Hawai'i defense projects may grow

By Susan Roth
Advertiser Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — Hawai'i defense projects could reap $530 million in fiscal 2003 in a spending bill that the Senate is expected to approve.

That's nearly 20 percent more than the $444 million Congress approved for Hawai'i's military in this year. Even with a tight budget, the military was expected to see major increases because of the war on terrorism.

The Senate is expected to approve the bill, which cleared committee last week, with the Hawai'i money intact. But the measure has yet to be reconciled with the House defense spending bill. The Senate bill would spend $355.4 billion, while the House version would appropriate $354.7 billion.

Sen. Dan Inouye, D-Hawai'i, chairman of the Senate's Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, secured substantially more money than last year for Kaua'i's missile defense programs, the Federal Health Care Network for military families at Tripler Army Medical Center and new equipment at Pearl Harbor, as well as $44 million in new projects.

The restoration of Kaho'olawe, which will end in fiscal 2003, also would get $80 million under the Senate bill, compared with $67.5 million last year.

"I am confident that this Senate bill appropriately addresses America's urgent and long-term security needs," Inouye said.

The measure includes:

• $54.8 million for the Pacific Missile Range facilities on Kaua'i, which received $49.3 million last year.
• $35 million for the Maui Space Surveillance System, housing the nation's largest telescope and combining satellite tracking with research. The program got $22.8 million last year.
• $15 million for the Maui High Performance Computing Center, compared with $3.4 million last year.
• $10 million for a Maui program to improve tracking of enemy submarines, which got $4.3 million last year.
• $22 million for the Federal Health Care Network at Tripler, compared with $15.3 million last year for similar programs.
• $15 million for new equipment at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, versus $4.3 million last year.
• $8 million for a new computer system for Air Force units in the Pacific.