Kennedy scores big for R.I. Defense industry
Congressman Kennedy’s slot on the powerful Appropriations Committee continues to pay big dividends to one of Rhode Island’s leading industry’s. Thanks in part to Kennedy’s efforts, defense initiatives in our state received around $24 million.
“In reviewing the vast number of defense-related firms throughout the country, it is clear to me that Rhode Island ranks among the highest when it comes to designing quality tools for our military in protecting our national security. Rhode Island’s defense industry is a critical component of our economy, and I am pleased that this bill funds so many of the important projects they are tackling,” said Kennedy.
- BEAMHIT – Laser Marksmanship Training System for active Army (LMTS)- $5 MILLION
- RAYTHEON – Project Athena Beta Site-$8 MILLION. Project Athena is an open architecture system of systems for Maritime Domain Awareness using proven NORAD building blocks. It integrates wide area surveillance capabilities, multiple sensor inputs and geo-registered ISR data and data bases using a proven fusion engine and visualization processor. (Congressman Jim Langevin also supported this funding.)
- ASPEN-AEROGEL Flexible Aerogel Material Supplier Initiative-$2 MILLION. This initiative will address the critical production capacity issues for these essential, high temperature flexible aerogel materials in order to transition from the nascent pilot plant, low rate of production-stage to the domestic production of high quality, low-cost materials.
- TPI MILITARY AND INTERSTATE COMM. – $3 MILLION. The Military and Commercial Truck Commercial Weight Reduction Program will design and build prototype lightweight roofs and other components for the Line Haul Truck Platform. All prototypes built will be ready for road testing by the Army.
- CURESEARCH- COG USOC – Consortium on Pediatric Cancer- $2 MILLION. In order to meet the needs of military families who have children with cancer, the COG developed the Uniformed Services Oncology Consortium (USOC). This funding will expand ongoing research by Children’s Oncology Group with the Department of Defense, and improve investigations of the genetic, epigenetic and signal transduction pathways. CURESEARCH has facilities nationwide and Congressman Kennedy was proud to work with his Congressional colleagues on this project.
- CYBERKINETICS-Neural Control of External Devices- $1 MILLION. Cyberkinetics Neurotechnology Systems will use these funds to accelerate the development of products which are critical pieces of enabling technology for individuals within the Military healthcare system who are suffering from disability due to ALS, Spinal Cord injury, strokes or other motor diseases. These funds will accelerate the development of products which will revolutionize the field of prosthetics.
- AMERICAN METALCASTINGS-Castings for Defense Readiness- $2 MILLION. This Defense Logistics Agency’s (DLA) Castings for Improved Defense Readiness program will provide rapid, cost-effective solutions in the procurement of high-quality critical castings used in new technology and procurement processes to maintain or improve weapon systems’ reliability, availability, and maintainability.
- MIKEL Advanced Intercept & Rangigan System – $1 MILION. Current sonar and combat systems for US undersea war fighters do not provide an accurate and timely picture necessary to make critical decisions required to maintain tactical control, avoid collisions and safely execute a variety of peacetime and wartime missions. These funds will help develop technology providing early warning to vessels being prosecuted by active search and localization sonar and under torpedo attack.