produced a bill that will fortify our national security for years to come."
"For the Connecticut programs and the workers who make them thrive, this bill confirms yet again that our defense industry is integral to our national security and stands on the cutting edge of technology as it drives dramatic change in our military," Lieberman said. "From submarines to helicopters to small arms, the words ÔMade in Connecticut' are synonymous with quality and value, and I am grateful that the Committee recognized this once more by continuing its strong support of our state's many important projects."
The bill approved today strengthens several initiatives Lieberman has worked on to transform America's defense from a Cold War military force into one that is fully prepared to deter and resolve the potential conflicts of the new century. At the urging of the AirLand Subcommittee, the bill provides funding to enhance the Army's transformation program while encouraging the Army to adopt a more rigorous evaluation process of its transformation efforts.
The bill also includes two new provisions sponsored by Lieberman to improve health care quality for U.S. military personnel and their families. One would hold the Defense Department to its commitment to inform patients and families who have been victimized by serious medical errors, set aside funds to reduce medical error, and establish patient safety centers at military hospitals and the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. The other would require the Department of Defense to pay for school-related physical exams for military family members who do not have access to military medical facilities.
"The Defense Authorization bill follows through on the President's pledge to protect soldiers and their families from death or serious injury in military health facilities," Lieberman said. "Our fighting forces should not be in greater danger when they are in the hospital than when they are on the battlefield."
As in previous years, the budget approved today provides important funding for several Connecticut-based programs. Here is a breakdown of those allocations:
NEW ATTACK SUBMARINE: Reaffirms the Electric Boat production schedule of the New Attack Submarine, authorizing more than $2 billion for the production of one advanced submarine in FY2001; also authorizes the block buy of five New Attack Submarines, which will ensure the teaming agreement with Newport News continues and that Electric Boat can procure material at economical rates; and authorizes $44 million for design work focused on the option to convert Trident submarines to attack submarines, exceeding the President's request by $9 million.
C-17 AIRLIFTER: Authorizes $2.5 billion for 12 C-17 planes, which are powered by Pratt and Whitney engines.
F-22 ADVANCED TACTICAL FIGHTER: Authorizes $2.4 billion for the procurement of 10 F-22s, also powered by Pratt and Whitney engines.
JOINT STRIKE FIGHTER: Authorizes $685.3 billion to continue development of the JSF, also powered by Pratt and Whitney engines, which is $424.2 million more than the President requested. (Note: The committee deferred the decision to authorize $595.5 million for engineering, manufacture, and development of the Joint Strike Fighter until the completion of test flights in 2001.)
JPATS: Authorizes $132.7 million for the Joint Primary Aircraft Training Systems, another program involving Pratt & Whitney engines, providing $18.9 million more than the President requested to fund seven additional aircraft (for a total of 34).
F-15 AND F-16 FIGHTERs: Authorizes $333 million for F-15 engine upgrades ($74 million more than the President requested) and $367 million for F-16 upgrades ($119 million more than the President requested); both projects to be performed by Pratt & Whitney.
BLACKHAWK HELICOPTERS: Authorizes $277 million for 26 UH-60s, 20 more than the President requested; also authorizes $301 million for 18 CH-60s, three more than the President requested.
COMANCHE HELICOPTERS: Authorizes $614 million for research and development on the Comanche, produced by Sikorsky (in cooperation with Boeing).
JSTARS: Authorizes $260.6 million to fully fund procurement of one Joint STARS aircraft; an additional $151.3 million for research and development, which includes $70.7 million for the Radar Technology Improvement Program (RTIP); and $46 million for advanced procurement of an additional JSTARS aircraft. (JSTARS' highly sophisticated radar -- proven in the Gulf War, Bosnia, and Kosovo -- is manufactured at Northrop Grumman's Norden facility in Norwalk.)
GKN WESTLAND AEROSPACE: Authorizes $142.8 million ($4 million more than the President requested) for composite materials research through the Navy's materials technology program; part of this work will be performed at the GKN facility in Wallingford.
KILDARE: Authorizes $63.7 million ($10 million more than the President requested) for research on sonar systems, part of which will be performed at Kildare in New London.
FLAT PANEL DISPLAY: Authorizes $31.7 million ($7 million more than the President requested) to fund a flat panel research consortium; the consortium includes Connecticut companies LCD Lighting, Leybold, Olin Microelectronics-Norden Systems, and Wentworth Labs.
FUEL DELIVERY SYSTEMS: Authorizes $119.2 million ($3 million more than the President requested) for additional research and development of an advanced fuel system for jet aircraft; part of the work will be performed by Chandler-Evans in West Hartford.
ENSIGN-BICKFORD: Authorizes $57.5 million for production of an anti-mine breaching system and Army demolition sets; part of the work on both programs is done by the Ensign-Bickford Company in Simsbury.
COLT: Authorizes $6.4 million ($1.3 million more than the President requested) for M4 Carbines and modifications; these weapons are produced at Colt Manufacturing in Hartford.
NATIONAL GUARD: Authorizes $11 million for construction projects at the Air National Guard facility in Orange.
