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IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 7, 2001 |
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Senate Armed Services Committee Completes Markup of
National Defense Authorization Bill for Fiscal Year 2002
Senator Carl Levin (D-MI), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services
Committee, announced today that the committee completed its markup
of the National Defense Authorization Bill for Fiscal Year 2002. The
bill authorizes funding for the Department of Defense and the
national security programs of the Department of Energy.
"The committee has produced a good, balanced bill that meets our
defense needs and supports the priorities the committee adopted for
the fiscal year 2002 defense program," Senator Levin said.
"This bill:
- adds more than $700 million to the budget request to improve
the compensation and quality of life of the men and women of the
armed forces and their families;
- adds more than $1 billion to the budget request to improve the
readiness of the military services to carry out their assigned
missions;
- adds more than $800 million to the budget request to advance
the transformation of the military services to lighter, more
lethal and more capable forces;
- adds more than $600 million to the budget request to improve
the capability of the armed forces to meet nontraditional threats,
including terrorism and unconventional means of delivering weapons
of mass destruction; and
- improves the efficiency of DOD programs and operations."
"The U.S. military is the most capable fighting force in the
world today, and this bill ensures it will remain so," added Levin.
FUNDING SUMMARY
The bill recommended by the committee would authorize $343.5
billion for national defense programs, the amount requested by the
administration in the amended fiscal year 2002 budget request.
The funding level recommended by the committee includes the $18.4
billion requested by the President in his amended budget
request.
Section 217 of the Budget Resolution allows the Chairman of the
Senate Budget Committee to increase the funding level for the
national defense budget function above the $324.8 billion level in
the Budget Resolution under certain conditions. However, the Budget
Resolution prohibits an increase in defense spending that would
reduce the on-budget surplus below the level of the Medicare
Hospital Insurance Trust Fund surplus.
The committee recognizes that some or all of the $18.4 billion
requested may not be available. For this reason, the committee
approved a provision that would make the authorization of most of
these funds contingent upon either: (1) an increased allocation by
the Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee in accordance with the
requirements of section 217; or (2) a vote to waive the point of
order under the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of
1974 to make additional amounts available in the Defense
Appropriations Bill.
HIGHLIGHTS
Improving the compensation and quality of life of U.S. forces
and families
The bill reflects the committee's highest priority -- ensuring
U.S. military personnel and their families receive the compensation
and quality of life they deserve. Toward that end, the committee
added more than $700 million to the budget request for pay and
quality of life initiatives. Specifically, the committee:
- Added $451.2 million for family housing and other military
construction to improve the facilities in which our military
personnel work and the housing in which they and their families
live.
- Added $232.0 million to increase the Basic Allowance for
Housing (BAH) and eliminate all out-of pocket housing costs for
service members and their families by 2003, two years earlier than
the Defense Department's plan.
- Added $30.0 million to improve retention efforts by allowing
personnel with critical skills to transfer up to 18 months of
unused benefits under the Montgomery G.I. Bill to family members
in return for a commitment to serve four more years, and $20.0
million to provide U.S. savings bonds to personnel who commit to
serve at least six additional years of active-duty service in a
critical specialty.
- Approved the pay raise of at least 5 percent for all military
personnel and targeted pay raises between 6 and 10 percent for
mid- and senior-level enlisted personnel and junior officers,
effective January 1, 2002, as requested by the Defense Department.
- Approved the budget request of $17.9 billion to fully fund the
Defense Health Program, including new benefits authorized in
fiscal year 2001 and an expansion of long-term benefits, including
coverage for comprehensive care in skilled nursing facilities,
home health care and extended benefits for military dependents
with certain disabilities.
- Added $40.0 million for personal gear to improve the safety
and comfort of U.S. forces in the field.
- Approved several provisions that ensure overseas voters and
absent military voters have a meaningful opportunity to exercise
their voting rights as citizens of the United States.
