Press Releases
Senator Roberts: Senate Approves Defense Appropriations; Contains Important Kansas Projects
Senator Roberts’ Funding Priorities for Kansas Make Critical Investment in Nation’s Defense
Oct 04 2007
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) is pleased to announce important Kansas projects totaling $26.4 million in this year’s Department of Defense Appropriations bill approved by the Senate late last night.
“I am proud of the contributions that Kansas makes to our national defense,” Senator Roberts said. “These projects reflect my focus on modernizing and transforming our forces, and giving our men and women in uniform the necessary training and equipment to confront future threats, be they conventional or unconventional. This bill continues our efforts to improve the quality of life for our men and women in uniform and their families.”
Included in the bill is a 3.5 percent pay raise for all military personnel effective January 1, 2008. Among the projects that benefit Kansas, Senator Roberts helped secure the following funds:
Atchison, Kansas
$2 million for Castings for Improved Defense Readiness. These funds will allow Atchison Casting and Machining to develop machining castings and high performance cast steels and aluminums for the Department of Defense.
Lansing, Kansas
$1 million for the Advanced Extended Range Attack Missile. These funds will allow Iron Tree Research to complete initial engine testing, engine design verification and airframe design of the missile. It will also allow wind tunnel testing, finalize software code definition, facilitate systems engineering and integration, and refine datalink development.
Kansas State University
$7 million for the Armed Forces Health and Food Supply Research at Kansas State University. These funds will be used to conduct threat and vulnerability analysis of foreign disease agents, evaluate existing capabilities to identify and deal with pathogens and toxins of concern, and develop products relating this information. These funds will be used to conduct threat and vulnerability assessments of medical and food processing and handling systems.
$4 million for the Biosecurity Research for Soldier Food Safety at Kansas State University. Kansas State University’s Biosecurity Research Institute conducts important work to secure our soldiers’ food supply at home and abroad
$ 4 million for the Urban Operations Laboratory. With these funds, Kansas State University facilitates expanded research, testing and evaluation for non-lethal and scalable capabilities suitable for use in urban environments. The information and products that result from these studies are important tools for our troops overseas.
Pittsburg, Kansas
$2.9 million for Eagle Picher’s Thermal Battery Qualification for Weapons Systems. Eagle Picher will produce thermal battery designs that support critical weapons systems. Currently, each weapon’s unique battery design must be produced manually.
Wichita State University
$3.5 million for Accelerated Insertion of Advanced Materials and Certification for Military Aircraft Structure Material Substitution and Repair. These funds will allow Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research to develop a shared database for structural and repair issues for composite materials in Department of Defense aircraft.
Miscellaneous
$2 million for the Pat Roberts Intelligence Scholars Program. The program was created in 2004 to help recruit and retain specific and highly skilled college graduates employed by the nation’s intelligence agencies. The heads of the agencies select qualified candidates to receive tuition or loan reimbursements because they possess skills, expertise or language abilities deemed critical in the analysis of intelligence.
As a former Marine, Senator Roberts is an outspoken advocate of the Military and their families.
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“I am proud of the contributions that Kansas makes to our national defense,” Senator Roberts said. “These projects reflect my focus on modernizing and transforming our forces, and giving our men and women in uniform the necessary training and equipment to confront future threats, be they conventional or unconventional. This bill continues our efforts to improve the quality of life for our men and women in uniform and their families.”
Included in the bill is a 3.5 percent pay raise for all military personnel effective January 1, 2008. Among the projects that benefit Kansas, Senator Roberts helped secure the following funds:
Atchison, Kansas
$2 million for Castings for Improved Defense Readiness. These funds will allow Atchison Casting and Machining to develop machining castings and high performance cast steels and aluminums for the Department of Defense.
Lansing, Kansas
$1 million for the Advanced Extended Range Attack Missile. These funds will allow Iron Tree Research to complete initial engine testing, engine design verification and airframe design of the missile. It will also allow wind tunnel testing, finalize software code definition, facilitate systems engineering and integration, and refine datalink development.
Kansas State University
$7 million for the Armed Forces Health and Food Supply Research at Kansas State University. These funds will be used to conduct threat and vulnerability analysis of foreign disease agents, evaluate existing capabilities to identify and deal with pathogens and toxins of concern, and develop products relating this information. These funds will be used to conduct threat and vulnerability assessments of medical and food processing and handling systems.
$4 million for the Biosecurity Research for Soldier Food Safety at Kansas State University. Kansas State University’s Biosecurity Research Institute conducts important work to secure our soldiers’ food supply at home and abroad
$ 4 million for the Urban Operations Laboratory. With these funds, Kansas State University facilitates expanded research, testing and evaluation for non-lethal and scalable capabilities suitable for use in urban environments. The information and products that result from these studies are important tools for our troops overseas.
Pittsburg, Kansas
$2.9 million for Eagle Picher’s Thermal Battery Qualification for Weapons Systems. Eagle Picher will produce thermal battery designs that support critical weapons systems. Currently, each weapon’s unique battery design must be produced manually.
Wichita State University
$3.5 million for Accelerated Insertion of Advanced Materials and Certification for Military Aircraft Structure Material Substitution and Repair. These funds will allow Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research to develop a shared database for structural and repair issues for composite materials in Department of Defense aircraft.
Miscellaneous
$2 million for the Pat Roberts Intelligence Scholars Program. The program was created in 2004 to help recruit and retain specific and highly skilled college graduates employed by the nation’s intelligence agencies. The heads of the agencies select qualified candidates to receive tuition or loan reimbursements because they possess skills, expertise or language abilities deemed critical in the analysis of intelligence.
As a former Marine, Senator Roberts is an outspoken advocate of the Military and their families.
-30-
