[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 153 (Thursday, September 25, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1988-E1991]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                          EARMARK DECLARATION

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TODD TIAHRT

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 24, 2008

  Mr. TIAHRT. Madam Speaker, in accordance with the February 2008 New 
Republican Earmark Standards Guidance, I submit the following in 
regards to the Fiscal Year 2009 Department of Defense Appropriations 
Act found in H.R. 2638:


        Life Support Radio Test Sets for the Air National Guard

  The Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2009, H.R. 2638, 
contains $1,000,000 for Life Support Radio Test Sets for the Air 
National Guard in the Air Force, Other Procurement Account. The entity 
to receive funding for this project is Aeroflex at 10200 West York 
Road, Wichita, KS 67215-8999.
  The funds will ensure the functionality of the survival radio 
equipment used by Air National Guard aircrew. The money will be used to 
allow each squadron to purchase enough test systems so that they can 
fulfill their requirement to be available for use in multiple locations 
at one time. Unfortunately, insufficient numbers of test sets have been 
fielded to address these issues, leading to maintenance backlogs and 
also to unfamiliarity with the test set equipment and its procedures on 
the part of field maintenance personnel. The cost of each Life Support 
Radio Test Set is $52,936. The anticipated source of funding for the 
duration of the project is funding from the government, since the 
customer is the Air Force.
  No matching funds are required for this Department of Defense 
project.


            Radio Personality Modules for SINCGARS Test Sets

  The Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2009, H.R. 2638, 
contains $2,400,000 for Radio Personality Modules for SINCGARS Test 
Sets in the Army, Other Procurement Account. The entity to receive 
funding for this project is Aeroflex at 10200 West York Road, Wichita, 
KS 67215-8999.
  The funds will fund Radio Personality Modules for SINCGARS Test Sets 
which capitalize upon existing radio test sets by making them up to 10 
times more capable than they were before. Presently, the GRM-122 test 
set diagnoses only one type of radio--the SINCGARS. After the proposed 
upgrade, the very same tester will be able to test multiple radios in 
common use, including: UHF radios, VHF radios, high frequency radios, 
intercoms, survival vest radios, and four different types of navigation 
radios installed in aircraft on the flight line. This efficient program 
saves both time and money. Time, because the technician performing the 
test will have the entire test suite he requires at his immediate 
disposal on the flight line; and money because the Aviation 
Intermediate Maintenance locations equipped with Radio Personality 
Modules for SINCGARS Test Sets will not need to acquire nor carry 
entire test suites of disparate equipments. The total cost of this 
program is $6,670,000; $2,000,000 was marked in FY 2008. If it is not 
fully funded, there will be an additional request for the remaining 
amount to fund this requirement from the Army in FY 2010. This program 
is funded by plus ups from Congress, the Army and the POM (Program 
Objective Memorandum) from DoD. The cost of each test suite is 
$157,946--there is a need for about 80 test sets in all. In FY '08, $2 
million was appropriated, allowing the Army to purchase about 12 units. 
The anticipated source of funding for the duration of the project is 
funding from the government; the customer is the U.S. Army.
  No matching funds are required for this Department of Defense 
project.


                Directed Energy Systems for UAV Payloads

  The Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2009, H.R. 2638, 
contains $800,000 for Directed Energy Systems for UAV Payloads in the 
Defense-wide, RDT&E Account. The entity to receive funding for this 
project is ARC Technology at 13076 NW 120th St., Whitewater, KS 67154.
  ARC anticipates that federal funds will complete the research and 
development of this technology. This technology enables both offensive 
and defensive capabilities from UAV platforms that are either 
controlled or autonomous. Targets of interest include improvised 
explosive devices (IEDs), communications systems, computers, 
electronics, radar systems, infrared and acoustic sensors, and GPS 
jammers. The FY09 funding addresses additional integration issues, 
range extension, packaging issues, and customer performance 
verification for incorporation into specific delivery platforms.


             Budget for UAV Payload Directed Energy Systems


                                                                Percent
Materials.............................................................5
Labor................................................................60
Testing..............................................................20
Performance verification*............................................15
                                                               ________
                                                               
      Total.........................................................100
* Per customer specifications, to simulate performance in end 
applications.

  No matching funds are required for this Department of Defense 
project.


