Rep. Calvert Applauds Funding Announcement for New Defense Innovation Program

Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-42), the Ranking Republican on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, applauded today's funding announcement for the first set of projects under the pilot program to Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT). Rep. Calvert led the effort to establish APFIT in the Fiscal Year 2022 Defense Appropriations bill.

"Today's funding announcement is an exciting step in overcoming the long-standing challenges with transitioning defense technologies from prototypes to production at scale," said Rep. Calvert. "The so-called ‘Valley of Death' has been an obstacle to getting emerging technology and commercially available resources into the hands of our warfighters on the battlefield. I pushed for the creation of APFIT to overcome this hurdle and ensure we stay ahead of near-peer adversaries like China in our technological advantage. I am also thrilled to see that half of the projects selected to receive funding will take place, at least in part, in our state or directly involve California-based defense contractors, which have long been a contributor to the state's economy, the development of advanced weapon systems and our national security."

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