$24.8 million in federal funding for region will create jobs, benefit U.S. military
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Arlen Specter and Bob Casey announced today that Congress has approved federal funding for several defense-related projects in Southwest Pennsylvania. This funding is contained in the Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Appropriations Act, a bill which provides funding for our men and women in uniform, and also extends unemployment and health insurance benefits for unemployed workers.
“These projects will make valuable contributions to our nation’s defense and economy,” said Senator Specter. “Pennsylvania is a top competitor for defense projects that create jobs and strengthen our economy and these funds will go far in supporting the brave men and women who serve our country.”
“These projects will encourage job creation and bolster our nation’s security,” said Senator Casey. “I am pleased the Congress has approved this important funding, which will promote economic growth in Pennsylvania, ensure that our servicemembers have state-of-the-art equipment and protection and strengthen our nation’s defense.”
The Senate voted to pass the bill Saturday morning 88-10; the President signed it into law the same day.
Funding has been approved for the following defense projects in SWPA:
*If a Member of Congress also supported a project, his/her name listed
• $3.2 million for the Pittsburgh Tissue Engineering Initiative in Allegheny County for the development of technologies to help soldiers regenerate damaged or lost cells or tissue using the soldier’s own cells. (Specter, Casey, Doyle)
• $3 million for the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitative Sciences to create a Center of Excellence for Injury Prevention and Performance Enhancement at Fort Campbell. Enhanced screening models will be developed by examining the epidemiological evidence of musculoskeletal injuries, performance-related attrition rates, and the physical parameters identified as biomechanical, physiological, and musculoskeletal risk factors to improve the performance of combat troops. (Specter)
• $2.8 million for Compass Systems in Cambria County to support the Defense Threat Reduction Agency Chemical and Biological Science & technology office with a new, force multiplier technology to link field operations to commanders with critical data. (Casey-Murtha)
• $2 million for Stemnion in Allegheny County to research and develop a non-embryonic cell based technology for wound healing therapies to treat combat related injuries. (Casey-Doyle)
• $2 million for DSN Innovations in Allegheny County to employ laser-scanning technology to shorten the time and lower the cost for resetting and modernizing the military’s small arms and crew-serve weapons. (Casey-Altmire)
• $2 million for ChemImage Corporation in Allegheny County to develop standoff sensors to rapidly detect the presence of chemical, biological, explosive and IED threats. (Specter, Doyle)
• $1.6 million for the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining in Westmoreland County to support the continued operations of the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining, which exists to address and support the broad manufacturing and machining needs of the DOD and its industrial base. (Specter, Casey, Tim Murphy)
• $1.6 million for Plextronics in Allegheny County to continue to develop new capabilities and technology for flexible electronics. Flexible display technology will allow soldiers to receive information in real time on robust, flexible maps and displays that can be conformed multiple ways while reducing the weight and power requirements. (Specter)
• $1.6 million for Saint Francis University’s Center of Excellence for Remote and Medically Underserved Areas in Cambria County to develop cellular multimedia content distribution, testing and evaluation of bandwidth-efficient content distribution, refine deployable tactical and communications networks for rural military and first responders units. (Casey-Shuster)
• $1.6 million for Converteam, Inc. in Allegheny County to expand the capacity of an integrated power system converter, which provides capacity for future system upgrades, improved ship survivability, greater flexibility in ship design, and reduced operating and support costs. (Specter, Casey, Tim Murphy)
• $1.2 million for Virtus Advanced Sensors in Allegheny County for the development of micro inertial navigation technology. (Specter, Doyle)
• $800,000 for Accipiter Systems in Allegheny County to develop a next generation and scalable communications system for the warfighter with a significant reduction in size, weight and power compared to traditional systems. (Specter, Casey, Altmire)
• $800,000 for PPG Industries in Allegheny County for the development of a non-skid coating to withstand the high temperatures generated by the exhaust gases of modern vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, such as the F-35 and V-22. (Specter, Casey)
• $600,000 for Eaton Corporation in Allegheny County to develop a new 100 amp breaker that will complete a family of current limiting circuit breakers used in electrical distribution systems onboard Navy combatant vessels. (Specter, Casey, Tim Murphy)
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