                         Core Component Jammer

  The Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2009, H.R. 2638, 
contains $9,000,000 for Core Component Jammer in the Air Force, 
Research and Development account. This project is for The Boeing 
Corporation located at P.O. Box 7730 MC K71-33, Wichita, KS 67277-7730.
  The funds will help the technology maturation, pod development, and 
encourage the development of a solution to the problem of the standoff 
jamming capability gap (created by the retirement of Navy EA-6Bs in 
2012). The additional FY09 funding would help ensure timely fielding of 
an Air Force standoff jamming capability as part of the Defense 
Department System of Systems approach to protecting U.S. air missions 
from threat electronic attack capabilities. The additional funding 
would enable a more robust development program in the Air Force which 
would help to reduce schedule risk by allowing the Air Force to enhance 
its CCJ development activities in FY09.
  AFRL Technology Maturation--$68M ($15M for Aircraft Integration 
Studies).
  Develop Subsystem Spec & Interface Control Documentation.
  Paper Concept--Pod design, subsystem installation concept 
airworthiness cert impacts, structural impacts, etc.
  Analysis/simulation/test of concept design.
  FY08 Congressional Add--$4M.
  Propose to conduct wind tunnel test of pod integration on aircraft.
  FY09 Plus Up Request--$9M.
  Complete pod design.
  Build two flyable CCJ pods w/o Electronic Attack hardware.
  Anticipated source of funding is through the Air Force.
  The Air Force projects $3.9B to complete development and to field CCJ 
capability through Block 2.
  With Air Force CCJ program of record beginning in FY10, total 
Congressional funding support would be $4M in FY08 and $9M in FY09.
  No matching funds are required for this Department of Defense 
project.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                     Early   MS    Late
                                                                    FY08    FY09    FY10     FY11     FY12    B    FY12     FY13     FY14     FY15     FY16     FY17     FY18     FY19     FY20     FY21     FY22      FY23      Total
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ROM Costs:
    AEA Tech Mat & Demonstration.................................    $8.0   $22.5   $92.5   $139.5   $140.5      .......    $13.0    $11.5     $5.5  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......       $0.0     $433.0
    CCJ Development:
        Blk 1 SDD................................................  ......  ......  ......  .......  .......       $102.5   $488.0   $389.0   $227.5    $37.0     $0.0     $0.0     $0.0     $0.0     $0.0  .......  .........     $1,244
        Blk 1 Prod...............................................  ......  ......  ......  .......  .......      .......  .......  .......   $163.1   $346.2   $325.9   $321.3   $272.7   $139.9    $19.9  .......  .........     $1,589
        Blk 2 SDD................................................  ......  ......  ......  .......  .......      .......  .......  .......  .......   $100.0   $120.0    $85.0    $50.0    $10.0  .......  .......  .........       $365
        BLK 2 Prod...............................................  ......  ......  ......  .......  .......      .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......    $63.0    $85.0    $73.0      $50.0       $271
    30 & 24 Blk 1 Installs.......................................
        Aircraft.................................................  ......  ......  ......  .......  .......      .......  .......  2 (SDD)  .......        2        7        6        5        4        4  .......  .........  .........
        Pods.....................................................  ......  ......  ......  .......  .......      .......  .......  2 (SDD)  .......        2        5        5        4        4        2  .......  .........  .........

[[Page E1989]]

 
Funding Required:
        Existing.................................................    $8.0   $12.5
        FY09 APOM................................................  ......   $10.0   $42.0
        FY10 POM.................................................  ......  ......   $50.5   $139.5   $140.5
        FY12 POM.................................................  ......  ......  ......  .......  .......       $102.5   $501.0   $400.5   $396.1   $483.2   $445.9   $406.3   $322.7   $212.9   $104.9    $73.0      $50.0  .........
Total Program....................................................    $8.0   $22.5   $92.5   $139.5   $140.5       $102.5   $501.0   $400.5   $396.1   $483.2   $445.9   $406.3   $322.7   $212.9   $104.9    $73.0      $50.0   $3,902.0
Cumulative: Total Program........................................      $8     $31    $123     $263     $403         $506   $1,007   $1,407   $1,803   $2,286   $2,732   $3,139   $3,461   $3,674   $3,779   $3,852   $3,902.0  .........
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                    Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Aircraft

  The Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2009, H.R. 2638, 
contains $5,000,000 for Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Aircraft in the Air 
Force, Aircraft Procurement Account. The entity to receive funding for 
this project is Cessna Aircraft Company at 3 Cessna Blvd., Wichita, 
Kansas 67215.
  The CAP provides the least expensive airborne emergency services and 
Homeland Security services of any agency at approximately $100 per 
flying hour. The CAP budgets through the USAF for acquisition of new 
aircraft to modernize the fleet, maintain operational readiness, and 
contribute to the Homeland Security. The FY09 USAF Budget Submission 
only provides $2.44M (6 A/C) for CAP aircraft acquisition. The 
additional funding will procure additional aircraft for CAP.
  No matching funds are required for this Department of Defense 
project.


