Washington, D.C. —  The U.S. Senate tonight voted 93 to 7 to approve the Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Appropriations bill. The bill includes nearly $25.5 million in defense funding for South Dakota priorities requested by Senator John Thune. In total, the bill includes over $625 billion for the Department of Defense.

"South Dakota's armed forces personnel, military installations, institutions of higher education, and private companies make important contributions to our national security," said Thune. "Investing in defense projects in South Dakota will help the men and women of our armed forces meet the requirements of their missions and contribute to the overall security of our nation. I will work to maintain these funding commitments as the bill moves through the House and Senate conference process."

The FY 2010 Defense Appropriations bill includes the following requests made by Senator Thune:
• $4 million for South Dakota State University to study alternate power technologies for missile defense systems, with a focus on wind, solar, and bioenergy.
• $3 million for the Advanced Electronics Rosebud Integration Center (AERIC) - Army Missile Defense program. The Rosebud Sioux Tribe advances the capabilities of the Army defense system electronics by reducing size, weight, and cost of electronic circuit cards, components, wire harnesses and electronic cabling with an emphasis to reduce hazardous substances-materials and employ lead-free components in micro-electronic products.
• $3 million for South Dakota State University to study renewable jet fuels produced from lignocellulosic feedstocks.
• $2.5 million for South Dakota School of Mines and Technology to study the life extension of weapons systems through advanced materials processing.
• $2 million for the Next Generation Lightweight Electric Drive Systems for Army Weapon Systems at Dakota Power Incorporated in Rapid City, which provides a reduction in size and weight, which can enhance performance for military vehicles.
• $2 million for Boeing to evaluate potential improvements to the B-1's radar capability.
• $2 million for the Ellsworth Air Force Base Energy Conversion Demonstration Program, which when fully operational will convert solid waste into electricity.
• $2 million for LITENING 4th Generation (LG4) Advanced Targeting Pods for Air National Guard F-16 and A-10 Aircraft. Advanced Targeting Pods will help the Air National Guard with precision strike capability, training and counter Improvised Explosive Device operations. It will also help support Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom as well as Homeland Security and Disaster Relief capabilities.
• $1.5 million for the Aging Weapons Systems Structural Repair program at H.F. Webster Engineering Services in Rapid City, which provides for the qualification of Laser Engineered Net Shaping and Friction Stir Welding technologies and the development of a mobile friction stir welding capability. This has significant potential for extending the structural life and reducing the cost of sustaining aging weapons systems.
• $1.5 million for IKOR Stabilized Hemoglobin Wound Healing Development program.
• $1 million for South Dakota School of Mines and Technology to study Smart Integrated Materials, Structures, and Manufacturing Processes.
• $1 million for South Dakota School of Mines and Technology to study Energy Efficiency Recovery and Generation (lignocellulosic research).
• $600,000 for Evergreen Measurement and Certification Center in Rapid City to develop reliable testing technology to protect troops from chemical warfare agents.
• $360,000 for the University of South Dakota's Center for Engineered Biomedical Devices to research treatment possibilities for combat injuries.

Senator Thune is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. The Defense Appropriations bill will now be reconciled with the measure passed by the House of Representatives before being sent to the President for his consideration.

In addition to the Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Appropriations bill, the Senate is expected to consider the conference report to accompany Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Authorization bill soon, which authorizes funding for the Defense Department and the national security programs within the Department of Energy.