2010 was a fantastic year for defense appropriations for composite companies, in particular, composite armor received substantial funding. Even though it is only April, Senators are beginning to announce their 2011 requests. Senator Jim Bunning of Kentucky announced some of his requests, and looks like 2011 will be another stellar year for composite armor funding. Below are Bunning's related requests:
Project: De-Weighting Military Vehicles through Advanced Composites Manufacturing Technology
Amount Requested: $3,200,000
Recipient: MAG Industrial Automation Systems
Location: Boone County, KY
Description: This is a research and development project for manufacturing of a machine to produce lighter-weight parts for military vehicles. The project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it advances technology that delivers light-weight materials that improve fuel efficiency, cost savings, and enhanced combat readiness.
Project: Enabling Optimization of Reactive Armor
Amount Requested: $5,000,000
Recipient: Ensign-Bickford Aerospace and Dynamics
Location: Muhlenberg County, KY
Description: These funds will be used to develop a replacement for current reactive armor used by the Army which will be reduced in weight, meet new threats, and increase overall safety.
Project: New Specialty Resins for Advanced Composite Armor
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
Recipient: Hexion Specialty Chemicals, Inc.
Location: Jefferson County, KY
Description: Funds will help develop a new range of matrix resins that address shortcomings in existing composite ballistic armor systems. Achieving a better balance of properties will advance composite toughness, enhance fire, smoke, and toxicity performance to help our servicemen and women.
Project: Tactical Mobility Consortium (TMC)
Amount Requested: $8,000,000
Recipient: University of Kentucky Research Foundation and M2 Technologies
Location: Fayette County, KY
Description: The requested funding will advance years of aggressive research and development with the Marine Corps to deliver a critical force protection capability to the warfighter, allowing our military to provide the technical expertise required to assess the intended and unintended impacts of emerging technologies within the context of expeditionary warfare.
Hopefully the military is actually requesting this research...
Source and Photo Credit: Senator Jim Bunning
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