     Demonstration Project for Contractors Employing Persons with 
                              Disabilities

  The Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2009, H.R. 2638, 
contains $2,400,000 for Demonstration Project for Contractors Employing 
Persons with Disabilities in the Air Force, Operation & Maintenance. 
The entities to receive funding for this project are Cerebral Palsy 
Research Foundation located at 5111 East 21st Street, Wichita, Kansas 
67208 and Envision located at 2301 South Water, Wichita, Kansas 67213.
  The Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2009, contains 
$2,400,000 for Demonstration Project for Contractors Employing Persons 
with Disabilities in the Air Force, Operation & Maintenance. The 
entities to receive funding for this project are Cerebral 
Palsy Research Foundation located at 5111 East 21st Street, Wichita, 
Kansas 67208 and Envision located at 2301 South Water, Wichita, Kansas 
67213.

  The program is authorized under H.R. 1588; Demonstration Project for 
Contractors Employing Persons With Disabilities. The purpose of the 
demonstration project is to provide jobs for people with severe 
disabilities who otherwise would not be fully employed. The national 
unemployment rate for people with severe disabilities is 70%. It is in 
the national best interest for the government to provide, and fund, 
programs which have as a purpose to lower this rate. Disabled 
individuals employed under the Demonstration Project are able to live 
independent lives and are able to pay their share of employment taxes 
and income taxes. These individuals, when employed, contribute to the 
growth of our economy. As a result of the Demonstration Project for 
Contractors Employing Persons with Disabilities, the U.S. Air Force 
Printing Office has engaged in an ongoing relationship with Envision 
Corporation in Wichita, Kansas. This relationship has been very 
successful in accomplishing not only the goal of furthering employment 
opportunities for the blind, but also in providing the U.S. Air Force 
Printing Office with funding and manpower it would otherwise not have. 
To date, the U.S. Air Force has advised of the need for additional work 
totaling approximately $8 Million.
  As a result of the Demonstration Project for Contractors Employing 
Persons with Disabilities, the U.S. Air Force Office of Personnel and 
Management has engaged in an ongoing relationship with The Cerebral 
Palsy Research Foundation in Wichita, Kansas. This relationship has 
been very successful in accomplishing not only the goal of furthering 
employment opportunities for the severely disabled, but also in 
providing the U.S. Air Force Office of Personnel and Management with 
funding and manpower it would otherwise not have for the purpose of 
digitizing all paper records of its personnel. To date, the U.S. Air 
Force has advised of the need for additional work totaling 
approximately $11 Million.
  The United States Air Force Personnel community is undergoing the 
most extensive reengineering effort in history. This effort includes 
streamlining processes and centralizing where it makes sense to do so 
by leveraging technology, and shifting the service model to a greater 
reliance on self-service. A key enabler to achieving the desired end 
state is a shift from paper-intensive personnel transitions and 
document storage to a near-paperless environment as spelled out in the 
AF/A1 E-Records Strategy document. A key milestone in achieving an E-
Record environment is conversion of current paper document repositories 
into a centralized digital repository. There are approximately 13 
million pages of paper records that need to be scanned. Currently we 
are operating in option year two of a five year plan.
  No matching funds are required for this Department of Defense 
project.


