Duo praise defense bill

WASHINGTON — Utah-based defense and aerospace contractors could fare pretty well under provisions of a defense appropriations bill passed earlier this week by the House and now awaiting Senate action.

Reps. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, and Jim Matheson, D-Utah, hailed the passage of the legislation, which includes a 3.1 percent pay increase for military personnel, $1.2 billion for protective field gear and $230 million for enhanced insurance and death benefits.

"First and foremost, this legislation is about supporting our troops on the ground, from providing for more body armor to raising military pay," Matheson said.

But the defense bill is also about bringing home the bacon, and both Bishop and Matheson were touting the millions that would be coming to Utah if the bill is approved by the Senate.

Bishop helped secure $7 million to upgrade the Senior Scout system, a program solely supported by the 169th Intelligence Squadron of the Utah National Guard.

The Senior Scout system is a collection of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment that provides capabilities to exploit, "geo-locate" and report signals of interest to air and ground unit commanders. The onboard electronic system can be loaded into the back of a C-130 military transport.

The Utah Air National Guard doesn't have any C-130s in its fleet, said Lt. Col. Bill Siddoway, commander of the 169th.

"We have to thumb a ride every time we deploy," which is about once every three months for a 30-day deployment, Siddoway said.

However, the Senior Scout system can be deployed with the linguists and analysts of the 169th Intelligence Squadron, and the system can be installed on any premodified aircraft within 24 hours, according to the National Guard Bureau.

The bill also includes $5.2 million for a new satellite antenna and software to provide "reach-back" capability as part of the Senior Scout system.

This capability allows remote operator workstations, live audio and digital data distribution and storage to members of the 169th.

Siddoway said the 169th's Senior Scout system is "the only one in the Air Force," and the funding from the Defense bill will fund much-needed upgrades.

The bill also included $5 million for the Science and Engineering Lab Data Integration (SELDI) to assist in accessing information regarding maintenance overhaul operations. This program directly benefits the Ogden Air Logistics Center at Hill Air Force Base.

Bishop also inserted language that instructs the Department of Defense and NASA to look into the benefits of a shuttle-based flight system into space, as opposed to other systems that are not as proven or capable.