Sustaining the readiness of U.S. forces
The committee added more than $1 billion to the budget request to
improve the readiness of U.S. forces. The committee:
- Added nearly $240 million to improve the readiness of Army
aviation, including:
- $102.5 million to procure 10 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters,
the Army's primary utility helicopter and the National Guard's
highest unfunded requirement in the fiscal year 2002 budget
request;
- $58.8 million for upgrades to the Apache, the highest
recapitalization priority on the Army's list of unfunded
requirements in fiscal year 2002; and
- $34.1 million to procure 21 additional TH-67 training
helicopters to improve the training of new Army pilots and allow
quicker retirement of Vietnam-era helicopters.
- Added $125.0 million for upgrades to B-2 and B-52 bombers to
ensure a ready, capable bomber fleet and approved $100.0 million
to maintain B-1 bombers in the National Guard until such time as
certain reports and studies are completed.
- Added $121.4 million to upgrade engines and reduce maintenance
costs in the F-16, the Air Force's primary, multi-role fighter,
and in the F-15, the Air Force's current air supremacy fighter.
- Added $98.8 million for maintenance of surface ships and Navy
and Marine Corps equipment.
- Added $54.7 million to increase full-time manning in the Army
National Guard and Reserve to allow the Army to achieve its end
strength and improve readiness and training at the unit level.
- Added $54.0 million to procure newer, digital jamming
equipment to improve the Navy's EA-6B electronic warfare fleet and
wing improvements to eliminate flying restrictions on these high
demand/low density aircraft.
- Added $53.9 million to improve the operational safety and
capabilities of ranges and space launch facilities to support
spaced-based command control and communications.
- Added $44.6 million to continue modernizing the T-6A Joint
Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS) fleet, the training
aircraft used by the Air Force and Navy, to improve the training
of new pilots.
Transforming U.S. forces
The committee added more than $800 million to the budget request
to advance the military's transformation into a lighter, more lethal
and more flexible force. Specifically, the committee:
- Added nearly $390 million to support Navy transformation,
including $307.0 million to support conversion of four excess
Trident strategic missile submarines (SSGNs) to carry Tomahawk
cruise missiles.
- Added more than $200 million for defense science and
technology to support transformation, including:
- $40.7 million for research into advanced materials and
manufacturing technologies;
- $27.5 million for research into next-generation
network-centric warfare, making better use of communications
technologies;
- $12.0 million for research into nanotechnologies to enable
advances in critical defense electronics, sensors, and
communications systems; and
- Provision to facilitate the rapid transition of new
technologies from science and technology programs into
acquisition programs and into the field.
- Added more than $185 million to Army transformation programs,
including:
- $62.5 million in science and technology programs to improve
the lethality, efficiency and affordability of Army systems;
- $43.1 million to support transformation to the Objective
Force, fully funding all the Objective Force priorities on the
Army's list of unfunded requirements in fiscal year 2002;
- $28.3 million to develop an improved communications suite
for the Comanche;
- $20.0 million to accelerate the application of quieter and
more fuel efficient hybrid electric drive technologies for
future ground combat vehicles.
- Added more than $80.0 million to fund efforts to develop and
field unmanned vehicles.
- Added $65.2 million to develop and improve naval technologies,
hull demonstrations, advanced submarine components and systems,
and ocean modeling.
Improving the capability of U.S. forces to meet nontraditional
threats
The committee recommended more than $600 million to the budget
request for new initiatives to improve the ability of the United
States and U.S. forces to deal effectively with nontraditional
threats, including terrorism, unconventional means of delivering
weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and the proliferation of nuclear,
biological and chemical weapons. Specifically, the committee:
- Added $217.2 million in a Combating Terrorism Initiative to
improve the ability of U.S. forces to deter and defend against
terrorism, including:
- $77.7 million for minimum antiterrorism requirements at Army
installations;
- $52.0 million for Department of Energy development of
technology for the detection, identification, and measurement of
WMD agents; and
- $43.2 million for research into the detection of biological
and chemical weapons.