      Laser Peening for Friction Stir Welded Aerospace Structures

  The Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2009, H.R. 2638, 
contains $1,600,000 for Laser Peening for Friction Stir Welded 
Aerospace Structures in the Department of the Air Force, RDT&E Account. 
The entity to receive funding for this project is Curtiss-Wright Metal 
Improvement Company at 1618 Ida, Wichita, Kansas 67211.
  The program will demonstrate the benefits of laser peening on 
subscale components with identical geometry of targeted DoD aircraft 
components, quantify anticipated improvement in performance, lifetime 
extension and cost reduction of full size DoD aircraft components, and 
demonstrate the technology for use with large wing structures to 
achieve substantial material and operational savings for the military.
  Funding will support the following activities:
  Engineering and Planning--$150,000.
  Test Article Design & Analysis--$450,000.
  Test Article Fabrication--$400,000.
  Test Article Welding--$100,000.
  Test Article Laser Peening--$150,000.
  Test Article Fatigue Testing--$600,000.
  Engineering Applications for Aircraft component Evaluation: $450,000.
  Analysis & Reporting--$300,000.
  Overhead & Administration: $300,000.
  No matching funds are required for this Department of Defense 
project.


                C-130 ACTIVE NOISE CANCELLATION SYSTEMS

  The Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2009, H.R. 2638, 
contains $1,600,000 for C-130 Active Noise Cancellation Systems in the 
Department of the Air Force, Aircraft Procurement Account. The entity 
to receive funding for this project is Global Aviation Technologies, 
located at 2629 W May, Wichita, Kansas 67213.
  Anticipated Sources of Funding: In FY-08, the National Guard Bureau 
contributed $0.5M in NGREA funds to the program, and we anticipate that 
will continue in FY-09. The primary source of funds for FY-10 and 
beyond will be the Air National Guard and Air Force POM and program 
funds. Justification of federal funding: ANCS is a program of record, 
and federal funds have been appropriated each year since the FY-06. The 
ANCS System is included in the Air National Guard FY-09 Weapons Systems 
Modernization Requirements desired capabilities list. The C-130 Active 
Noise Cancellation (ANC) is a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) product 
that will reduce crew fatigue and associated hearing loss by greatly 
reducing the unhealthy noise levels in the C-130 cockpit. Over 700 ANC 
systems are in use throughout the world in commercial airline 
applications, and the system has been fully tailored for the C-130H 
with no additional non-recurring integration work required. The system 
has been proven highly reliable in commercial use and requires no 
scheduled maintenance. C-130 cockpit noise exceeds 100 decibels, a 
noise level at which it is difficult to communicate clearly, and which 
causes fatigue and loss of crew coordination. Additionally, this noise 
level is well above the permanent hearing loss threshold (established 
by OSHA at 85 decibels). The Ultra ANC 
system cancels noise by introducing equal amplitude/opposite phase 
sound

[[Page E1990]]

 into the cockpit via a distributed speaker system. A sophisticated 
control system samples the noise throughout the cockpit several times a 
second and drives the speaker outputs to provide maximum quieting. 
Based on FY-08 pricing, the anticipated installed price will be $260K 
per C-130 aircraft.

  No matching funds are required for the Department of Defense program.


      AT-6B Capabilities Demonstration for the Air National Guard

  The Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2009, H.R. 2638, 
contains $6,000,000 for AT-6B Capabilities Demonstration for the Air 
National Guard in the Air Force, RDT&E Account. The entity to receive 
funding for this project is Hawker Beechcraft Corporation at 9709 E 
Central Ave, Wichita, Kansas 67201.
  The funding would be for the development of an AT-6B. The Air 
National Guard (ANG), has stated a requirement to fill equipment 
capability gaps in support of the mission to conduct Joint Terminal 
Attack Controller (JTAC) Training, as well as Homeland Defense, 
Homeland Security, and Civil Support mission capabilities training that 
support DoD, DHS, and State mission requirements. The AT-6B is an 
affordable, sustainable and responsive aircraft tailored to the 
NetCentric intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and 
light attack missions. The AT-6B meets the needs of top level U.S. 
National Strategic Guidance, including the 2006 Quadrennial Defense 
Review, at a fraction of the cost and a fraction of the infrastructure 
requirements of jet fighters. The AT-6B offers Air Force Special 
Operations Command (AFSOC) an asset tailored to increase airman-to-
airman engagement with partner Air Forces vital to meeting U.S. 
national security objectives. It is a crosscutting enabler critical to 
expanding foreign partnerships and expanding partnership airpower 
capacity. Estimated cost of the AT-6B capabilities flight demonstration 
is approximately $21 million. Approximately $11 million = Industry 
costs to build and provide one fully equipped AT-6B demonstrator 
aircraft. Hawker Beechcraft will provide this portion of the total 
cost. The capital investment required to deliver a fully operational 
flight demonstration aircraft also leverages a significant corporate 
IR&D investment made to develop the AT-6B aircraft which is not 
included in the $11 million industry contribution. In addition to the 
actual capital investment in building the aircraft, the contractor also 
intends to provide sensors and other mission equipment on loan to the 
Air Force in support of the demonstration, thereby further reducing 
government costs. Approximately $10 million = Government costs to fund 
government-run flight test, including: government program management 
costs, range instrumentation costs, aircraft operating costs, Air Force 
directed mission equipment integration costs, and contractor 
engineering and support services in support of demonstration.
  No matching funds are required. However, the contractor is providing 
over half the total estimated costs of the AT-6B capabilities flight 
demonstration.


