House Okays Defense Projects to Benefit Indian Head
"The defense bill passed by the House today includes $6 million in funding for three important programs that will benefit Indian Head and all of Southern Maryland," said Congressman Hoyer. "These projects will develop technology that will advance our military capabilities and help improve the safety of the men and women working at the base, and of our armed forces around the world.
"This funding recognizes the superior energetics technological capabilities at Indian Head, and represents a continued commitment to the region by the Congress and the U.S. Navy. I will work to ensure that this funding remains in the final legislation that will be signed in to law later this year," concluded Hoyer.
The funding that will benefit Indian Head included in the Department of Defense Appropriations bill passed today is listed below:
Multi-Mission Warhead for an Ultra-Lightweight Torpedo, $3 Million
This funding will be used to support a promising new energetics technology capability at Indian Head and supports their continuing effort to develop the latest energetics technology for the Department of Defense. The $3 million included in the bill will be used to investigate ways to maintain the anti-torpedo torpedo (ATT), a specific capability of a multi-mission warhead which utilizes the directed energy technologies. This innovative technology will be developed, evaluated and demonstrated at Indian Head and will optimize the performance of the warhead technology.
Micro-Detonics for Affordable Miniature Weapons, $1.5 Million
This funding will be used to help meet a crucial requirement for next generation weapons to dramatically reduce the size and capabilities of mechanisms that control weapons systems while enhancing their performance and responsiveness in today's dynamic battlefield environments. In recent decades, the demand for innovative weapons have outpaced technologies advancements and several weapons programs have suffered from technology shortfalls. This funding will bridge the technology gap and provide additional support to integrate and assemble these advanced weapons systems in the Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head MEMS Cleanroom.
Naval District Washington Firefighting, $1.5 Million
This funding will be used to purchase fire vehicles and will help address some of the serious funding shortfalls projected for firefighting operations at facilities within the Naval District Washington (NDW), including Patuxent River, Indian Head, US Naval Academy, Chesapeake Beach, Carderock, and Dahlgren. Significant shortfalls exist for personnel, operations and equipment needs at all of the facilities throughout the NDW, and that the ability of these federal firefighters to adequately protect the military personnel and equipment at these facilities is being dangerously diminished by these funding gaps. This funding will begin addressing these urgent needs to ensure the safety at our region's Naval facilities.
The Senate must now pass the fiscal year 2004 Department of Defense Appropriations bill and then the differences in the two bills must be worked out in a Conference Committee before the bill may become law.
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