Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today voted to approve a final version of a spending bill that contains more than $45 million dollars to support national defense efforts, including work at White Sands Missile Range and various New Mexico universities. 

The measure also extends unemployment insurance for two months, continues to help qualified Americans pay for COBRA health care benefits, and prevents families from losing access to food stamps, Medicaid and other federal assistance.

The Senate passed the fiscal year 2010 Defense Spending Bill (88-10) and the measure can now be sent to President Obama for signature.  

“This legislation provides a much-deserved 3.4 percent pay increase for our men and women in uniform, and supports very important defense-related projects based in our state,” Bingaman said.  “In addition, it provides continue assistance for the millions of Americans who are struggling during this difficult economic time.  Many New Mexicans will benefit from this important bill.”

“Passing this legislation provides for vital national defense projects along the border and at New Mexico’s military bases and universities,” said Udall. “It will also provide security for our troops in the field, their families at home, and bring necessary assistance to New Mexicans who have been laid off and are faced with losing their health care coverage or food shortages.”

Bingaman and Udall report that the measure contains the following for New Mexico:

$4.8 million for the New Mexico National Guard Counterdrug Support Program: This funding will support the Guard’s ability to conduct counterdrug activities in conjunction with by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, local law enforcement.  With the ongoing drug-related violence in Mexico and the need to increase resources aimed at interdicting the flow of drugs, weapons, and bulk currency being smuggled over the border, the Guard's counterdrug assistance is more important than ever.  The Guard's current counterdrug duties include camera surveillance of high traffic border areas, mobile vehicle inspection and dismantlement, vehicle barrier construction, and at-risk school counterdrug education programs.

$2.24 million for Kirtland Air Force Base: Funding would further field evaluation of the Advanced Tactical Laser before it is retired and to perform an analysis on the most suitable aircraft for future electric laser systems.

$1.6 million for Define Renewable Energy Sources at White Sands Missile Range:  This funding will be used to develop plans for the environmental, site and other assessments needed to pursue alternative energy generation (such as wind, solar and geothermal) and storage options at White Sands Missile Range. 

$4 million for the High Energy Laser System Test Facility at White Sands Missiles Range:  This funding would be used to refurbish the Tactical High Energy Laser (THEL) subsystem to accommodate a solid state laser, for a test qualification live-fire, and would ensure that other users with late-emerging high energy laser test and evaluation needs vital to national security will be able to utilize the facility.  Areas of research include rocket, artillery and mortar as well as unmanned aerial vehicle threats.

$3.76 million for the Regional Partnership at White Sands Missile Range: This funding, directed toward White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), Ft. Bliss and Holloman Air Force Base (HAFB), will help more effectively and efficiently manage the regions land, air and frequency domains.  and coordinate real-time test and training missions. 

$2.4 million for Algal Biofuels for Aviation at New Mexico State University:  This project targets biofuels production from algal biomass as an alternative source of fuel for aviation.  Between 2.5 and 3 percent of the Department of Defense (DOD) budget is spent on fuels, with more than 60 percent of the fuels used for aviation.  Moving toward an alternative source of fuel for aviation would address sustainability, environmental impacts, economic dependence and energy security related to our military and our national security.

$5 million for Holloman Air Force Base’s High Speed Test Track:  The funding would be used to advance technology development that allows for the implementation of a levitated, vibration-free test on the ground at a significantly reduced cost. 

$3.2 million for Playas Training and Research Center at New Mexico Tech: This funding would establish Playas Training and Research Center as a Joint National Training and Experimentation Site for the National Guard Bureau to be used for mission training areas of joint operations between services as well as intergovernmental agencies, irregular warfare, new and emerging missions, emergency management and civil affairs and peacekeeping missions.

$2.32 million for UAV Systems and Operations Validation Program at New Mexico State University:  This project will address a major shortfall of the existing Department of Defense knowledge base of the expertise and technology focused on small- to mid-sized Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).  The recent proliferation of small to medium UAVs within the various DOD services and commands emphasizes the need for systematic and consistent data sets to support decision makers.  Critical needs for small- to mid-sized UAVs to be addressed by this project include reliability, standards, interoperability, airspace integration, communication links, maintenance standards, training, operator certification, and multiple airworthiness issues.

$1.92 million for the University Strategic Partnership at the University of New Mexico:  This funding would be used in cooperation with divisions throughout the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) to research biotechnology, materials sciences, situational awareness, infectious diseases, radiation detection, and medical sciences. 

$4 million for the Smart Instrument Development at the Magdalena Ridge Observatory (New Mexico Tech): This project is a unique teaming arrangement to build a state-of-the-art observatory with a 2.4 meter telescope and a multi-telescope interferometer that will make it a test bed for numerous astronomical and Department of Defense projects and will enhance the capabilities of the existing observatory, particularly in the area of Space Situational Awareness.  The existing facility is currently being used to support the DOD in applications including sensor development and testing, space weather monitoring and the rapid tracking of Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) objects and debris.  This project will result in the most comprehensive images of astronomical and man-made objects yet available.

$2.4 million for the Deployable Joint Command and Control (DJC2) Shelter Upgrade Program: Funding will be used to replace outdated shelters with systems utilizing a 10-year service life and no set up/take down limitations. The original DJC2 tents were designed to be set up and taken down 50 times with a maximum 3-year service life and are now two years past their replacement date.

$1.6 million for Deformable Mirrors for High Energy Lasers: Funding would be used to upgrade existing Deformable Mirrors (DM’s) to determine whether new DM’s can be built with hundreds of actuators in spaces of approximately 5 milimeters (mm) to take High Power in both Solid State Resonater and Beam Control Applications. 

$2.4 million for Advanced Modular Avionics for ORS Use: Funding will help develop common avionics architecture and a power system for disparate ORS payloads to enable Plug in Play interoperability and mission readiness.

$2.4 million for Additional User Evaluation and System Study for Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL):  Funding would be used to conduct additional Enhanced User Evaluation of the ATL and enter into an agreement with a Federally Funded Research and Development Center to conduct a system analysis of integrating solid state laser systems onto C-130, B-1 and F-35 platforms for the purpose of close air support.