Procurement: May 24, 2002

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The House of Representatives is packing an extra $3 billion into the Bush Administration request for $70 billion worth of new weapons next year. The House agreed to the request for $7.3 billion for the military's part in counter-terrorism, and provided $7.8 billion for ballistic missile defense and $56 billion for research and development, both a bit more than the Administration wanted. Some of the increases in weapons production include: an extra $104 million to keep EA-6Bs flying (new total $327 million), $83 million extra to upgrade Air Force F-16s (new total $348 million), $64 million for E-2C upgrades (new total $81 million), an extra $49 million to modify and do research on B-2 bombers (new total $104 million for upgrades and $242 million for research), $31 million to start buying new fourth-generation terrain avoidance systems for the C-130s three years early.--Stephen V Cole