Jim Bunning: “the Armed Services Committee approved an authorization increase of $10 million over the budget request for Combat…”

“the Armed Services Committee approved an authorization increase of $10 million over the budget request for Combat Vehicle and Automotive Advanced Technology ``to support the goals of Army transformation''. The report states that ``of this amount, $5 million would be used for research into lightweight steels, vehicle weight and cost reduction, corrosion control, and vehicle architecture optimization. The committee notes that novel light truck architectures combined with advanced structural materials could reduce vehicle weight without degrading performance or increasing costs, and could support the Army's transformation into a lighter, more lethal, survivable and tactically mobile force.'' This increase refers to the research effort, competitively selected by the Army in fiscal year 1999, titled ``Improved Materials and Powertrain Architectures for 21th Century Trucks'' (IMPACT). The IMPACT program will cover light/medium military payloads up to 5 tons, including applications with an open or closed bed configuration. Kentucky is a large commercial producer and Army Base user of such vehicles, and through the University of Louisville's involvement in this effort, plays an important research role in their design and testing. The military will realize significant procurement and O&M cost savings as a result.”