Hayworth Announces Fishkill Company to Continue Development of Crucial I.E.D. Technology Program

Friday May 27, 2011

(WASHINGTON) -  Rep. Nan Hayworth, M.D. (R-NY) announced today that she has been notified by the Department of Defense that the Department’s Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) has awarded $10 million in funding for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2011 to the Fishkill based Advanced Reconnaissance Corp (ARC) for their IED detection program.  The funding will enable the company to move the critical defense technology, for which they received a contract in 2009, to the second phase of development.   The company expects the funding to enable them to hire at least 20 highly skilled full time employees immediately and fabricate a hardened, deployable system that can be sent to the field in nine months. 

Hayworth commented, “Today’s announcement is welcome news for our troops serving in harm’s way who continue to face the dangers of IEDs. Further delays in funding would have meant greater risk of casualties for our service members.   It is also a win for a local business in our community working to keep our troops safe.   Our team worked hard to help facilitate a solution for this program and I’m pleased that we were able to accomplish this by mobilizing existing funds, not an earmark.”

ARC Chairman and CEO Mark Westfield stated, “We are extremely grateful to Nan Hayworth and her team for taking the lead in solving the complex issues associated with finding a pathway to fund the rest of this program.  Their hard work to coordinate the efforts of other members of Congress, and to work with JIEDDO to efficiently address the difficult fiscal issues facing the Department of Defense, over the last several months, have made this possible.”

Prior to today’s announcement the second phase of development of ARC’s Fisher program had been stalled for more than a year and a half due to lack of funding.  Due to Congress’ inaction last year producing a defense appropriations bill, funding was not available to continue this program for the remainder of the fiscal year although Congress and DOD supported the program. 

Last month, ARC’s contract almost expired.  However, Rep. Hayworth and other House Republicans successfully facilitated a short-term extension of the contact.   Following numerous meetings with the Defense Department and the House Armed Services Committee, this week Hayworth sent another letter to Under Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter.