Bill creates jobs, supports troops, expands unemployment benefits

December 19, 2009

Washington, D.C. – Led by Nevada Senator Harry Reid, the U.S. Senate passed the Department of Defense Appropriations conference report that will bring nearly $90 million to Nevada for job-creating projects and high tech research initiatives that support our military. This bill funds equipment and weapons systems and increases pay for service members. In addition, this bill:

• Extends unemployment benefits and the COBRA health insurance program, small business loan programs and nutrition assistance that are critical as many Nevadans continue to search for work;
• Includes an amendment by Senators Reid and Ensign to modernize the Nevada Test Site and expand the Test Site’s role in protecting our nation;
• Provides $150 million for the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program, at the request of Sen. Reid.
  

Senator Reid also supported $50 million for the Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program which focuses on researching diseases affecting combat personnel such as loss of vision or hearing (tinnitus). 
                                    
“This bill represents jobs and our support for Nevada’s men and women in uniform,” Reid said.  “It also represents an investment in Nevada’s future with provisions to help for those still looking for work and funds for projects that will create jobs and diversify our state’s economy.” 
 
A breakdown of the funded projects is as follows:
 
Military

Project: NV Air National Guard Scathe View
Requestor: Nevada Air National Guard
Location: Carson City, NV
Amount: $3,600,000
Description: This request funds the sustainment and operations budget for the Nevada Air National Guard's Scathe View system, which provides real-time imagery support to combat operations, search and rescue operations, as well as support to Civil Authorities during natural disasters (hurricanes, wildfires, flooding, etc).
 
Project: Nevada National Guard Counter-Drug Program
Requestor: Nevada National Guard
Location: Carson City, NV
Amount: $4,000,000
Description: This funding supports the Nevada National Guard Counter-Drug Program (NVNG CDP) to support current operational levels and supplement the equipment capabilities of the Nevada Integrated Imagery Network (NIIN) with personnel.

Project: Mission Essential Airfield Operations Equipment
Requestor: 98th Range Wing
Location: Nellis AFB, NV
Amount: $2,986,000
Description: This funds the mission essential equipment required for the continued successful operations conducted by the 98th Range Wing, including: a 90 ton rough terrain Grove Crane RT890E Crane, a replacement R-11 Fuel Truck, four 15-Ton Snow Plow/Hoppers, a Wasau Model 5220 SnoSaw Runway Broom (Airfield), four 4x4 Vehicles, a Heavy Equipment Transporter Tractor (SIMI Truck), a Heavy Equipment Transporter Trailer (SIMI) and 40ft flat-bed trailers (for Sealand doubles applications).

Project: NV National Guard Joint Operation Center Communication Network
Requestor: Nevada National Guard
Location: Carson City, NV
Amount: $800,000
Description: Currently the computer network limits the collection, processing and presentation of mission critical information. The result is adverse effects on the Nevada National Guard command and control capabilities as well as real time situational awareness that are most imperative for resource management. These funds will be used for the procurement of 1 Integrated Communication/ Audio Visual System by the National Guard Bureau for the Nevada Army National Guard and would further enhance the states and nations capabilities.

Project: Naval Strike Air Warfare Center OEF/OIF training (Terminal Attack Control)
Requestor: Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center (NSAWC)
Location: Fallon, NV
Amount: $800,000
Description: These funds will provide equipment, survey data, simulator support, range development, curriculum development, and computer technician support to the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center.

Project: Unmanned Threat Emitters (UMTE) Modernization
Requestor: 98th Range Wing
Location: Nellis AFB, NV
Amount: $2,400,000
Description: This UMTE effort will upgrade performance capabilities and extend the service life of existing Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR) range assets by providing fully reactive, programmable, high-fidelity threat simulators, electronic attack (EA) receivers, automatic video tracking, and mobility to support time critical targeting exercises.

Project: Cluster Bomb Unit & Combined Effects Munitions Demilitarization
Requestor: Hawthorne Army Depot
Location: Hawthorne, NV
Amount: $800,000
Description: This request is to fund a safe and environmentally responsible recycling process at the Western Area Demilitarization Facility at the Hawthorne Army Depot for the demilitarization of several thousand tons of Cluster Bomb Units (CBUs), and Combined Effects Munitions (CEMs).

Project: MLRS Contained Burn Facility
Requestor: Hawthorne Army Depot
Location: Hawthorne, NV
Amount: $2,500,000
Description: This request funds research and development of a safe and environmentally responsible recycling process at the Western Area Demilitarization Facility at the Hawthorne Army Depot for the demilitarization of the thousands of Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS) pods in the munitions stockpile. DoD has over 208,000 MLRS rockets that are nearing the conclusion of their life cycle and will require demilitarization by 2013. The process to be designed will focus on recycling and recovery because of the adverse environmental impacts from open detonation.

Project: Navy Gun Ammo Demilitarization & Recycling
Requestor: Hawthorne Army Depot
Location: Hawthorne, NV
Amount: $1,600,000
Description:  This request is to fund a safe and environmentally responsible recycling process at the Western Area Demilitarization Facility at the Hawthorne Army Depot for the demilitarization of the thousands of rounds of obsolete Navy Gun Ammunition in the munitions stockpile.

Project: Rocket Motor Contained System
Requestor: Hawthorne Army Depot
Location: Hawthorne, NV
Amount: $800,000
Description:  This funding will allow Hawthorne to develop a contained burn unit to demilitarize rockets safely.

Project: M230 30mm Chain Gun Automatic Cannon
Requestor: Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center (NSAWC)
Location: Fallon, NV
Amount: $3,760,000
Description: These funds will be used to integrate and conduct testing of one M230 30mm chain-gun system onto a US Navy MH-60S helicopter to support proof of concept demonstration of a fixed forward firing cannon against small, fast moving boats.  The purpose is to protect friendly ships and personnel from threats posed by suicide boats, pirates, and other contemporary seaborne threats.

Research Institutions

Project: Bio-Surveillance in a Highly Mobile Population
Requestor: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Amount: $1,600,000
Description: These funds will be used to develop and demonstrate a system capable of modeling the spread of infectious diseases through a large, mobile and highly transient population based on computer analysis of regional demographic characteristics, health and environmental monitoring data and other information sources. The goal is to create an effective way to trace the spread, and isolate the source of infectious diseases and bio-terror agents among units of the U.S. military. 

Project: Enhancing Wound Healing, Tissue Regeneration, and Biomarker Discovery
Requestor: Nevada Cancer Institute
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Amount: $2,000,000
Description: This funding supports the development of therapies that prevent tissue injury and enhance wound healing that will have a significant impact on the public health of U.S. veterans. The proposed program would use MALDI Mass-spectrometry (MALDI MS) Tissue Imaging system.

Project: In-Field Body Temperature Conditioner
Requestor: University of NV School of Medicine
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Amount: $2,400,000
Description: This funding supports the development of prototype In-Field Body Temperature Conditioner, a portable device used to promote a stable body temperature in an injured or ill patient in a remote location. Temperature stability can be the difference between life and death for patients in remote or difficult to reach locations (e.g. battlefield conditions).
 
Project: Mobile Aerosol Monitoring System for the Department of Defense
Requestor: Desert Research Institute (DRI)
Location: Reno, NV
Amount: $1,200,000
Description:  These funds will be used to design, build, and deploy a mobile facility to investigate the effects of dust and air pollutants on respiratory health and battlefield operations at United States military bases in the Middle East and the United States. The DoD will be able to assess the influence of enhanced dust concentrations on health and DoD operations.

Project: Development of Deployable Biosensors
Requestor: University of Reno
Location: Reno, NV
Amount: $1,600,000
Description: These funds will be used to develop deployable biosensors for timely detection of widespread pathogens and biological agents. Biosensors are devices that merge biological detector molecules with microelectronic devices for near real-time, on-line detection and quantification of target molecules.

Nevada Small Business Contractors

Project: USAF Engine Trailer Life Extension Program
Requestor: Phoenix Aerospace
Location: Moundhouse, NV
Amount: $2,400,000
Description: This request will fix and extend the life of the 4000 Series Engine Trailers. According to USAF, correcting and extending the life of these existing trailers will save the government a significant amount of money (at least a 50% cost reduction compared to replacing the trailers), and can be completed several years earlier than a procurement program.