- Approved $403 million for the Cooperative Threat Reduction
program to continue destroying and dismantling nuclear warheads
and missiles in the former Soviet Union.
- Added $56.8 million for Department of Energy programs to
prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and
related-expertise, including:
- $15.0 million for the Initiatives for Proliferation
Prevention program; and
- $14.5 million for the Nuclear Cities Initiative.
- Added $96.0 million to improve the ability of P-3 surveillance
aircraft to contribute to future missions in shallow coastal
waters.
- Added $44.0 million to improve the ability of Navy and Marine
Corps AV-8B aircraft to employ precision-guided munitions and to
operate at night, and finish development of panoramic night vision
goggles for Air Force pilots.
- Added $33.0 million to help the Navy identity, track and
defend against cruise missiles.
- Added $28.3 million to accelerate electronic warfare programs
designed to improve the situational awareness of air crews and the
defenses of combat aircraft.
- Added $20.0 million for Hellfire missiles to help the Navy and
Marine Corps defend against the threat of small boats such as that
used in the attack on the USS Cole.
Improving the efficiency of DOD programs and
operations
The committee believes that the Department should be able to save
billions of dollars through improved efficiency of defense
operations and programs, and recommends a number of provisions to
assist the Department in this effort. Specifically, the committee:
- Authorized an additional round of base realignments and
closures in 2003 so that additional savings from closing excess
facilities -- which the Department of Defense estimates to be $6.0
billion a year already from the four previous rounds -- can be
redirected to higher priority defense needs and support the
successful transformation of our military and implementation of
the Quadrennial Defense Review.
- Directed the Defense Department to achieve a savings of $1.6
billion through application of best commercial practices to the
management of service contracts and other management improvements.
- Approved a reduction of $592.3 million to the V-22 tilt-rotor
Osprey aircraft program, given continuing concerns about the
ability of the Marine Corps and the Air Force to meet the
requirements established for the program and the recommendations
of the Panel to Review the V-22 Program that production should be
kept to a minimum sustaining rate in order to minimize the number
of aircraft requiring retrofit at a later date.
- Approved a net reduction of $247.2 million to the Joint Strike
Fighter (JSF) program, given the likely delay of the launch of the
engineering and manufacturing development phase of the JSF
program.
- Authorized provisions to address the Department of Defense's
inability to produce reliable financial information or auditable
financial statements, including a provision to authorize the
department to redirect resources from its efforts to prepare and
audit financial statements to improving financial management
systems, policies, and procedures.
Ballistic missile defense
Given the real and growing threat of theater ballistic missiles
to U.S. forces abroad and allies, the committee supports development
and deployment of improved theater missile defense systems as soon
as possible after rigorous testing has proven these systems to be
operationally effective. To support theater missile defense, the
committee:
- Approved $625.7 million more than in fiscal year 2001 for
theater missile defense systems such as PAC-3 and THAAD; and
- Added $76.0 million to the joint U.S.-Israeli Arrow program
for performance and interoperability upgrades.
Given the longer-term threat of intercontinental ballistic
missiles (ICBMs) to the United States, the committee supports
aggressive research, development and testing for defenses against
ICBMs -- i.e., national missile defense (NMD) – to give the United
States the option to deploy such a system, provided four criteria
are met: (1) the threat should warrant deployment; (2) the system
should be demonstrated through realistic testing to be operationally
effective; (3) the cost should be weighed against other critical
defense needs; and (4) the deployment should make the United States
more secure, taking into account the actions of other nations. To
support national missile defense, the committee approved $1.1
billion -- or 20 percent -- more than in fiscal year 2001 for
national missile defense, including funding for a new midcourse test
bed.
The committee was guided by these goals, as well as by concerns
about (1) the lack of clarity regarding potential conflicts between
the Department's missile defense testing schedule and the
Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty; (2) the administration's proposal for
the greatest funding increase in response to one of the least likely
threats to the United States involving weapons of mass destruction;
and (3) the lack of specific plans for expenditure of missile
defense funding.
