WASHINGTON, DC - The United States Senate on Wednesday approved $459 billion for defense spending, including $119 million in defense and military construction funding for Rhode Island that U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) requested as part of the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill for fiscal year 2008. The bill includes funding to purchase new military equipment, submarines, and other defense technology that is manufactured by a host of Rhode Island companies. The measure also includes a 3.5 percent pay raise for U.S. troops.

"This bill provides critical funding for our brave men and women in uniform," said Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee. "The money included for Rhode Island-related projects acknowledges the valuable contribution our companies and workers make towards keeping our national defense strong."

Reed noted the bill includes $70 million to Electric Boat for advanced procurement of additional equipment and materials for a second Virginia class submarine in fiscal year 2010.

"The Virginia class submarine is a critical component of our nation's national defense capabilities, and Rhode Island plays a vital role in its construction," said Reed. "This funding will help ensure that our industrial base remains strong."

The spending bill was unanimously approved by the full Senate.

The bill includes:

$3 million
TPI Composites - Warren, Rhode Island
Armor Ready Composite Cab Transition

This bill contains $3 million to TPI composites of Warren to build several dozen armor ready composite cabs and create necessary infrastructure for LRIP for FMTV program and other platforms.

$4 Million
Mikel Inc. - Middletown, Rhode Island
Advanced Intercept Ranging System (AIRS)

This bill contains $4 million to Mikel Inc. of Middletown for completion of the final research and development, at-sea testing, implementation of real-time algorithms and in-board electronics, and installation on existing and future submarine classes.

$4 Million
Improved Submarine Towed Thin-Line Array Handler and Array Reliability
Naval Undersea Warfare Center of Newport

This bill contains $4 million for completion of the program's initial three year phase to complete the design, and then develop and test prototype system changes to improve thin-line towed array system reliability. This work will be preformed at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center of Newport.

$70 Million
Virginia Class Submarine Advance Procurement
Electric Boat - North Kingstown, Rhode Island and Groton, CT

This bill contains $70 million to Electric Boat of North Kingstown and Groton shipyards to procure additional equipment and material for Virginia class submarines to reduce unit cost and construction schedule, supporting the goal of a $2 billion submarine.

$5 Million
Aspen Aerogels - East Providence, Rhode Island
Flexible Aerogel Materials Supplier Initiative

This bill contains $5 million to Aspen Aerogel of East Providence for the development of affordable production methods and a domestic supplier for military and commercial aerogel materials.

$5 Million
MPRI - Middletown, Rhode Island
Laser Collective Combat Training System (LCCATS) for the Army National Guard

This bill contains $5 million to MPRI of Middletown for the procurement of 250 additional LCCATSs for the Army National Guard.

$3.5 Million
Variety of RI Companies
Undersea Perimeter Security Integrated Defense Environment (UPSIDE)

This bill contains $3.5 million to a variety of Rhode Island companies for the final funding request, which will transition a prototype undersea detection/classification/response system to a fully integrated, functional, and deployable shorefront infrastructure protection system.

$3.5 Million
Seacorps - Middletown, Rhode Island
Organic Submarine Airborne ISRT Demonstration

This bill contains $3.5 Million to Sea Corp of Middletown for the demonstration of submarine ISRT functionality, supported by the Scan Eagle Compressed Carriage and Stealthy Affordable Capsul System technologies.

$2 Million
Northeast Knitting - Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Rugged Electronic Textile Vital Signs Monitoring

This bill contains $2 million to Northeast Knitting of Pawtucket for additional data collection, field testing, base medical algorithm development and prototype knitting which involves the integration of electronics and textiles.

$2 Million
Paramount Solutions - Middletown, Rhode Island
Combat Control for Distributed Netted Systems (CCDNS)

This bill contains $2 million to Paramount Solutions of Middletown for the design and development of a prototype submarine war fighter command and control supporting Distributed Netted Systems.

$2 Million
ASFT, Inc. - Middletown, Rhode Island
Automated Submarine Command and Control Center (ASCCC)

This bill contains $2 million to ASFT, Inc. of Middletown for the continued development of the automation technologies, hardware and software necessary to integrate present and future capabilities and reduce manning requirements in submarine attack center operations.

$2 Million
Seacorps - Middletown, Rhode Island
Improved Surface Vessel Torpedo Launcher

This bill contains $2 million to Sea Corp of Middletown for the continued fabrication and testing of two Advanced Development Models, which will produce a torpedo launcher option for launching Mk 54 torpedoes from an unmanned surface vessel.

$2 Million
Applied Radar - North Kingstown, Rhode Island
X-band Interferometric Radar (XBIR)

This bill contains $2 million to Applied Radar of North Kingstown to improve and optimize newly developed radar hardware and enhance software for improved target detection and tracking.

$4 Million
Epoxies, Etc., Inc. - Cranston, Rhode Island
Rapid Repair UV Curable Structural Adhesives

This bill contains $4 million to Epoxies, Etc., Inc. of Cranston to develop and demonstrate rapid repair, room temperature cure, curable structural adhesives for aircraft applications.

$2 Million
Castings for Improved Defense Readiness Program

This bill contains $2 million to several foundries across the nation including Cumberland Foundry Co., Inc. of Cumberland to support the continuation of the Castings for Improved Defense Readiness (CIDR) program which works to ensure that cast spare are replacement parts are available quickly and more reliably for theaters of operation.

$3 Million
Rite Solutions - Middletown, Rhode Island
Artificial Intelligence-Based Combat System (AI-BCS) Kernel

This bill contains $3 million to Rite Solutions of Middletown to enable the rapid transition of an artificial intelligence-based combat system technology in support of existing and future submarines in order to reduce manning an assist in avoiding collisions.

$2 Million
Smith Detection- Middletown, Rhode Island
Maritime Mobile Force Protection Program

This bill contains $2 million to Smith Detection - Livewave of Middletown for the integration of underwater sensors, both cameras and radars, with above water information to create complete situational awareness for a vessel.