Defense bill has billions for new sub class, other CT-made weapons

Washington – The massive defense authorization bill that’s making its way through Congress is an early Christmas present for Connecticut’s defense contractors, containing billions of dollars for submarines, helicopters and other weaponry made by companies in the state.

But a special gift is the bill’s establishment of a “National Sea-Based Deterrence Fund” that would allow the Pentagon to put as much as $3.5 billion in a special account, outside the Navy’s normal shipbuilding budget. It would pay for a new class of submarines that could be built by Electric Boat in Groton.

The special fund allows the Pentagon to pay for these expensive ships without appearing to bust the Navy shipbuilding budget.

The establishment of the fund is a tactic that hasn't been used since the 1980s when former President Ronald Reagan created a similar way to pay for his “Star Wars” missile defense program.

http://ctmirror.org/defense-bill-contains-billions-for-new-sub-class-other-ct-made-weapons/