Project: US Army Acquisition of NOS-45A Tactical/Crew Serve Weapon Illumination Systems
Requestor: Night Operations Systems
Location: Reno, NV
Amount: $2,400,000
Description: These funds allow the U.S. Army to acquire NOS-45A Tactical/Crew Serve Weapon Illumination Systems to improve soldier safety as well as enhance effectiveness of their night operations. NOS-45A systems illuminate targets beyond 1,000 meters, and are compact, lightweight, and can be handheld or mounted on all US Army crew-served weapon and vehicle platforms.

Project: Small Arms Training Range
Requestor: Advanced Interactive Systems
Location: North Las Vegas, NV
Amount: $2,000,000
Description: These funds will be used for the expansion and integration of module shooting ranges with integrated simulation systems from an existing two lane modular tactical range system to six lanes.
 
Project: Novel Endothermic Armor Material for Insensitive Munitions
Requestor: Rocky Research
Location: Boulder City, NV
Amount: $2,500,000
Description: This project would fund the development of a lightweight armor for our troops that is 20% lighter than Kevlar.  The armor is unique because it contains a refrigerant that will not only keep the soldier cool, but it will also prevent heat-induced self ignitions and fire.
 
Project: Army Asset Visibility Enhancement
Requestor: MIS2000 / Global Defense, Inc.
Location: Reno, NV
Amount: $800,000
Description: This request proposes to implement the Army's Total Asset Visibility directive by using automatic identification technologies to provide Army users with more accurate and up-to-date information on the logistics pipeline. The goal is to completely integrate visibility in implementation using the Hawthorne Army Munitions Depot as a demonstration site. The requested funding will acquire the equipment resources, faculty staff and graduate student remuneration. Put very simply, ATAV is an automated capability that will improve dramatically the ability of soldiers, logisticians, and managers to obtain information on the location, quantity, condition, and movement of assets through the logistics pipeline.                              
 
Project: Biosensor, Communicator and Controller System
Requestor: Eye-Com Corporation
Location: Reno, NV
Amount: $3,500,000
Description:  This funding will produce an enhanced Eye-Com Biosensor Communication & Controller (EC) platform with capability to integrate real time data.  EC will serve as a diagnostic tool to identify and monitor signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disporder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and ADD/ADHD, and to evaluate treatment response in these and other disorders.
 
Project: Advanced Suspension System for Heavy Vehicles
Requestor: Advanced Materials and Devices, Inc.
Location: Reno, NV
Amount: $2,160,000
Description: This funding provides for the development of a novel suspension system specifically designed to increase mobility of heavy military vehicles promoting the safety of U.S. personnel travelling in dangerous areas and more rapid combat response. The program will manufacture  full-scale CMR fluid struts and field test the hardware with a Future Combat Vehicle (FCV) or existing Bradley Fighting Vehicle.
 
Project: Affordable Light-Weight Metal Matrix Composite (MMC) Armor
Requestor: MC-21
Location: Carson City, NV
Amount: $2,500,000
Description: These funds will be used to establish a production facility to support the military's objectives  for Metal Matrix Composite (MMCs) armor. MMC armor is light, inexpensive and volumetrically efficient (provides good ballistics). Unlike steel and aluminum, MMCs can be used in multi-layer armor applications.
 
Project: Gas Engine Driven Heat Pump (GEDAC) Demonstration
Requestor: Southwest Gas Corporation
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Amount: $2,400,000
Description: Under the demonstration program managed by the Army's Construction Engineering Research laboratory (CERL), these funds will be used to develop and demonstrate 7.5 ton and 15 ton systems that have dark start capabilities (ability to run of grid). Additionally, the funding will go towards further enhancements of the heat exchangers, engine, and compressors, which will improve efficiency and lower costs.
 
Project: Continuous Threat Alert Sensing System (CTASS)
Requestor: Arcata Associates, Inc.
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Amount: $1,360,000
Description: These funds will be used to develop a complete sensor system to collect data covertly in the field to mitigate current limitations of existing unattended ground sensors (UGS), including: cost per unit, ability to use covertly, false positives, limited sensor heads for collecting data and the inability to integrate data from a range of sensors to a single user. These are important applications for personnel and facility security – both at home and abroad.
 
