WASHINGTON, DC - The United States Senate today approved $447.6 billion for defense spending, including $39.6 million for Rhode Island that U.S. Senator Jack Reed requested as part of the Department of Defense Appropriation Bill for fiscal year 2007. 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 2.2 percent pay raise for U.S. troops.Reed supported the legislation that passed unanimously. The House of Representatives passed the bill on Tuesday.I am pleased that Congress has worked together to pass this important legislation to provide vital funding for our troops who are defending our nation, stated Reed. While this legislation is not perfect, it acknowledges the valuable contribution that Rhode Island companies and workers make towards keeping our national defense strong.The bill includes: $9 million: Electric Boat Large Aperture Bow (LAB) Array on VIRGINIA Class submarines - North Kingstown, RI The bill contains $9 million for Electric Boat of North Kingstown to develop a detailed design for the Large Aperture Bow (LAB). This program is designed to replace the spherical array, and will significantly reduce submarine construction and system acquisition costs, provide improved sonar performance, and facilitate additional payload. The LAB array utilizes long life, low cost sensors and simpler electronics. $6.75 Million: Electric Boat Flexible Payload Module (FPM) and Virginia Payload Interface Module (PIM) Development - North Kingstown, RI The bill provides $6.75 million to Electric Boat of North Kingstown to simplify integration of new and existing payloads in either a pressure proof or free flooded environment. $4.5 Million: Electric Boat Large Displacement UUV - North Kingstown, RI The bill provides $4.5 million to Electric Boat of North Kingstown for further development of the Large Displacement UUV to enhance future submarine missions. $2 Million: Zebra Technologies Naval Air Warfare Center Asset Visibility Business Process Improvement - Warwick, RI The bill provides $2 million to Zebra Technologies of Warwick to help accelerate the Navys implementation of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to improve its supply chain management system. $1.95 Million: New England Supply Chain The bill authorizes $1.95 million for the New England Supply Chain to support the Supply Chains efforts to assist small and medium manufacturers in New England with providing equipment and products to the Department of Defense. $1.8 Million: TPI Composites Composite Armored Cab Program - Warren, Rhode Island The bill authorizes $1.8 million for TPI Composites of Warren to complete testing on three composite armored cabs and to build and test additional cabs that will be lighter and more mobile than current vehicles. $1.8 Million: BAE Systems and Navel Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Improved Submarine Towed Array Handler and Array Reliability - Newport, Rhode Island The bill authorizes $1.8 million for BAE Systems and NUWC to improve towed array handlers and reliability. The current towed array handling system places high stress on the system and fleet experience has demonstrated that the low system reliability is impacting the fleet's ability to conduct submarine operations. $1.4 Million: Applied Radar, Inc. Wideband Digital Airborne Electronic Sensing Array - North Kingstown, RI The bill provides an additional $1.4 million to Applied Radar, Inc. of North Kingstown for the continued development of a system to include a wideband antenna array and wideband digital receiver with 2-18 Ghz of tuning bandwidth and a digital receiver digital beamformer with 1-2 GHz of instantaneous bandwidth. There is currently no existing system that can provide these wide bandwidths necessary for a covert Airforce platform that is currently being developed. $1.35 Million: SEACORPS Improved Surface Vessel Torpedo Launcher - Middletown, RI The bill provides an additional $1.35 million to SEACORPS of Middletown for support equipment for the improved surface vessel torpedo launcher which will be completely modular and include radar absorbent materials for stealth. $1.35 Million: 21CSI Submarine Automated Simulation - Middletown, RI The bill provides an additional $1.35 million to 21CSI of Middletown for the Submarine Automated Simulation program, a state-of-the-art software application designed to automate much of the current labor-intensive control functions of submarine On-Board Training Systems (OBTT) systems. The program will help improve crew proficiency by generating more robust and realistic training. $1.35 Million: Rite Solutions Improved Shipboard Combat Information Center (CIC) - Middletown, Rhode Island The bill authorizes $1.35 million for Rite Solutions of Middletowns Improved Shipboard Combat Information Center. This center will enhance combat operations while reducing the number of CICs by allowing watch standers to better receive, comprehend, and respond to incoming data during combat operations. $1.35 Million: MATRIX Packaging and Interconnection Technology- East Providence The bill contains an additional $1.35 million for Matrix of East Providence to develop a lower cost, lighter weight, highly integrated electronic and optoelectronic packaging platform based on liquid crystal polymer printed circuits. $1 Million: Marine Acoustics Handheld Phraselator Improvement Project - Middletown, Rhode Island The bill authorizes $1 million for Marine Acoustics of Middletown for a Voice Activated Handheld Translator which allows Special Operations Forces to communicate with local populations when they do not speak the local language or have a reliable linguist with them. $1 Million: Undersea Perimeter Security Integrated Defense Environment (UPSIDE) The bill provides $1 million for a consortium organized by the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation to develop a prototype undersea detection/classification/response system to help protect shorefront infrastructure. $1 Million: Anteon Command and Control Web Based Architecture - Middletown, RI The bill provides an additional $1 million to Anteon of Middletown for continued development of a command and control web-based architecture that will be deployable across different hardware platforms. This system will support the warfighters intranet for target quality data feeding a real-time tactical picture. $1 Million: BCR Engineered Biological Detectors for Biological Warfare - Middletown, RI The bill provides $1 million to BCR of Middletown for the development of engineered biological detectors for biological warfare. The funding will be used for the production of a prototype fielded biosensor to detect, identify, and warn against airborne weaponized biological particles. $1 Million: Advanced Solutions for Tomorrow (ASFT) Automated Submarine Command and Control Center- Middletown The bill contains an additional $1 million to initiate the Automated Submarine Command and Control Center (ACCC). The ACCC program will develop automation technologies and arrangements to allow reductions in manning requirements for submarine attack center operations.