(WASHINGTON, D.C.)  U.S. Senator Jim Talent (R-Mo.) said today (6/24/04) Missouri stands to gain billions for its defense industry in the Defense Authorization bill (S. 2400) which passed the U.S. Senate last night. The legislation authorizes weapons procurement, military personnel policy, health care, military pay and combat readiness issues. Sen. Talent, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, championed significant programs for Missouri defense-related industries. As Chairman of the Seapower Subcommittee, he wrote a large portion of the bill related to Navy and Marine surface fleet issues, attack submarines, strategic air and sealift and all research and development relating to specific weapons programs.

"Defense spending means security for our families and jobs for our workers," said Talent. "Missouri produces key aircraft, weapons and equipment for all the services and this legislation supports tens of thousands of workers throughout the state. The bill we passed authorizes significant programs for Missouri's defense sector which will help sustain and create jobs and generate economic growth long term."

The bill authorizes the following defense programs for Missouri:

Boeing

* Super Hornet - F/A-18E/F 42 a/c - $2.991 billion. Continues the Navy's procurement of its frontline Super Hornet fighter/attack aircraft;

* EA-18 System Design and Development (SDD) - $357.5 million. Continues funding of a?radar-jamming variant of the F-18 Super Hornet to replace the EA-6B;?

* F-18 Modernization -- $432.5 million. Includes an increase of $20 million for advanced targeting forward-looking infrared (ATFLIR) pod and other ancillary equipment;

* F-18 Squadrons (R&D) -- $134.5 million;

* C-17 - 14 transports -- $2.5 billion. Continues procurement of our frontline strategic airlifter, and directs the Department to determine its updated strategic lift requirements, to include tankers;

* T-45 Navy Jet Trainer - increases Navy request by two aircraft to 10 at $305.9 million. Directs the Navy to determine the required number of T-45s to train Navy pilots;

* T-45 Modernization -- $44.2 million;

* F-15 Modernization -- $181.6 million. Provides $5.8 million for continuation of Identify-Friend-or-Foe modernization and $30M for engine upgrades;

* F-15C/D Radar upgrades - adds $17.2 million for radar upgrades, the Air Force Chief of Staff's number one priority on his Unfunded Priorities List;

* F-15E Squadrons -- $115.2 million;

* X-43C Hypersonic propulsion. Adds $10 million to begin development of?the X-43C hypersonic demonstration aircraft, which will advance next-generation propulsion, just as the jet engine did relative to propeller-powered aircraft. This is one of the most transformational technologies under development;

* Multi-mission Aircraft (MMA) R&D - provides $496 million for development of a multi-mission maritime reconnaissance aircraft to replace the aging Lockheed P-3;

* Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM)

Navy requests 6,620 bombs at $151.2 million;

Air Force requests 23,137 at $521.8 million;

* Small Diameter Bomb (SDB), the 250# variant of JDAM.

R&D: Navy requests $9.9 million; Air Force requests $76.5 million;

Procurement: requests initial production of 158 bombs at $29.3 million;

Missouri Defense Programs

* Honeywell (Department of Energy Plant in Kansas City) - $20.6 million for facilities upgrades;

* B-2 Modernization -?provides $96 million;

* USMC 155 mm towed howitzer - 97 howitzers at $175.4 million (Seiler Instruments builds the sighting mechanism in Webster Groves);

* Chem-Bio Protection System (CBPS) - adds $10 million for Army procurement of CBPS (ESSI in St. Louis);

* Advanced submarine battery research - adds $5 million for research and development of thin plate pure lead battery technology (Enersys/ Hawker in Warrensburg);

* Blast barrier development - adds $1.9 million for collaborative research between Kontek near Sikeston and UM-Rolla to develop blast barriers capable of stopping large vehicles and withstanding explosions;

* Remote Sensing - adds $4 million for development of remote sensing devices and building architecture reconstruction program. Would allow troops in urban areas to see a building's interior construction from the outside (Clean Earth Technologies);

* Oral Anthrax/ Plague Vaccine - adds $6 million for continued development of a safe and effective oral anthrax/ plague vaccine that could be administered even after an outbreak (Avant/ Megan Health);

* Corrosion Inhibiting Coatings - adds $4 million for continued development of more effective and environmentally friendly corrosion inhibiting coating for use in a maritime environment (Crosslink);

* Small Business Support - adds $1 million for continued support of small business and improved integration of small businesses into the DoD supplier chain through the Navy's Manufacturing Technical Assistance and Production Program (MidTech);

* Lean Manufacturing - a provision authored by Sen. Talent directs the Department of Defense to establish a demonstration program to promote the wholesale adoption by the defense industry of lean manufacturing, which would substantially decrease today's long development cycle times, reduce by years today's acquisition cycle, reduce life-cycle costs, reduce tooling investments for production and further improve the quality of America's defense products

Military Construction Fort Leonard Wood

* Provides $2.75 million to upgrade a training range;
* Provides $15 million for a WMD Responder Training Facility;
* Adds $10.4 million for Phase I of a Countermine Training Complex.

Whiteman Air Force Base?* Provides $37,087,000 to replace 160 family housing units.