WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Sam Brownback today applauded Senate passage of the fiscal year 2007 Department of Defense Appropriations bill. The bill passed the Senate late Wednesday night.

"I am very pleased that the Senate moved in quick, bipartisan fashion to approve funds critical to the men and women of the Armed Forces," said Brownback. "I am also pleased that this legislation includes additional funding for border security."

The Defense Appropriations bill provides $459 billion for the United States military, distributing funds between personnel, maintenance, procurement, and research and development accounts.

Brownback continued, "This bill provides money for several key programs that will directly benefit Kansas, including equipment for the National Guard, and full funding of the Airborne Laser system."

Items of interest that benefit Kansas include:

• Airborne Laser, Missile Defense Agency, portion of work done in Wichita, $549 million.

• Trunked Radio System, Fort Riley: $2.5 million.

• Radios to Support Joint Operations, Smoky Hill Air National Guard Range: $500,000.

• Nanocomposites for Lightning Protection of Composite Airframe Structures, National Institute for Aviation Research, Wichita State University: $2 million.

• Accelerated Insertion of Advanced Materials and Certification for Military Aircraft Structure.

Material Substitution and Repair at the National Institute for Aviation Research, Wichita State University: $3.5 million.

• Leadership for Leaders, Fort Leavenworth and Kansas State University: $500,000.

• Improved Skin Decontamination System, Manhattan: $1 million.

• Urban Operations Environmental Laboratory, Kansas State University: $4 million.

• Tires for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, Topeka: $1.5 million.

• AT-6B Research and Development, Wichita: $3 million.

• Thermal Battery Qualification, Pittsburg: $2.9 million.

• Composite Small Main Rotor Blades, Wichita: $2 million.

• Defense Fuelcell Locomotive, Topeka: $3 million.

• Radio Personality Modules, Wichita: $1 million.

• Life Support Radio Test Sets, Wichita: $1.5 million.

• Army Extended Range Attack Missile, Lansing: $1 million.

• Digital Data High Quality Recorders, Topeka: $1 million.

• UC-12 Replacement Aircraft, Wichita: $3.1 million.

• Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft, portion of work done in Wichita: $880.1 million.

• JPATS, Wichita: $541.2 million.

• 60MM Mortar, Army, portion of work done in Parsons: $6.495 million.

• 81MM Mortar, Army, portion of work done in Parsons: $53.798 million.

• M795 Artillery, Army, portion of work done in Parsons: $88.049 million.

• 60MM Mortar, Marine Corps, portion of work done in Parsons: $2.947 million.

• 81MM Mortar, Marine Corps, portion of work done in Parsons: $101.049 million.

• M795 Artillery, Navy and Marine Corps, portion of work done in Parsons: $58.9 million.

Brownback is a member of the Appropriations Committee.

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