WASHINGTON — A new defense bill, a summary of which was released Friday, would authorize increased production of Virginia-class submarines built by Electric Boat and boost other Connecticut-made defense programs by even more than President Donald Trump requested.
House Armed Services Committee
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CT among highest states in Pentagon per-capita spending
WASHINGTON – Pentagon spending on contracts in 2015 was $2,504 for every man, woman and child in Connecticut, more per person than in any other place except Virginia and the District of Columbia, according to a recently released report by the Pew Charitable Trusts. But a key lawmaker warned Thursday that lean years are coming for the Pentagon’s budget.
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Navy: Suffield sailor among missing in USS John McCain collision
WASHINGTON– The U.S. Navy confirmed Thursday that a sailor from Suffield, Petty Officer Dustin Doyon, is among those missing following the USS John S. McCains collision with an oil tanker near Singapore on Monday.
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House defense bill dashes hopes for increased EB sub production
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House is poised to throw cold water on plans to increase the rate of submarine building at Electric Boat. That’s because a defense spending bill the House hopes to vote on Friday does not contain language or money that would allow the Navy to purchase the next block of Virginia-class submarines and increase a two-a-year production rate to three.
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U.S. House panel boosts plans for EB submarine construction
WASHINGTON — The House Armed Services Committee has moved to boost submarine construction, which would allow Electric Boat to build an additional Virginia-class sub in the years 2020, 2022 and 2023.
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Senate defense bill holds the line on F-35s, Black Hawks
WASHINGTON — A Senate defense panel has been far less generous to Connecticut defense programs than it’s counterpart in the House, which had boosted the number of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter planes and doubled the number of Black Hawk helicopters the Pentagon had asked for.
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Pentagon’s chief of F-35 program says engine problem is fixed
WASHINTON — A top Air Force general said problems with the Pratt & Whitney engine on the F-35 advanced fighter have been fixed, and all of the planes will have newly engineered engines by June of next year.
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Courtney wins on sub fund in huge defense bill
WASHINGTON – Rep. Joe Courtney beat back a challenge to a special fund that would pay for a new class of nuclear submarines as the House finished work on a massive defense spending bill with billions of dollars for Connecticut defense contractors.
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Courtney faces fight over special fund for nuclear subs
WASHINGTON – The National Sea-Based Deterrence Fund, an innovative way to pay for an expensive new class of nuclear subs likely to be built in Connecticut, was established a year ago without much fanfare, but now faces a looming political fight. Its critics call it budgetary gimmickry the nation cannot afford.
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CT Lawmakers split on defense bill Obama dislikes
WASHINGTON – Connecticut lawmakers were split Friday over a massive defense bill that would authorize billions of dollars for the state’s defense industry but has provoked a veto threat from President Obama for boosting military spending in an account that’s out of the reach of a spending cap.
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House panel advances defense bill with billions for Connecticut weapons
WASHINGTON – With the backing of Rep. Joe Courtney, the House Armed Services Committee this week authorized billions of dollars for weapons systems built in Connecticut, including $1.4 billion for a new fund to pay for a new class of nuclear submarines likely to be built by General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton.
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Courtney took a moderate path in 113th Congress
WASHINGTON – When Congress considered legislation that would give President Obama authority to train and arm Syrian rebels last summer, Rep. Joe Courtney was the only member of the Connecticut delegation to support it. The vote was one of several instances in which the lawmaker split with his colleagues in the 113th Congress. (This is the second in a series of stories on the role each member of the Connecticut congressional delegation played in the 113th Congress.)
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Electric Boat wins big with approval of funding of new nuclear sub
WASHINGTON – Benefiting from the Pentagon’s plans to “rebalance” the U.S. military, Electric Boat is a big winner in a $600 billion defense authorization bill that is expected to soon win House approval.