     development of improved lighter-weight ied/efp armor solutions

  The Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2009, H.R. 2638, 
contains $1,000,000 for Development of Improved Lighter-Weight IED/EFP 
Armor Solutions in the Department of the Army, RDT&E Account. The 
entity to receive funding for this project is Leading Technology 
Composites at 2626 West May, Wichita, KS 67213.
  This funding is to develop and field Lightweight IED/EFP Armor 
Solutions for the U.S. Military. These improved solutions will reduce 
weight, increase payload and maneuverability, and defeat the current 
battle field threats. Innovative solutions to reduce current system 
weights resulting in increased payload, maneuverability. Finance Plan: 
Materials--40 percent; Processing--10 percent; Test and Analysis--30 
percent; STE--5 percent; Labor--15 percent.
  No matching funds are required for the Department of Defense program.


         maintenance personnel at the 931st air refueling group

  The Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2009, H.R. 2638, 
contains $4,000,000 for Department of the Air Force, Operations and 
Maintenance Air Force Reserve Account to hire additional Maintenance 
Personnel at the 931st Air Refueling Group. The entity to receive 
funding for this project is the 931St Refueling Group, McConnell Air 
Force, 2801 N Rock Rd, Wichita, Kansas 67226.
  When the Air Force Reserve's 931st Air Refueling Group (ARG) at 
McConnell Air Force Base was created, it did not include any 
maintenance manpower. This has resulted in a personnel shortfall at the 
931St of 12 Drill Officer, 304 Drill Enlisted, and 100 ART Civilian 
personnel. This shortfall has caused tremendous burden of maintenance 
personnel at the co-located active duty 22nd Air Refueling Wing and 
hindered the operational readiness of both the 22nd and 931st. Over the 
past several years, I have worked to address this problem and ensure 
full-manning at the 931st. By working with the leadership of Air Force, 
the 22nd, and the 931st, we have crafted a workable solution. This 
solution would gradually add the necessary personnel over the Fiscal 
Years 2008 and 2009. The earmark is necessary to begin implementation 
of this solution and ensure the 931st ARG has enough personnel to 
fulfill its critical mission. The funding is for RPA funds (MILPERS) = 
$2.195M; DHP (MEHRC) = $.614M; Civ Pay (O&M) = $4.883M.
  No matching funds are required for the Department of Defense program.


              accelerated insertion of advanced materials

  The Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2009, H.R. 2638, 
contains $3,000,000 for Accelerated Insertion of Advanced Materials in 
the Department of the Air Force, RDT&E Account. The entity to receive 
funding for this project is Wichita State University at 1845 Fairmount 
St, Wichita, 67260.
  This program will provide a breakthrough in technology integration 
and will achieve significant cost and cycle-time reductions in new 
material insertion through (a) data-sharing among multiple users, (b) 
statistical continuity from one length-scale to another and (c) reduced 
testing via increased capability and use of numerical/analytical 
simulation tools. Anticipated benefits include reductions in 
nonrecurring and recurring program qualification costs and introduction 
of multiple sources of new advanced material forms. Unlike structures 
that use metallic materials in the manufacturing process, the material 
properties of a composite are manufactured into the structure as part 
of the fabrication process. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that 
critical parameters pertaining to composite materials and their 
production processes are identified to facilitate adherence to 
standards in the final engineered part. Presently, each original 
equipment manufacturer (OEM) is responsible for this assurance, 
creating ``customized'', nonstandard procedures for quality and safety 
assurance. DoD aircraft repair and modification efforts are extremely 
important because (a) difficulty in this area can lead to the rejection 
of a structural or material concept in the preliminary design phase, 
(b) they form a significant part of the total ownership cost and can 
drive fleet life-cycle decisions, (c) they provide opportunities to 
insert new material concepts quickly and at minimal cost, and (d) the 
type and level of engineering effort for repair/modification 
qualification in large military and commercial transport aerospace 
applications closely equates to that of full-design efforts. This 
program will seek to provide the DoD with a solution to this problem 
and eliminate the costly material insertion that exists for new 
programs or retrofitting materials used on legacy aircraft as well as 
enable United States aerospace leadership. This program is also 
supported by the aviation industry and composite material supplier 
industry and has over a 1:1 leverage factor.
  Anticipated Sources of Funding during Project Duration: DoD (Air 
Force), State of Kansas, Aviation Industry, Composite Material 
Suppliers. No matching funds are required for the Department of Defense 
program.


