WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), a member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, today announced the Senate version of the Department of Defense fiscal year 2009 spending bill includes $66 million for defense projects in Maryland, including $20 million for defense projects in the Washington, D.C., metro area. The legislation, which passed the subcommittee today, funds the Department of Defense and will go toward critical research, development, test and evaluation programs, as well as weapons and equipment required for the U.S. Armed Forces.

“We need to do everything we can to support our troops with the equipment they need on the battlefield, the benefits and services they deserve when they return home, and support for their families on the home front. We know how critical these funds are for our troops to fulfill their mission and return home safely,” said Senator Mikulski. “I will keep fighting to put money in the federal checkbook for our troops.”

The $20 million for Washington area defense projects includes:

• $5 million for Naval ship hydrodynamic facilities at the Carderock Naval Surface Warfare Center to replace and improve ship testing facilities.

• $3.5 million for the University System of Maryland (USM) Proof of Concept Alliance for Defense Technologies. The Proof of Concept alliance will fund university-based research to assess new technology and its potential contributions to the Army’s science and technology strategy.

• $3 million for Fibrin Adhesive Stat (FAST) Dressing, which will greatly improve treatment for burns and wounds on the battlefield.

• $3 million for a Virtual Perimeter Monitoring System, which will monitor the perimeters of military stations to prevent unauthorized access and reduce the risk of terrorist attacks.

• $3 million to equip the warfighter with state-of-the-art communications capability. This communications technology will be developed by Thales Communications in Clarksburg.

• $1.5 million for Biodefense Technology Transfer Initiative. This initiative will benefit national security by attracting new technologies for military use.

• $1 million for a multi-purpose Biodefense Immunoarray to continue research to develop technology that will rapidly detect exposure to biological weapons and other biological threats, such as the avian flu.

In the next step of the appropriations process, the spending bill will go to the full Appropriations Committee for a vote. That vote has not yet been scheduled.