The administration appears determined to withdraw from the ABM
Treaty if a testing activity conflicts with it. The committee has
made repeated efforts to obtain information from the DOD as to
whether any NMD testing activities funded in the bill conflict with
the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, and was assured that such a
determination would be forthcoming. That way, Congress would have
that information to authorize expenditures for such activities. That
information has not been forwarded to the committee. Therefore, the
committee:
- Adopted a provision that would condition expenditure of funds
authorized by this bill for a missile defense activity that
conflicts with the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, as determined by
the President, upon Congress voting under expedited procedures to
approve such expenditures.
- Identified $1.3 billion of the proposed $8.3 billion in
missile defense funding that is poorly justified and would better
be used to meet more pressing defense needs.
SUBCOMMITTEE ON PERSONNEL
The Personnel Subcommittee, under the leadership of the Chairman,
Senator Max Cleland (D-GA) and Ranking Member, Senator Tim
Hutchinson (R-AR), focused on quality of life for military personnel
and their families as a key to enhanced recruiting and retention.
The committee:
- Authorized $82.4 billion for military personnel, $89.6 million
more than the administration requested.
- Approved a targeted pay raise ranging from 5 percent to 10
percent, effective January 1, 2002. Enlisted personnel and junior
officers will receive a pay raise of 6 percent or more.
- Accelerated the current five-year plan to reduce out-of-pocket
housing expenses by two years. Average out-of-pocket expenses for
off-post housing is limited to 7.5 percent in 2002, and should be
fully covered in 2003.
- Authorized the services to permit service members with
critical skills to transfer to family members up to 18 months of
unused benefits under the Montgomery G.I. Bill.
- Authorized an education savings plan using savings bonds for
personnel with critical skills who reenlist for at least six
additional years.
- Approved several provisions that ensure overseas voters and
absent military voters have a meaningful opportunity to exercise
their voting rights as citizens of the United States.
- Authorized a temporary housing allowance for junior enlisted
personnel in a leave or travel status between permanent duty
stations.
- Authorized payment of a dislocation allowance for moves to the
member's first duty station, and to married service members moving
to government quarters at a new duty station.
- Authorized payment of a partial dislocation allowance for
members ordered to move into or out of military family housing.
- Authorized retired service members with a service connected
disability to receive both military retired pay and veterans'
disability compensation without an offset if the President
proposes, and Congress enacts, legislation to offset the increased
cost of this benefit.
- Extended bonuses and special pay authorities that enhance
recruiting and retention.
- Authorized a new accession bonus for officers in critical
skills.
- Authorized subsistence expenses for officers making their
first permanent change of station.
- Authorized an active duty military personnel end strength of
1,387,400. This reflects an increase of 3,358 in the Navy and
1,800 in the Air Force.
- Increased end strength for the Army National Guard and Army
Reserve full-time manning by 1,759, recognizing that full-time
manning is one of the Reserve's top readiness issues.
- Authorized $35.0 million dollars for impact aid, and $5.0
million for impact aid for children with severe disabilities.
- Authorized modernization of TRICARE benefits by integrating
the Individual Case Management Program benefits into the basic
TRICARE benefit, defining domiciliary and custodial care, aligning
long-term care benefits with Medicare benefits, and authorizing
extended benefits for disabled family members of active duty
personnel.
- Required studies of the adequacy and quality of health care
for women under the Defense Health Program, and of the health care
coverage of members of the Selected Reserve.
SUBCOMMITTEE ON READINESS AND MANAGEMENT
SUPPORT
Subcommittee Chairman Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI) and Ranking
Member Senator James M. Inhofe (R-OK) focused the subcommittee's
efforts on supporting the readiness of U.S. military forces,
improving the quality of the facilities in which our personnel live
and work, and increasing the efficiency of Department of Defense
operations to free up resources for higher priority defense
needs.