                      aging aircraft fleet support

  The Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2009, H.R. 2638, 
contains $1,600,000 for Aging Aircraft Fleet Support in the Department 
of the Navy, RDT&E Account. The entity to receive funding for this 
project is Wichita State University at 1845 Fairmount St, Wichita, 
67260.
  Most of the aging research being conducted presently is focused on 
metallic structures. In addition to the ongoing research in aging 
metallic structures, the requested appropriation will permit NIAR to 
partner with the NAVY and investigate the effects of aging on composite 
structures as well as composite/metallic hybrid structures. As more 
composite components are being certified and used on primary and 
``flight critical'' secondary structures, a future need of the military 
and commercial aviation industry will be the investigation of these 
composite structures and the assurance of the airworthiness of 
composite components. NIAR already has a background in this through 
partnerships with the FAA by investigating Boeing 737 composite tail 
structures which flew commercial service for over 20 years and by 
examining the first of all composite certified aircraft recently taken 
out of service, the Beechcraft Starship. Lessons learned from this 
research will provide insight into the aging aspects of other composite 
aircraft structures and influence the use of advanced materials on new 
aircraft being proposed for military service as well as maintenance of 
the existing fleet. Benefit to DoD and Justification for Use of Federal 
Taxpayer Dollars: The biggest concerns with aging aircraft are the 
unknowns that emerge with little or no warning, raising the concern 
that an unexpected phenomenon may suddenly jeopardize an entire fleet's 
flight safety, mission readiness, or support costs. The DoD can benefit 
from the direct application of the research results into fleet 
management strategies as well as proactive provide strategies that will 
reduce the cost of maintenance for advanced materials used on military 
aircraft.

[[Page E1991]]

  Anticipated Sources of Funding during Project Duration: DoD (Navy), 
FAA, Aviation Industry. Percent and Sources of Matching Funds: 25 
percent--FAA; 10 peercent--Aviation Industry. No matching funds are 
required for the Department of Defense program.


     nanocomposites for lightning protection of composite aircraft 
                               structures

  The Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2009, H.R. 2638, 
contains $1,200,000 for Nanocomposites for Lightning Protection of 
Composite Aircraft Structures in the Department of the Air Force, RDT&E 
Account. The entity to receive funding for this project is Wichita 
State University at 1845 Fairmount St, Wichita, 67260.
  Nonmetallic military (manned and unmanned) aircraft are vulnerable to 
lightning strike and airworthiness assurance is threatened. For 
example, FAA certified aircraft are typically struck by lightning once 
or twice a year. Unlike their metal counterparts, composite structures 
do not readily conduct away the extreme electrical currents and 
electromagnetic forces generated by lightning strikes. Composite 
materials are either not conductive at all (e.g. fiberglass) or are 
significantly less conductive than metals (e.g. carbon fiber). For this 
reason, lightning strike protection has been a significant concern 
since the first composites were used on aircraft more than 30 years 
ago. This program will seek to advance the development and operation of 
a nanocomposite based methodology addressing lightning strike 
protection on composite airframe structures in Department of Defense 
aircraft applications. Recent advances in the addition of 
nanocomponents to advanced composite materials have shown the potential 
for reducing lightning strike damage to composite airframe structures. 
A variety of nanoconstituents known for their conductivity and high 
aspect ratio have been recently analyzed under an exploratory Air Force 
study and have shown great promise for the incorporation of this 
technology into a manufacturing environment. This research focus and 
funding will work in coordination with the Air Force Research 
Laboratory (AFRL) at Wright Patterson AFB to advance research into 
possible commercial applications that may be used in production. This 
will enable aircraft operation (manned and unmanned) in all 
environments without restrictions.
  Anticipated Sources of Funding during Project Duration: DoD (Air 
Force), State of Kansas, Aviation Industry. Percent and Sources of 
Matching Funds: 20 percent match--State of Kansas; 20 percent match--
Aviation Industry. No matching funds are required for the Department of 
Defense program.


