DEFENSE BILL FUNDS PALMDALE PROJECTS.Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer PALMDALE - Two fighter jet programs that employ several hundred Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley workers have received backing in a defense appropriations bill approved by Congress. The Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2006 provides $3.2 billion for 25 Lockheed Martin For the former company, see . Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is a leading multinational aerospace manufacturer and advanced technology company formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta. F-22A aircraft and $4.8 billion for the F-35 joint strike fighter A strike fighter is a fighter aircraft which is also capable of attacking surface targets, including ships. It differs from an attack aircraft in that the aircraft remains a capable fighter. , both of which involve parts production in Palmdale and flight testing work at Edwards Air Force Base Edwards Air Force Base, U.S. military installation, 301,000 acres (121,805 hectares), S Calif., NE of Lancaster; est. 1933. It is one of the largest air force bases in the United States and has the world's longest runway. . The bill also includes $332.1 million for production of Northrop Grumman's unmanned Global Hawk reconnaissance aircraft, assembled in Palmdale, and more than $12 million in new equipment and research funding Research funding is a term generally covering any funding for scientific research, in the areas of both "hard" science and technology and social science. The term often connotes funding obtained through a competitive process, in which potential research projects are evaluated and for Edwards. ``This legislation continues our military's effort in developing cutting-edge technology for our men and women in uniform as they protect our nation's security and fight the War on Terrorism Terrorist acts and the threat of Terrorism have occupied the various law enforcement agencies in the U.S. government for many years. The Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, as amended by the usa patriot act ,'' said U.S. Rep. Bill Thomas For other people with similar names, see . William Marshall Thomas (born December 6 1941), commonly known as Bill Thomas, American politician, was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1979–2007, representing the 22nd District of , R-Bakersfield, whose district includes Edwards Air Force Base. Although the F-22A fighters are assembled in Georgia, parts of the aircraft are assembled by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. in Palmdale. About 400 workers in Palmdale manufacture parts for the jets. The center fuselage sections of the F-35 are being assembled by Northrop Grumman in Palmdale, and flight testing is planned for Edwards Air Force Base. The planes will be put together at a Lockheed Martin plant in Texas. Northrop Grumman employs several hundred people on the F-35 program in Palmdale. The Global Hawk aircraft are being built by a small cadre of Northrop Grumman workers in Palmdale. The defense bill also included $1 million for computer equipment to support flight test programs at Edwards, $4.3 million for propulsion system technologies, $1 million for research on upper stage rocket engine technologies, $4.3 million to improve engineering modeling and simulation tools, and $1.5 million for solid rocket propulsion technology research. Previously, Congress voted to provide funds to start a new $103 million runway at Edwards to replace its aging main runway and to provide $59.6 million to continue replacing aging homes for military personnel. Jim Skeen, (661) 267-5743 james.skeen(at)dailynews.com |
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