The subcommittee supported the increase in funding requested for
installations in order to reverse a downward trend in the quality of
military facilities and family housing. The subcommittee also
supported the increased funding in the budget request for training
and other readiness activities, and welcomed the Department's effort
to include estimates of operating and equipment maintenance and
repair costs that more accurately reflect higher prices and higher
usage of spare parts associated with older weapons systems. The
subcommittee also took steps to set savings goals for the Department
of Defense based on improved management and oversight of contracts
for services.
The subcommittee added additional funds to improve readiness,
including:
- $98.8 million for maintenance of surface ships and other Navy
and Marine corps equipment;
- $40.0 million for personal gear for military members to
improve their safety and comfort in the field;
- $25.0 million for munitions programs to reduce training and
war reserve shortfalls and increase tactical maneuverability; and
- $3.7 million for additional training for the Army's Interim
Brigade Combat Teams, to help advance Army transformation efforts.
The subcommittee included a number of legislative provisions to
improve Department of Defense management and financial oversight,
including:
- Requiring the Department to set up a management structure,
management information system, and a program review structure for
the Department's contracts for services;
- Improving the management of service contracts through best
commercial practices, resulting in an estimated three percent
savings on such contracts in fiscal year 2002;
- Strengthening requirements for competition of multiple-award
contracts to purchase products and services, and require approval
for sole-source awards;
- Refocusing comptroller and auditor resources on addressing
systemic problems in DOD financial systems rather than wasting
resources on reviews of financial statements;
- Codifying the Department's Senior Financial Management
Oversight Council and financial feeder systems compliance process
to provide top-level guidance in addressing financial management
problems;
- Enabling DOD to shorten the acquisition cycle for weapons
systems by codifying a technological maturity requirement for key
technologies to be incorporated into new systems;
- Codifying DOD's plan for a test-based phased implementation of
the Navy-Marine Corps Intranet program, ensuring increased
oversight because of schedule delays; and
- Protecting the Department's acquisition workforce and ensure
that the defense components have sufficient staff to manage
acquisition requirements in a cost effective manner.
Military Construction
The committee continued to support improvements to the facilities
in which our service members work and in which they and their
families live. The administration's request for military
construction and family housing was $10.0 billion, an increase of
$952.0 million above last year's authorized level. The committee
increased the budget request by adding $451.2 million for projects
that would improve mission effectiveness and quality of life.
Included in this total were land acquisition projects the
subcommittee added to prevent, where possible, future conflicts with
nearby civilian populations that might threaten the military
services' ability to make full use of key military
installations.
SUBCOMMITTEE ON EMERGING THREATS AND
CAPABILITIES
The Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee, under the
leadership of its Chairman, Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA), and
Ranking Member, Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS), focused its efforts on
two principal areas recommended by the chairman of the committee:
encouraging the transformation of the military services to lighter,
more lethal and more capable forces; and improving the ability of
the armed forces to meet nontraditional threats, including terrorism
and unconventional means of delivering weapons of mass destruction.
The subcommittee:
- Added $217.2 million for a Combating Terrorism Initiative to
improve the capability of U.S. forces to deter, defeat and manage
the consequences of terrorist threats, including the threat of
using weapons of mass destruction. As part of this Combating
Terrorism Initiative, the committee:
- Added $77.7 million to establish minimum access and entry
controls at Army installations abroad. This partially addresses
the Army's number two unfunded priority by targeting
installation security at the most vulnerable installations –
those located overseas;
- Added $52.0 million for Department of Energy development of
technology for the detection, identification, and measurement of
WMD agents;
- Added $43.2 million for research into the detection of
biological and chemical weapons;
- Added $13.0 million for handheld explosive detection for
Navy ships, standoff explosive detection research and
development, and a proof of concept system for pre-detonation of
improvised explosive devices, fulfilling urgent requirements
identified in the aftermath of the October 2000 attack on the
USS Cole;
- Added $14.3 million for counterterrorism training for U.S.