                    composite small main rotor blade

  The Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2009, H.R. 2638, 
contains $1,600,000 for development of a Composite Small Main Rotor 
Blade in the Department of the Army, RDT&E Account. The entity to 
receive funding for this project is Plastic Fabricating division of 
Kaman Aerospace Corporation at 1650 South McComas Street, Wichita, KS 
67213.
  It is my understanding that the funding would be used to continue 
development on the Composite Small Main Rotor Blade which would replace 
the legacy main rotor blade on the U.S. Army's A/MH-6 Little Bird 
helicopter. The Little Bird, flown by the U.S. Army's 160th Special 
Operations Aviation Regiment, has been heavily modified to better meet 
operational needs; however, the main rotor blade, a critical dynamic 
component, has not been upgraded to modern standards. Constructed of 
metal, this blade is highly susceptible to damage and fatigue, and 
since metal lacks ballistic tolerance, the blades leave the aircraft 
especially vulnerable to enemy weapons in hostile action. Moreover, 
when gunners fire their weapons from the aircraft, expended shell 
casings can cause minor skin dents, and even these small dents require 
that the blades be replaced. The Composite Small Main Rotor Blade takes 
advantage of the inherent ballistic tolerance of composite 
construction, advanced aerodynamic design, and state-of-the-art 
erosion-resistant materials and will significantly improve the safety, 
reliability, performance--and survivability--of the aircraft. 
Specifically, the blades will increase damage tolerance, enhancing 
survivability in hostile environments, and improve hover performance, 
increase operating ceiling, increase maximum forward speed, all adding 
to the aircraft's maneuverability and performance envelope. The 
composite blades will also improve erosion resistance, experience 
better field reparability, and reduce the cost and logistics burden 
related to premature metal blade replacement due to damage. Funds are 
requested to fabricate production tooling, fabricate FAA certification 
blades, and conduct FAA certification ground testing. Composite Small 
Main Rotor Blades will (1) make the A/MH-6 Little Bird helicopter more 
survivable in hostile environments; (2) expand the flight envelope of 
the aircraft; and (3) reduce logistics burden and cost associated with 
supporting the legacy blade.
  No matching funds are required for the Department of Defense program.


            vigilant, an auto-id and access control facility

  The Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2009, H.R. 2638, 
contains $1,600,000 for development of Vigilant an auto-ID and access 
control facility at the McConnell ANG facility in the Department of the 
Army, RDT&E Account. The entity to receive funding for this project is 
the 184th Air National Guard at McConnell Air Force Base, located at 
2801 N Rock Rd, Wichita, Kansas 67226.
  Anticipated sources of funding for the duration of the project: It is 
anticipated that the funding for the Vigilant Sentinel multi-year 
effort will be provided by Federal Government support. Vigilant 
Sentinel will enable the National Guard to continue to be a quality 
first responder in the field by providing a quality, cost-effective 
security system in a fixed location or mobilized via UAVs that can be 
customized to each user's security requirements without being 
intrusive. The proposed FY09 funding of $2.0M will be utilized for 
Phase 4 in developing the system to start the transition into a mobile 
sensor network. FY09 funding will be executed on a 50 percent Camber 
Corporation and 50 percent 184th Kansas Air National Guard McConnell 
AFB, Wichita, KS. Camber Corporation: (50 percent/$1,300,000) 1st 
phase; prototype a mobile unmanned perimeter sensor network that will 
enable the National Guard to secure an area with a minimum of manpower. 
The second phase is to integrate handheld devices to read valid 
Government IDs and validate them through available communication 
networks (satellite uplink, cell, wireless) thereby enabling the 
National Guard to quickly and accurately ID people during a first 
response to a disaster or National emergency. 184th Kansas Air National 
Guard, McConnell AFB, Wichita, KS: (50 percent / $1,300,000) Finalize 
Phase 3, a working prototype to provide secured coverage over multiple 
locations for fixed site security currently being installed and tested 
at McConnell Air Force Base.
  No matching funds are required for this Department of Defense 
project.

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