Defense funds to help Maine BIW to garner destroyer project

WASHINGTON – The record $448 billion defense bill approved by the U.S. Senate on Friday includes $3.4 billion to begin construction of two Navy next generation DDG-1000 destroyers, one of which will be built at Bath Iron Works, and a 2.2 percent pay raise for American military personnel.

Millions of dollars were also included in the bill for several other Maine projects, according to U.S. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins:

. $24.15 million to Saco Defense for weapons development and construction.

. $3 million to the University of Maine for the University’s Army Center of Excellence to continue work on lightweight, rapidly erectable and blast-resistant shelters for troops.

. $1.5 million to Telford Aviation in Bangor for continued work on Lighter Than Air unmanned vehicle technologies in order to offer troops the ability to rapidly and reliably provide aerial support in areas with little or no transportation infrastructure.

. $1.15 million to Portland Valve in South Portland to replace current relief valves on board Navy ships with the less expensive, more advanced, durable, and dependable valves.

. $2.7 million to Applied Thermal Sciences of Sanford and Orono for the advancement of the Small Watercraft Propulsion watercraft that serves to safeguard ports and harbors against terrorist threats and provide escorts to large Navy ships during refueling and port operations.

. $1.8 million to Applied Thermal Sciences of Sanford and Orono for the design, development, testing and qualification of low-cost, lightweight steel sandwich panel structures for Navy ships.

. $5 million to Maine Marine Manufacturing of East Boothbay, Hodgdon Yachts of Boothbay Harbor, and the University of Maine to deliver the composite Mk V.1 craft to support the missions of the Navy, Special Operations Command, and the U.S. Coast Guard.

. $1.1 million to Howe & Howe of North Berwick for the Unmanned Ground Vehicle weaponization program. This is the world’s fastest dual-tracked vehicle that enables troops to find and remove improvised explosive devices before being exposed to them.

. $1 million for Orono Spectral Solutions and the University of Maine’s work on next-generation chemical and biological sensors and detectors.

. $1 million to Vicus Technologies of Kennebunk for the Low Cost Avionics program to demonstrate defense avionic system standards using proven commercial, open architecture design methodology.

. $1.25 million to Technology Solutions Inc. of Brunswick for a Visually Integrated Bridge System for the integration of digital technology into all facets of a vessel’s bridge to enhance maritime navigation, operational security and harbor defense.

. $1.8 million to Spatial Integrated Systems for work at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard to implement the Improved Engineering Design Process to significantly streamline planning for ship alterations and maintenance operations using advanced digital 3D imaging techniques.

. $1 million to ARA/Burgess Computers of Bath and Brunswick for the continuation of the personal digital assistant maintenance application that will eliminate the current paper data collection and manual data entry process that naval aviation maintenance personnel are required to perform during periodic aircraft inspections by recording inspection data directly on a PDA.

. $5.6 billion combined to fund the first multiyear procurement of 20 F-22 aircraft and to fund 10 C-17 aircraft and the F-16 Block 42. The Pratt and Whitney plant in North Berwick builds engine components and systems for these aircraft programs.

. $1.95 million for the Maine Manufacturing Extension Program to continue the New England Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative. This project assists small and medium-sized manufacturers to obtain contracts to supply equipment and products to the Department of Defense.

. $300,000 to expand the Naval Sea Cadet Program to more communities and increase program access to America’s youth, regardless of economic or social background.

. $290 million for equipment for the National Guard and Reserve.