Special Operations forces; and
- Added $10.0 million to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff's Combating Terrorism Readiness Initiative Fund to help
fund high-priority needs identified by the combatant commanders
to defend against emerging threats.
- Added approximately $250 million for Research, Development,
Test and Evaluation for a wide variety of leading technologies,
including those for Army Transformation ($62.5 million);
network-centric warfare ($27.5 million); and nanotechnology ($12.0
million).
- Approved the budget request of $820.4 million for Defense
Department Counter-Drug programs and added $40.0 million for
National Guard counter-drug activities.
- Added $56.8 million for Department of Energy programs to
prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and
related-expertise. As part of this increase, the committee:
- Added $15.0 million for the Initiatives for Proliferation
Program in the former Soviet Union to reduce the risk of "brain
drain" of weapon scientists;
- Added $14.5 million for the Nuclear Cities Initiative to
help find non-weapons work at Russia's nuclear weapons
production complexes;
- Added $9.0 million for disposition of Russian surplus
nuclear fissile materials; and
- Added $5.0 million for Materials Protection, Control and
Accounting to improve safeguards of nuclear materials in the
former Soviet Union.
- Approved the Defense Department budget request of $403.0
million for the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR)
program, including funds for destruction of chemical weapons in
Russia, subject to meeting certain conditions.
- Approved the budget request of approximately $1.2 billion for
chemical weapons demilitarization in the United States.
- Added $18.0 million for procurement of items to improve the
capabilities of Special Operations Forces (SOF), offset by
reductions of CV-22 excess funds, including:
- $14.3 million for multi-band radios that will significantly
improve the operational capabilities of individual operators;
- $2.5 million for the Advanced Grenade Launching System; and
- $1.2 million for modification kits to special SOF M4A1
Carbines.
STRATEGIC SUBCOMMITTEE
The Strategic Subcommittee, led by Chairman Jack Reed (D-RI) and
Ranking Member Senator Wayne Allard (R-CO), reviewed the national
security space programs, strategic forces, ballistic and cruise
missile defense programs, intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance programs, and Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear and
environmental programs.
The major effort in the subcommittee was the ballistic missile
defense program, for which the committee approved a substantial
increase of 37 percent increase compared to the fiscal year 2001
level.
With respect to theater missile defense, the committee
supports development and deployment of theater ballistic missile
defense systems as soon as they are proven operationally effective,
but opposes ill-advised "contingency deployments" of untested
missiles and components. The committee included significant funding
increases over the fiscal year 2001 level for theater missile
defense programs. Specifically, the committee:
- Approved $625.7 million more than in fiscal year 2001 for
theater missile defense systems, keeping mature, well defined
programs like PAC-3 and THAAD robustly funded to keep them on
track, and increasing funding for Navy Area and Airborne Laser to
help resolve emerging technical problems to keep programs on
schedule; and
- Added $76.0 million to the joint U.S.-Israeli Arrow program
for performance and interoperability upgrades.
The committee made a number of reductions in the administration's
request for theater missile defense programs, targeting ill-advised
"contingency deployments." These reductions:
- Saved approximately $390 million by not funding untested THAAD
and Navy Theater-Wide missiles, and premature THAAD radar and
Airborne Laser components; and
- Saved more than $200 million by rationalizing Navy
Theater-Wide test and radar development programs, while funding
testing for Block I missile.
With respect to national missile defense, the committee
supports aggressive research, development, and testing of defenses
against intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). Therefore, the
committee:
- Approved an increase of $1.1 billion – or 20 percent – for
national missile defense above the fiscal year 2001level,
including funding for a new midcourse test bed.
In addition, the committee:
- Saved more than $500 million by moderating the national
missile defense and SBIRS-Low systems' funding growth, since plans
and architectures for these systems are still undecided; and
- Saved over $200 million by reducing excessive funding for
ballistic missile defense activities not associated with specific
programs.
