U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) has stated his support for the U.S. Department of Defense's (DOD) announcement of the next projects to receive funding through a program Calvert introduced in 2022.
Calvert, chair of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, created a $100 million "warfighter innovation fund" as part of the Fiscal Year 2022 Defense Appropriations Bill. He expressed his approval of the second round of projects to receive funding through the Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT) pilot program in a statement released May 24.
“With the announcement of a second round of APFIT projects, the Defense Department is realizing the program’s goal of delivering innovative tools to our warfighters in an accelerated timeline,” Calvert said in the statement. “The projects selected include innovative technologies in communications, weapons systems, flight training, ISR, and other essential national security areas.”
APFIT is a "competitive, merit-based program" that provides support for military technologies and products that "can meet warfighter demands but currently lack the necessary funding to field," according to Calvert's statement.
"In FY2022 $100 million was appropriated for APFIT, resulting in ten DoD programs each receiving $10 million to expedite their production and fielding," Calvert's statement reports. "APFIT funding is helping to deliver war-winning capability 1-2 years earlier than scheduled, while contributing to the health of the US Industrial base through investments in small business and nontraditional defense-developed capabilities."
Funding for the second round of APFIT projects includes an additional $50 million over FY2022, with Congress appropriating $150 million for the program in FY2023, the DOD announced May 22.
Heidi Shyu, the DOD's under secretary for Research and Engineering, said in the DOD announcement that she is "thrilled to see the increased support from Congress for the APFIT program."
"This flexible funding is helping to transform the way the Department quickly pivots to procure and field warfighting capability, across the military services and defense agencies," Shyu said in the announcement.
Shyu called the program a "critical tool" in bridging the "valley of death" between developing capabilities and transitioning them to the field.
"The companies being funded will fill crucial capability gaps," Shyu said in the DOD statement. "Without APFIT funding, these capabilities could take years longer to field.”
Calvert, in his statement, said that he "fought to establish APFIT to ensure that new ways to succeed on the battlefield are not held back by old ways inside the Pentagon."
"I believe my colleagues in Congress, Defense Department officials, and our industry partners recognize the value of the APFIT program," he said, "and I look forward to its continued growth so I have no doubt that our warfighters do too."
Calvert, a lifelong resident of Riverside County and 17-year restaurant and real estate entrepreneur, represents southern California’s 41st U.S. Congressional District and has served in leadership positions at the Corona Chamber of Commerce, the Corona Rotary and the Corona-Norco Family YMCA, according to his website.