Project: Advanced Environmental Control Systems
Requestor: Rocky Research
Location: Boulder City, NV
Amount: $1,600,000
Description: This funding will lead to development of advanced environmental control systems and unique components capable of operating in harsh environments.  It will facilitate cost savings by reducing energy consumption by avoiding the cost of installing larger or additional air conditioning plants. This testing will confirm compatibility and demonstrate the capability to replace antiquated shipboard systems. The design parameters will allow for adaptation to other military needs in the Army and missile defense.

Project: Metals Affordability Initiative
Requestor: TIMET Global
Location: Henderson, NV
Amount: $10,000,000
Description: The mission of MAI is to maintain leadership in the strategic aerospace metals industrial sector by using technology innovation to maintain global competitiveness while improving performance and increasing affordability of weapons systems. This funding will allow initiation of four new, more immediate high-impact programs, as well as sustaining ongoing programs.

Project:Multi Sensor Detect, Sense and Avoid (MSDSA)
Requestor: Sierra Nevada Corp
Location: Sparks, NV
Amount: $3,200,000
Description: Given the critical importance of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in current and future military operations, this funding will be used to develop and demonstrate a Multi-Sensor Detect, Sense and Avoid (MSDSA) system on a Tactical Unmanned Aircraft that satisfies the requirements for a UAS sense-and-avoid system.  The intent is to fulfill collision avoidance requirements contained in the United States Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) and the Convention on International Aviation's Rules of the Air.
 
Project: Biometric Signature and Passive Physiological Monitoring
Requestor: Noninvasive Medical Technologies, Inc.
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Amount: $5,000,000
Description: This program would establish a secure database of unique cardiopulmonary waveform signatures and build the feature extraction and matching capabilities for use as a biometric authentication system specifically designed for personnel identification. Military Search & Rescue Operations would benefit from having access to a database to identify individuals prior to air rescue and evacuation.
 
Project: Next Generation Casting Initiative
Requestor: PCC Structurals Inc.
Location: Carson City, NV
Amount: $4,000,000
Description: The aerospace investment casting industry primarily produces complex titanium and super alloy castings used in structures and rotating components of current and future aerospace weapon systems.  The program supported by this funding will focus on pre-competitive issues such as core quality, inspection methodology, and modeling/simulation to increase yield, allow increased component complexity, and improve basic casting practices.  The goal is to produce better high-tech titanium and super alloy military componenets quicker and at a lower cost.
 
Project: MPOI for Battlespace Information Exchange
Requestor: OptiComp Corporation
Location: Zephyr Cove, NV
Amount: $2,900,000
Description: The objective of the program is to develop ultra-wide bandwidth and fault-tolerant optoelectronic interconnect technology. This technology provides for high-capacity, secure and resilient networked communications required on board and between Air Force C3I systems and subsystems.  The MPOI (Massively Parallel Optical Interconnect) technology provides for high-capacity, gigabit-per-second, secure, survivable, networked communications required on board and between Air Force C3I systems and sub-systems.
 
Project: Shipping Container Security System Field Evaluation
Requestor: Nevada Nanotech Systems
Location: Reno, NV
Amount: $3,600,000
Description: One of the greatest security vulnerabilities is the risk of smuggling via shipping containers, only 2% of which are currently searched.  This request funds the building and evaluation of 50 field systems, which are high-accuracy, chemical sensor systems that will alert authorities to the presence of hazardous or illegal substances within a shipping container. The sensor system being tested has broad applicability to detect the presence of threats such as explosives, toxic chemicals, chemical warfare agents, biowarfare agents and the presence of humans in containers.
 
Project: Single Generator Operations Lithium Ion Battery
Requestor: Altair Nanotechnologies Inc
Location: Reno, NV
Amount: $4,000,000
Description: This project aims to develop a large format, high energy density, advanced lithium ion-based battery of 2.5 megawatts, with vastly improved environmentally sustainable characteristics and safety from fire/explosion. The primary benefit would be to improve the efficiency of the electrical plant of Naval ships. Fuel savings are estimated at $1,600,000 per ship per year.