The committee adopted a provision that provides for an expedited
congressional vote if the administration determines that any of the
activities funded in this bill are in conflict with the requirements
of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. Another provision ensures that
the Department completes a robust testing program before significant
investments are made in a national missile defense system.
* * * * *
In order to move toward further reductions in nuclear forces, the
committee repealed the statute that prevents the United States from
moving to lower levels of nuclear weapons and forces. As part of
this effort, the committee increased the funds to speed up the
retirement of the Peacekeeper ICBM.
The committee also provided additional funds to modernize the
strategic bomber forces to enhance their conventional capabilities.
Specifically, the committee:
- Added $100.0 million and transferred $64.4 million to keep the
B-1B Lancer bomber in the National Guard until the DOD completes
the Quadrennial Defense Review the Nuclear Posture Review and a
study on the B-1B future fleet size and basing structure; and
- Added $125.0 million in bomber upgrades for the B-2 and the
B-52 bombers.
The committee established a facilities and infrastructure fund to
begin to fix the aging facilities in the nuclear weapons complex,
established a principle deputy administrator at the National Nuclear
Security Administration, and provided substantial additional funds
to the DOE environmental cleanup programs.
The committee continued the effort begun in previous years to
enhance the capabilities of unmanned aerial vehicles by providing
additional funds programs in each of the military services.
Specifically, the committee:
- Added $9.0 million for the Navy unmanned combat aerial
vehicle;
- Added $6.0 million for the Air Force Predator unmanned aerial
vehicle;
- Added $16.0 million for the Air Force Global Hawk SIGINT
demonstration;
- Added $11.0 million for the Navy vertical takeoff unmanned
aerial vehicle; and
- Added $16.2 million for the Army unmanned aerial vehicle.
In addition, the committee:
- Added $53.9 million to improve operations and modernize East
and West coast space launch and range facilities.
- Added $10.0 million to purchase commercial imagery.
- Added $32.6 million to the Wide-band Gap Filler satellite to
exercise an option to buy three additional satellites.
- Added $12.8 million to the NUDET detection system to put the
NUDET sensor on the GPS III- F satellites and process the existing
sensor data.
- Added $528.1 million to the National Nuclear Security
Administration at the Department of Energy, including $267.9
million for the new facilities and infrastructure initiative and
$109.2 million for pit manufacturing and certification.
- Added $422.2 million to the Department of Energy environmental
cleanup programs.
SUBCOMMITTEE ON SEAPOWER
The Subcommittee on Seapower, under its Chairman, Senator Edward
M. Kennedy (D-MA), and Ranking Member, Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL),
supported transformation of the Navy while also promoting the
readiness of the Navy to respond to near- and mid-term threats. In
accordance with the guidance of the chairman of the committee, the
subcommittee also sought opportunities to improve capabilities to
meet non-traditional threats. The subcommittee:
- Approved more than $9 billion in requested funding for such
major programs as the three DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers,
one SSN-774 Virginia-class attack submarines, one T-AKE auxiliary
cargo and ammunition ship, and advance procurement funding for the
LPD-17 amphibious transport dock and the LHD-8 amphibious assault
ship. The subcommittee also approved more than $3 billion in
requested funding for 15 C-17 strategic airlift aircraft.
- Authorized almost $390 million in additional funding for Navy
transformation programs, including:
- A net increase of $307.0 million for converting four Trident
ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) to carry Tomahawk cruise
missiles (SSGN);
- $27.0 million for submarine combat systems modernization to
develop common combat control systems for all submarines; and
- $10.0 million to improve the way we upgrade submarine
tactical control information systems.
- Added nearly $90 million in additional funding to sustain
readiness, with emphasis on aviation programs. These included:
- $21.1 million for C-17 maintenance trainers;
- $20.0 million for sonobuoys to support peacetime training
usage;
- $14.0 million for improved shipboard navigation radars;
- $9.0 million to integrate a submarine radar into the
tactical data system to preclude the need for keeping paper
navigation charts; and
- $7.0 million to upgrade ships with ring laser gyroscope
navigation systems.
- Authorized more than $170 million to improve the ability to
meet non-traditional threats, including:
- $96.0 million for P-3 modifications to the capability of the
P-3 aircraft to support operations in littoral environments,
shifting emphasis from blue water threats;
- $20.0 million for Hellfire missiles to provide Navy and
Marine Corps helicopters better capability to engage threats on
land and small boats and other threats at sea;
- $15.0 million for the upgrades to the Close-in Weapons
System (CIWS) to permit ships to defend themselves better
against small boat and helicopter threats;
- $15.0 million for accelerating the shipboard infrared search
and track system to provide the Navy better capability to detect
and engage low-flying cruise missiles in near-shore engagements;
and
- $14.0 million for buying more decoys that will enable Navy
vessels to defend against challenging cruise missile threats.
- Recommended authority for the Navy to extend its purchases of
submarine components under economic order quantity buys to allow
the Navy to achieve additional savings.
SUBCOMMITTEE ON AIRLAND
The Subcommittee on Airland under its Chairman, Senator Joseph
Lieberman (D-CT), and Ranking Member, Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA),
continued its efforts to accelerate Army transformation while also
promoting the readiness of the Army and of the air arms of the other
services to respond to near- and mid-term threats. In accordance
with the guidance of the chairman of the committee, improved the
capability of U.S. forces to meet non-traditional threats.
Specifically, the subcommittee:
- Approved more than $11 billion in requested funding for major
programs such as the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, the F-22 Raptor, the
Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS), C130J
Hercules, Crusader artillery system, Abrams tank, Bradley fighting
vehicle, Interim Armored Vehicles, and Family of Medium Tactical
Vehicles.
- Added $113.4 million for Army transformation programs
identified on the Army's list of unfunded requirements, including:
- $20.0 million for the Objective Force task force;
- $21.5 million for the Aerial Common Sensor;
- $28.3 million for development of the Comanche communications
suite;
- $20.0 million to accelerate the development of hybrid
electric drive for the Interim Armored Vehicle; and
- $10.0 million for additional Enhanced Position Location
Reporting System radios.
- Added $528.9 million in additional funding to sustain
readiness, with emphasis on aviation programs, including:
- $102.5 million for 10 additional Black Hawk helicopters;
- $58.8 million for Apache attack helicopter recapitalization
needs;
- $34.1 million for 21 TH-67 training helicopters to meet Army
requirements through fiscal year 2014;
- $10.0 million for Army helicopter engine component
improvements;
- $44.6 million for 10 additional Navy Joint Primary Aircraft
Training System aircraft;
- $25.0 million for F-15 engines;
- $88.0 million for F-16 engines;
- $38.0 million for EA-6B Band 9/10 digital jamming
transmitters;
- $16.0 million to replace EA-6B wing center sections;
- $18.0 million for C-130J maintenance trainers;
- $36.0 million for an additional battalion of upgraded M270A1
Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) launchers; and
- $40.0 million for Army digital communications network
upgrades.
- Added $99.3 million to improve the ability of U.S. forces to
meet non-traditional threats, including:
- $36.0 million for Litening II targeting pods for USMC AV-8B
aircraft;
- $15.0 million for the F-18 integrated defensive electronic
countermeasures system;
- $27.0 million for the F-18 joint helmet mounted cueing
systems; and
- $13.3 million for the precision location and identification
program to modernize several families of radar warning
receivers.
- Recommended authority for the Navy to enter into a multiyear
procurement contract for purchasing F/A-18E/F engines.
- Recommended removing the current legislative cost cap on the
F-22 engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) program. The
F-22 program has experienced a number of delays, which means that
there will be a delay in operational testing. Since much of what
remains to be funded in the F-22 EMD program is testing, the
committee wanted to remove the EMD cost cap to ensure that there
is no reason to curtail or modify required developmental and
operational testing.
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